The CONLON family of Glebe

I've been working quite a lot on my CONLON family line - Michael Joseph CONLON was the patriarch of my family line, but he also had three brothers who married, and so in the Glebe area there were a lot of Conlon's from the mid 1800's through to the early 1900's, not to mention sister who married with names such as ALLEYN, MACKEY, and others. A quick check of the Sydney directory shows there are no longer any in the area - perhaps not surprising given how much the area has gentrified.

As an example of just how many family members lived in the area, one can look at one of the funeral announcements in the Sydney Morning Herald. In the early 1900's, extended family would often place a funeral announcement also, giving an idea of just how strong family connections were. In my tree the CONLON family, Roman Catholics, seemed to have a large number of family members, and as Michael and Ellen CONLON had 10 children die in infancy or relatively young, there were a lot of funeral announcements.

As one example, Michael and Ellen's son Michael Joseph CONLON (1875 - 1902) died 17 Sep 1902 aged 27. His death notice was placed on page 1 of the Sydney Morning Herald, funeral announcements were on the back page.

Sydney Morning Herald, Thursday, 18 September 1902
DEATHS
Conlon - September 17, 1902, Michael Joseph, last and only beloved son of M.J. and the late Mrs E.T. Conlon, of 20 Broughton-street, Glebe, from bronco-pneumonia, aged 27 years, after 6 days illness. 

He was buried at Rookwood Cemetery the day after his death, and the Sydney Morning Herald of Thursday, 18 September 1902 carried the funeral announcements. His mother had died earlier in the same year. The 'funeral' started by leaving the residence of his father Michael Joseph CONLON, whose home and pottery works were on Broughton Street in Glebe. I am not aware of practices at the time, but am assuming that the mourners and coffin made their way to the nearby Mortuary Station and took the train to Rookwood Necropolis (the Catholic cemetery at Rookwood) where the funeral was held.

I've transcribed the first in full, then in the others stated the name of each advert and their stated relation to the deceased. After each one I've noted the family connection in italics, showing how useful death/funeral announcements can be when building a family tree.


Sydney Morning Herald, Thursday, 18 September 1902

CONLON - The friends of Mr. M.J. CONLON are respectfully invited to attend the Funeral of his late dearly loved SON, Michael Joseph ; to leave his residence, 20 Broughton-street Glebe, THIS AFTERNOON, at 1:30, for the Necroplis. COFFILL and COMPANY, Funeral Directors. Tel. 424.

Other notices that followed underneath were structured as above but summarized here:

Mr. and Mrs. F.W. PRIESTLY... their late beloved BROTHER: Ellen Teresa Conlon (1868-1937), sister of Michael Conlon, married Frederick William PRIESTLY (1867-1939) in 1887 at Glebe.

Mr. and Mrs. Charles MACKEY.... their late dearly loved BROTHER: Anne Jane Conlon (1877-1939), sister of Michael Conlon, married Charles MACKEY (1879-1961) in 1902 at Sydney.

Mr. and Mrs. John CONLON and FAMILY of 69 Glebe-street, Glebe.... their dearly beloved NEPHEW and COUSIN: John Joseph Conlon (1839-1904), uncle of the deceased and brother of Michael Joseph Conlon sr. Married Ann ALLEYN (abt 1836-1910) who was the sister of M.J. Conlon senior's wife - so two brothers married two sisters. John and Ann had at least four children.

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas J CONLON and FAMILY of 100 Glebe-street, Glebe... their dearly beloved NEPHEW: Thomas Joseph Conlon (1844-1913), uncle of the deceased and brother of Michael Joseph Conlon sr. Married Harriett WILD (1844-1936) at St. Joseph's Church, Newtown. They had at least nine children.

Mrs. Margaret  CONLON and family and Mrs. M.J. PETERS and family, of Balfour-street.... their beloved NEPHEW: Balfour-street is in Chippendale, just over Parramatta Road/Broadway from Glebe. Margaret Conlon nee WALSH (1843-1918) was the widow of William CONLON (abt 1836-1879). They married at St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney in 1859 and had at least seven children. One of these was Mary Jane Conlon (1866-1936) who married John James PETERS in 1885.

Mrs. Frank and the late Mr. Frank CONLON and FAMILY of Dangar-place... their deceased beloved cousin: Dangar-place is in Chippendale, just over Parramatta Road/Broadway from Glebe. Frank was Francis Napoleon CONLON (1863-1902), who had died earlier in the same year, and was the son of William and Margaret CONLON (above). Francis married Catherine FLYNN (1865-1927), and they had at least seven children.

Mr. and Mrs. S.H. WALKER and FAMILY of Mitchell-street, Glebe... their deceased cousin: This is a slightly tricky one. Samuel Henry WALKER (1860-1940) was the son of Ann ALLEYNE (married to John Conlon above, her second husband) by her first husband Charles WALKER. She married Charles in 1856 at St Mary's Cathedral Sydney, had a number of children and it is assumed Charles died, as she married John Joseph Conlon in 1870. Samuel Henry WALKER married Maria MOCKLER in 1883 in Glebe.


Mr. and Mrs. Rowland EAGAR, of 91 Glebe-street, Glebe.... their dearly beloved deceased COUSIN: Rowland EAGAR (1872-1942) married Elizabeth A Conlon (1877-1947), the daughter of Wiliam Conlon and Margaret nee Walsh described above. They married in 1898 in Sydney. Rowland and Elizabeth had at least two children.

Mr. and Mrs. John REIDY, of 69 Glebe-street, Glebe.... their dearly beloved COUSIN: John REIDY (abt 1867-1930) married Anne M Conlon (1871-1930), the daughter of John Joseph Conlon and Ann Alleyn (described above). They married in 1894 in Glebe. They had at least two children.


Mr. and Mrs. Albert CONLON, of Mitchell-street, Glebe... their late departed COUSIN: Albert Richard Conlon (1880-1956) was the son of John Joseph Conlon and Ann nee Alleyn (described above). He married Catherine KEANE (?-?) in Sydney in 1901, and they had at least four children all registered in Glebe. Albert played Rugby League for Glebe and possibly also Australia, and his death is registered in Queensland.

Mr. and Mrs. John MCGRATH... their late dearly loved COUSIN: Uncertain. A Mary Conlon married a John McGrath in 1878 in Sydney, however the relationship is unclear. There was also a McGrath marriage on the Alleyn side of the family and this may be the connection.

Mr. and Mrs. T. BRADY and family.... their dearly beloved cousin: Thomas BRADY (abt 1859-1921) married Julia M ALLEYN (1857-1913) in 1882 in Glebe. Julia was the daughter of William Placid Alleyn (1833-1907 , brother of Ellen Teresa Conlon nee Alleyn) and Bridget nee McNamara (1838-1906). Bridget and William probably met on the 'Thetis' while travelling to Australia.

Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Conlon, of 67 Glebe-street, Glebe... their late beloved COUSIN: Joseph J CONLON (1877-1963) was the son of Michael Joseph Conlon sr's brother Thomas J Conlon and Harriet nee Wild (described above). Joseph married Rose Florence NOLAN (abt 1880-1911) and they had at least six children.


Mr. and Mrs. W. Walker or Albert-street, Erskineville... their late beloved COUSIN: William WALKER (1862-?), brother to Samuel Henry WALKER described above.