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Hi All,

I’m trying to trace relatives of Sylvester Patrick O’Reilly (1895 Goulburn - 1952 Surry Hills).
His parents were John O’Reilly & Martha Logan (both believed born Ireland; married 1879 Goulburn). Sylvester was the last of their nine children that I’ve been able to trace so far.

Sylvester married Rose Gosling 23 Jan 1917 in Bristol, England.
Rose Gosling (1895 Bristol, England – 1989 Daceyville).
Sylvester and Rose are believed to have had five children:
Sylvester Patrick (28 Mar 1917 Bristol, UK – 30 May 2005 Narrabeen)
William Joseph (14 Mar 1921 Randwick – 30 Oct 1941 Burwood)
Patricia?
John Frederick?
Kenneth Francis?

Sylvester married Joan Prudence Dietsch, 1950 at Waverley. His obituary names their three children as John, Paul and Debra.

I found the obituary for Sylvester (d.2005) in the online Sydney Morning Herald archives, which also gives the name of the undertakers, and I contacted them asking to pass a message on but no response.

I know quite a bit about the two Sylvesters and William Joseph from their army records in the National Archives of Australia, but everyone else seems to have disappeared.

Rose Gosling was my maternal Great-aunt. My mother (who is now 85) used to correspond with the younger Sylvester and would like to make contact with the family if possible.

Silvesterum Patricium O'Reilly

England Marriages, 1538–1973
parents: Joanni O'Reilly
spouse: Rosam Hildam Gosling
marriage: 05 Apr 1918 — Bristol, Gloucester, England

record title: England Marriages, 1538–1973
groom's name: Silvesterum Patricium O'Reilly
bride's name: Rosam Hildam Gosling
marriage date: 05 Apr 1918
marriage place: Bristol, Gloucester, England
groom's father's name: Joanni O'Reilly
bride's father's name: Fredericii Joanni Gosling
indexing project (batch) number: M17154-1
system origin: England-EASy
source film number:

Hi Ann,

Many thanks for your reply.

That record though, have an incorrect date of marriage. I have the GRO certificate which definitely states the marriage was on 23 Jan 1917, so not sure where the discrepancy has crept in there.

I'm really trying to find Rose and Sylvester's children and grandchildren in Australia: I think I'll have to try a letter or two to some Sydney newspapers...

Regards,

Phil Curtis

Hello Philip,
Found a few things for you.
A death notice for a Kenneth Francis O'Reilly Sydney Morning Herald for 15-11-2003. Late of Brisbane QLD formerly North Bondi NSW. Published 19-11-2003.
A marriage for a John Frederick O'Reilly to Judith Mary Wicks in 1956 at Scone NSW.
A marriage for Kenneth Francis O'Reilly to Elizabeth Elaine Livingstone in 1950 at Waverley NSW.
On the NSW roll in 1954 Kenneth was with Betty(Elizabeth) Elaine at Lismore.
In 1949 Kenneth was with John Frederick, Rose and Sylvester Patrick at Rose Bay NSW.
Hope this is of some help.
Regards,
Patricia.

Hi Patricia,

That's great! Thank you very much for that. Every little bit of info helps.

One thing you might be able to help me with though: I can't remember now how I managed to find the death notice for Sylvester and I've been banging my head against the SMH's search engine and getting nowhere. Can you tell me how you found it please?!

Someone a while ago a lady named Kirsty kindly took a photo of Rose's and William Joseph's grave - they are interred in the same grave in the Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park.

Thank you again,

Phil

Hi Philip,

The Ryerson Index lists the following:

Funeral notice for Sylvester Patrick Cyril O'Reilly 3/6/2005 at St. Faith's Anglican Church, Narrabeen published in the Manly Daily 2/6/2005;

Death notice 30/5/2005 age 87 late of Narrabeen published in the Manly Daily 1/6/2005;

Death notice 30/5/2005 age 87 late of Narrabeen, published Sydney Morning Herald 1/6/2005.

You might try Googling the Manly Daily to see if they can look up the archives for you.

The Ryerson Index will do a lookup if you have exhausted all other avenues. Go to the Home Page where you will find a request form.

Best wishes.

Here is the link for The Ryerson Index
http://www.ryersonindex.org/

Philip,

Macquarie Park Cemetery and Crematorium has records for:

O'Reilly Sylvester Patrick - burial - Catholic/05/0010 - interred 20/6/1952; and
O'Reilly Sylvester Patrick - ashes - collected 13/7/2005.

The website is www.maccem.com.au and you can contact them by email. No doubt they would have privacy policies in place, but they might be able to pass on a message for you. It could be worth a try.

Best of luck.

The Australian Electoral Roll for 1954 shows John Frederick, a machinist, at 10 Owen St., Bondi
with Rose, (home duties) and Patricia Margaret, cashier.

John is at this same address in 1949, with Sylvester Patrick, a motor Engineer and Kenneth Francis, a Baker

There was also a marriage, in 1954 in Sydney, of a Patricia Margaret O'Reilly and a Barrie John DARLING.
You would have to get the certificate to find out parents names but this was the only marriage for a Patricia Margaret between 1954 and 1960 (end of access)

To MEgirl, Ingrid in Oz & Julcoe:

Thank you very much for that very useful info, things seem to coming together quite well now.

I have used The Ryerson Index before and they were very helpful, so I think I may just be bugging the heck out of them again…!

I did visit Australia in 2000 and went to 10 Owen St, North Bondi, but the occupants had no knowledge of ‘Aunt Rose’ and were only renting the house. I plan to visit again in a couple of years and hope I’ll be able to say hello to some members of the family in person.

Rose O’Reilly and her son William Joseph are buried in the same grave in the Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park in Sydney - William Joseph has a Commonwealth War Grave headstone and Rose has a small memorial on the grave - and a very kind lady named Kirsty has sent me some photos of it, so that’s one place I will definitely be visiting.

Thank you again,

Phil Curtis

Rose O'Reilly (Gosling) was my Grandmother. She died in 1989.

My father is John Frederick O'Reilly born 1924. For further information would love to hear from you .

Hi Judy, and welcome, you must have found this site by an internet search for names and aren't familiar with its workings :-)

very unwise to put an email address on the open internet (this site is accessible to anybody with an internet connection) ... and technically against the site rules here

you can use the 'Edit' link on your message to remove it

if your father is still living you should also remove his birthdate as that is personal info that shouldn't be included here also


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Thanks Joonie, done.