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John Costello 40th Foot Biography by Suart Eaton
| Name | COSTELLO / COSTELLOE – John |
|---|---|
| Regiment (s) | 40th Regiment |
| Regiment Number (s) | 952 |
| Date/Age/Place/Trade or Profession at Attestation | 21st May 1836 / 18 years / Kilkenny Ireland Cooper and Labourer |
| Description – Height Complexion/Eyes/Hair/Scars | 5 Ft 6¾ in Fresh / Hazel / Brown / None |
| Overseas Service/Duration | East Indies including Quettah Bombay – 4 years 3 months Scinde, Beeloochistan and Afghanistan – 3 years 11 months |
| Length of Service | 9 years 87 days |
| Rank/Date/Place of Discharge | Private / 15 August 1845 / Chatham Kent England |
| Campaign Medals | Medal inscribed “Canadahar, “Ghuznee” “Cabool” 1842 and for second Afghan Campaign Bronze Star for Maharajpoor |
| Intended Residence at Discharge | Freshford Kilkenny Ireland |
| Pension Districts | 1845-1850 Kilkenny 1850-1902 Western Australia |
| Pension Paid | 9d per diem |
| Date of Departure and Place England or Ireland | 22nd July 1850 Portland Dorset England |
| Ship and Date of Arrival Western Australia | HASHEMY 25th October 1850 |
| Date/Place of Birth | C1818 Freshford, Kilkenny Ireland |
| Date/Place of Baptism | Not yet known |
| Father Date/Place of Birth | Not yet known |
| Mother Date/Place of Birth Marriage | Not yet known |
| Siblings | Not yet known |
| 1st Wife Date of Birth or Baptism | BERGIN Anne bap 17th December 1822 Tubberboe Queens (Laois) Ireland |
| Date/Place of Marriage | 20th November 1848 Tubberboe Queens (Laois) Ireland |
| Children by 1st Wife | Margaret or Margret B 1849 Ireland bap 12th October 1849 Durrow Queens (Laois) Ireland D 9.30am 21st August 1850 onboard “Hashemy” Mary B 1851 Bunbury Western Australia D 22nd October 1851 Western Australia John B 1853 Bunbury Western Australia D 28th January 1858 Bunbury Western Australia bur Roman Catholic Section Sand Dunes Cemetery Bunbury Western Australia Ellen B 31st August 1855 Bunbury Western Australia 20th January 1878 entered Victoria Square Convent as Sister Angela D 4th October 1930 Bunbury WA Martin B 1857 Bunbury Western Australia M WILLIAMS (Sarah) Jane 14th July 1881 Albany WA D 15th December 1907 Norseman Western Australia Bur Norseman Cemetery WA William John B 1859 Bunbury Western Australia M GREEN Margaret Josephine 25th August 1879 St. Ignatius Church, Norwood, Adelaide South Australia. D 20th February 1897 Albany Western Australia Bur Albany Memorial Park Western Australia Mary Anne B 1862 Bunbury Western Australia D 16 February 1876 Lake Monger Subiaco Western Australia bur Roman Catholic Section East Perth Cemeteries Western Australia |
| Father of 1st wife Date/Place of Birth | BERGIN Martin Not yet known |
| Mother of 1st wife Date/Place of Birth Marriage | DELANEY Mary Not yet known Not yet known |
| Land Grants Western Australia | Granted Lot P7 Bunbury Assigned 20th November 1858 Title Application 4th December 1858 Title 1618 This land was resumed in 1917 for a proposed school |
| Occupation after Arrival | Customs Department 1870 to 1871 (Cooper and Tide waiter) Bunbury 1873 appointed Lightkeeper Bunbury |
| Newspaper Articles | Perth Gazette and Independent Journal of Political and News WA Shipping Intelligence 1st November 1850 – page 2 – List of Pensioners on the Hashemy named The West Australian Times Tuesday 22nd February 1876 page 2 Inquest into the drowning of Mary Anne Costello at Lake Monger. The W.A. Record Saturday 27th February 1897 page 10 Death of William John Costello WA Record Saturday 18th August 1917 page 14 Resumption of P7 & P8 Bunbury South West Tribune Tuesday 7th October 1930 page 3 death of Mother Angela (Ellen Costello) The West Australian Tuesday 14th October 1930 page 1 Mother Angela (List of nieces and nephews) Obituaries for John and Anne can be found in the attachment South West Times 3rd December 1992 “The Forgotten Dead” |
| Departure from Western Australia | Not applicable |
| Date/Place of Death/Burial | 29th July 1902 Bunbury Western Australia Roman Catholic Section Sand Dunes Cemetery Bunbury Western Australia |
| Date/Place of Death/Burial Wife | 6th January 1909 Bunbury Western Australia Roman Catholic Section Sand Dunes Cemetery Bunbury Western Australia |
| Will or Probate | Not yet known |
| Further Information | Discharge due to impaired vision. In 1843 at Meerut John suffered from acute inflammation to both eyes, a disease that was very prevalent at the time amongst the European infantry in India. July 28th 1850 Mrs Costello was treated for a miscarriage aboard the Hashemy 18th August 1850 Mrs Costello treated for hysteria also while on board the Hashemy 18th August 1850 Margaret Costello age 10 months treated for atrophy died 21st August 1850 at sea When the Hashemy was chartered as a convict transport in 1850 its destination was Van Diemen’s Land but due to the strong anti-transportation movement in the Eastern states it was decided to send it to Western Australia where transportation was still acceptable. As a result the WO 23s still have the pensioners located in VDL in 1851 instead of Western Australia. John Costello was awarded a military funeral John Costello was awarded a pension of £8/8/- from January 1880 for services as Cooper, Tidewaiter and Lightkeeper Bunbury his emolument when last employed was £50. (Blue Book 1895) On some records Anne Costello’s maiden name is recorded as Berrigan. Although there does not appear to be a baptismal record of Anne Bergin in 1822 the daughter of Martin Bergin and Mary Delaney there is one for Catherine Bergin 1st October 1824 at Darrow, Queens County, (Laois) who may have been her sister. |