AHERN – John 68th Regiment – Enrolled Pensioner Force WA

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Name	AHERN – John
Regiment (s)	68th Regiment
Regiment Number (s)	1554
Date/Age/Place/Trade or Profession at Attestation	26th August 1839 / 18 years / Cork Ireland Labourer
Description – Height Complexion/Eyes/Hair/Scars	5 Ft 5¼ in Fair / Grey / Dark Brown / None
Overseas Service/Duration	Quebec Canada – 3 years Malta – 7 months Turkey Crimea – 1 year 9 months Ionian Islands – 1 year 4 months East Indies – 3 years 5 months
Length of Service	21 years 151 days
Rank/Date/Place of Discharge	Corporal / 22nd January 1861 / Fermoy Cork Ireland
Campaign Medals	Crimean Medal with Alma Inkerman Balaklava and Sebastopol Clasps Turkish Crimean Medal
Intended Residence at Discharge	Cork Ireland
Pension Districts	1861 1st Cork 1861 Gloucester 1862 Bermuda (in transit) 1863-1889 Western Australia
Pension Paid	1/6d per diem 1881 Increased to 2/0d per diem service in Enrolled Force
Date of Departure and Place England or Ireland	30th October 1862 Gravesend England (via Bermuda)
Ship and Date of Arrival Western Australia	MERCHANTMAN 15th February 1863
Date/Place of Birth	c1821 Somerstown Cork Ireland
Date/Place of Baptism	Not yet known
Father Date/Place of Birth	AHERN Patrick Not yet known
Mother Date/Place of Birth Marriage	Not yet known
Siblings	Not yet known
1^st Wife Date of Birth or Baptism	MOONEY Rosanna B c1820 Ireland
Date/Place of Marriage	23rd August 1847 St. Paul’s Dublin Dublin Ireland
Children by 1^st Wife	Mary Ann B 24th May 1850 bap St Mary’s Limerick Limerick Ireland M 1st MCKERNAN William 7th June 1867 Western Australia M 2nd GREEN James 24th March 1870 Western Australia M 3rd POLLITT James William 1883 Geraldton Western Australia D 16th April 1913 Geraldton Western Australia
Father of 1st wife Date/Place of Birth	MOONEY Philip Not yet known
Mother of 1st wife Date/Place of Birth Marriage	Not yet known
Land Grants Western Australia	11th November 1881 assigned North Fremantle Lot P61 Stirling Highway of 1 acre 3 roods 31 perches in exchange for a previous grant at Cockburn. 5th November 1883 Title application Title 6/42
Occupation after Arrival	Not yet known
Newspaper Articles	Inquirer and Commercial News Wednesday 25th January 1865 page 3, Wednesday 26th April 1865 page 2, Wednesday 26th January 1866 page 1 John Ahern and Camden Harbour The Perth Gazette and WA times Friday 21st April 1865 page 2, Friday 12th January 1866 page 1 Camden Harbour
Departure from Western Australia	Not Applicable
Date/Place of Death/Burial	25th November 1889 Geraldton Western Australia Buried Geraldton Cemetery
Date/Place of Death/Burial Wife	2nd August 1885 Fremantle Western Australia
Will or Probate	None known
Further Information	British Army Worldwide Index 1841 John Ahern 1554 Private 68th Foot Location Depot Ashton under Lyme 1851 John Ahern 1554 Corporal Depot 68th Location Birr Discharge at own request having served upward of 21 years Mrs Ahern age 43 received medical treatment during the voyage of the Merchantman. The Surgeon superintendent gave both John and Roseanna a Very Good rating for their behaviour on the Merchantman. John Ahern was one of the detachment of pensioners who volunteered to accompany the ill-fated expedition to Camden Harbour (600kn North East of Broome) in 1865. The detachment departed Fremantle 17th January 1865 aboard the Tien Tsin. John was accompanied by his wife Roseanna (sic) and daughter Mary Ann. He was favourably mentioned in despatches from the settlement.See EPG Gazette April 2005 Vol 6 No 2 re letter from Richard Daley to Sergt Conley dated 15th March 1865 conditions at Camden Harbour. 6th May 1882 John and his family are residing at No 2 barracks Fremantle.After the death of his wife in 1885 John went to live with his daughter and her family in Geraldton until his death in 1889. John Ahern’s house at 66 Stirling Highway is on the National Trust Register of Heritage places