Click on images to view (if available) a larger image. Use your browser’s Back button to return to site.
| Name | KIRWAN – John |
|---|---|
| Regiment (s) | 63rd and 30th Regiment |
| Regiment Number (s) | 572 / 322 |
| Date/Age/Place/Trade or Profession at Attestation | 29th October 1825 / 18 years / Castlebar Mayo Ireland Labourer |
| Description – Height Complexion/Eyes/Hair/Scars | 5 Ft 11½ in Fresh / Hazel / Auburn / None |
| Overseas Service/Duration | Bermuda – 5 years 4 months |
| Length of Service | 21 years 223 days |
| Rank/Date/Place of Discharge | Sergeant / 21 July 1847 / Newcastle on Tyne England |
| Campaign Medals | None |
| Intended Residence at Discharge | Stoke Bruerne Towcester Northamptonshire England |
| Pension Districts | 1847 Northampton 1850-1854 Western Australia Struck off (see further information) 1860-1873 South Australia |
| Pension Paid | 1/1d per diem |
| Date of Departure and Place England or Ireland | 4th March 1850 Portsmouth Hampshire England |
| Ship and Date of Arrival Western Australia | SCINDIAN 1st June 1850 |
| Date/Place of Birth | c1808 Kilmain Mayo Ireland |
| Date/Place of Baptism | Not yet known |
| Father Date/Place of Birth | KIRWAN Edmund |
| Mother Date/Place of Birth Marriage | HOPKINS Celia |
| Siblings | Not yet known |
| 1st Wife Date of Birth or Baptism | CLOSE Jane Not yet known |
| Date/Place of Marriage | Ireland |
| Children by 1st Wife | Edmund B 3rd April 1842 Mullingar Galway Ireland M LENNON Ellen Agnes 14th January 1864 Melrose South Australia D 6th October 1909 Port Augusta South Australia Richard B Galway 1846 Ireland M BACON Johanna 14th January 1869 residence of W.Wade Port Adelaide D 26th November 1916 Adelaide SA Eliza B 1834 Ireland M WADE William 15th September 1851 Fremantle Western Australia D 18th December 1917 Eastwood Norwood Adelaide SA Buried Payneham Cemetery Adelaide SA Caroline Frances B 1848 (deduced) Bp 30th January 1848 Stoke Bruerne Northamptonshire England M RYAN Henry Daniel 19th June 1864 at Frome South Australia M BLAKE William 8th August 1901 at All Souls St Peters Church Norwood South Australia D Fullarton 24 June 1941 age 93. Bur West Terrace Cemetery Adelaide SA Julia Emma B 1849 (deduced) Bp 23rd December 1849 Stoke Bruerne Northamptonshire England M DROUGHT Stewart 19th October 1868 at the residence of the Bride’s parents Frome SA D 27th April 1882 Willochra Frome SA Nicholas B 1851 Perth Western Australia M KELLY Delia 18th January 1880 Frome SA D 16th February 1935 Leigh Creek Port Augusta SA |
| Father of 1st wife Date/Place of Birth | Not yet known |
| Mother of 1st wife Date/Place of Birth Marriage | Not yet known |
| Land Grants Western Australia | 1850 Assigned Locations P257 and P235 totalling 10 acres at Freshwater Bay Resumed 31st December 1853 later allotted to EPG Charles Tranailles |
| Occupation after Arrival | 25th June 1850 appointed steward and clerk Convict establishment Captain Bruce requested His Excellency to sanction the appointment of John Kirwan in charge of the detachment of Pensioner Force. 20th August appointed to Police |
| Newspaper Articles | Perth Gazette 14th June 1850 Inquirer Wednesday 8th October 1851 Sergeant Kirwan sworn in as Perth Constable The Perth Gazette and Independent Journal of Politics and News Friday 20th August 1852 page 5 appointment of sergeant Kirwan The Perth Gazette and Independent Journal of Politics and News Friday 25th June 1852 page 3 Sergeant Kirwan of the Perth Police The Express and Telegraph (Adelaide SA) Thursday 16th January 1873 page 3 Inquest into John Kirwan’s Death – sundry accounts in all newspapers South Australian Register Thursday 9th January 1873 page 4 Death notice . Port Augusta Dispatch and Flinders Advertiser Tuesday 2nd May 1882 page 2 Inquest into death of Julia Emma Drought nee Kirwan |
| Departure from Western Australia | 1854 to South Australia per Anna Dixon |
| Date/Place of Death/Burial | 1st January 1873 Edeowie Station South Australia (suicide) |
| Date/Place of Death/Burial Wife | Not yet known |
| Will or Probate | None known |
| Further Information | British Army Worldwide Index 1841 John Kirwan 322 Private 30th foot location depot Enniskillen and Mullingar Discharge at own request After the arrival of the Scindian at Fremantle Captain Henderson wrote a report listing the rank name, trade or calling, rate of pension, date of enlistment for 5 months service, marital status, and number of children for each pensioner. Sometimes the trade of calling differed from that recorded at the time of attestation: Sergeant Major John Kirwan, no trade recorded, 1/1, 21st January, married, 5 children In July 1853 John Kirwan wrote to Captain Bruce requesting 6-12 months leave from the colony to go to South Australia in order to recoup his finances as he said that he had sustained a financial loss of about £80 through unforeseen events namely the loss of his boat, the loss of his crop from frost and the accident to his child. Captain Bruce advised the Governor that he had been impressed by John Kirwan when he first arrived in the Colony and recommended him for the position of Sergeant Major at Fremantle, a role he had filled satisfactorily for about 12 months, he further recommended him for the important and well paid position of Police Sergeant at Perth however after a few weeks there were rumours of his heavy drinking. He approached Bruce saying he was thinking about opening a public house and later did purchase a tavern after which he was obliged to resign his position. He proposed to leave his family in Western Australia but Bruce said he could not pay his pension to them as he would have no proof Sergeant Kirwan still alive. Eventually John Kirwan absconded from the Enrolled force without returning his uniform and the WO suspended his pension. When his pension was restored the value of his coat trousers cap and sword as well as the cost of the passage to the Colony a total of £77/14/6 ½ was deducted leaving a balance of £60/15/6 ½ that was paid to him on 30th September 1860 when payment of his pension resumed. Son Edmund Kirwan was admitted twice to the (Royal) Adelaide hospital firstly on 9th November 1871 and 4th January 1872 on each occasion he said he was age 29, married, Church of England, residing at Blinman, occupation horsekeeper born Mullingar Ireland, time in Colony 17 years and he had arrived on the Anna Dixon. Richard Kirwan was also admitted twice, 5th November 1888 and 2nd July 1888 on both entries he said he was age 42 a widower, Church of England, living Melrose, occupation Farm Labourer, born Galway Ireland and he had been 38 year in the Colony arriving on the Scindian |
