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I would appreciate help finding the ancestors of Teresa Mary Flannigan. The facts I know are as folllows:
She married Isaac Burgess Hudson (also known as Isaac Hudson Burgess) in Queensland, Australia in 1900 and died in Queensland in 1905. Her death certificate states she was 53 years old (so born around 1852) and was from London, Middlesex, England. Her parents are named on the death certificate was Annie Collins and Michael Flannigan. She had spouse prior to Isaac whose surname was Sullivan. The death certificate and marriage certificate tell me no more information about her first husband (it just says "unknown").
I am trying to find her ancestors but I find myself stuck where to go from here. Any help is appreciated.

Look for the first marriage on freebmd

When did she move to Australia?

What was her surname at the time?

Thanks. I have looked up the first marriage on freebmd and cannot find it although one possibility is a Theresa Bridget Flanagan who married Michael Sullivan in 1882 in Queensland. This doesn't seem close enough for me to pay for the certificate just yet, although I realise I may have to do that if I can't find any more leads. I'm afraid I have no information on when she moved to Australia and whether she married before or after her arrival. This is where the difficulty lies. Thanks for your interest.

Have you tried searching 'arrivals' in Australia?

Emigration records are not on line for years before 1890

Was her father named on her marriage cert?

Is there any 'occupation' info for him?

The surnames are, of course, all Irish - perhaps you should try

https://familysearch.org/

So, I guess this is her death - which means the names are wrong way round:

Mary Teresa Burgess
Death Date: 1 Jan 1905
Death Place: Queensland
Father's Name: Michael Flannigan
Mother's Name: Annie Collins
Registration Year: 1905
Registration Place: Queensland
Registration number: 000383
Page Number: 3343

Puts a slightly different slant on searches.

Her father's name on the marriage certificate is Michael Flannigan, Surveyor. I'm pretty sure I've tried for arrivals but I'll have a double check now.

Yes, that is definitely her death. Her step-son gave the information for the death certificate (her husband died the same day) and so it may well be slightly inaccurate which complicates things.

In our family history she is often called Mary or Teresa interchangeably. Her gravestone says Teresa Burgess.

Thanks for the suggestion re the Irish connection.
I've already looked in familysearch.org but cannot find them I'm afraid.

Reggie, I've checked arrivals into Queensland and can find no T or Theresa or Mary Flannigan. There are many many Mary Sullivans (too many to ascertain if she is one of these), although no Theresa Sullivan. Without being able to know her spouse's first name I can't see the arrivals being any help I'm afraid. You can appreciate why I'm stuck.

Hi Tania, does the 1900 marriage certificate actually say her first husband is unknown?

Are you aware of any children she might have had prior to marrying Isaac? Given that she was around 48 when they married I'm guessing they had no issue.

I've just been reading the circumstances of their death on Trove, the poor stepson must have been traumatised.

It is a very interesting story, although tragic. They were killed in a house fire. She died at the scene and he was carried down the mountain to the train, where he was taken to Brisbane where he later died. He must have died a very painful death.

The death certificate says unknown for any children from her first husband. I only have a transcript of their marriage certificate and the person who copied it down has written this. I have ordered the original.

I have found a newspaper article from 1896 which describes a Mary Theresa Sullivan married to a Jeremiah Joseph Sullivan in Mount Morgan (also in Queensland, not too far away from Maleny by today's standards). However, the father mentioned in the article is a different name. However, if this is her, this is also tragic because the article describes her being abused horribly by her husband.

Thankfully, I don't think that 1896 is your Mary Teresa (having read it, it was her husband who should have perished).

Australia Marriage Index, 1788-1950

Name: Jeremiah Joseph Sullivan
Spouse Name: Mary Teresa Macevoy
Marriage Date: 9 Feb 1891
Marriage Place: Queensland
Registration Place: Queensland
Registration Year: 1891
Registration number: 001273
Page Number: 25354

Yes I agree. Isn't the Trove digital newspaper service fantastic. I love reading the stories as I try and find out about my ancestors. I have much information about Isaac Hudson Burgess from the digital newspapers (and from many other sources), but Theresa has me stumped. I suspect because she married later in life and died soon after, no one in the family knew much about her.

I think Trove is brilliant, and it's free - unlike our own British Newspaper Archives (I have them as part of a sub on another site). I start off looking for someone and end up reading the whole newspaper.

Hopefully the marriage cert might have more info so do let us know when you get it.

I will. Thanks for your interest. Happy New Year.

Wonder if Theresa was her confirmation name?

Have you eliminated these people please?

1851

Name: Mary Ann Flanagan
Age: 11 Mo
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1850
Relation: Daughter
Father's Name: Michl Flanagan
Mother's Name: Anne Flanagan
Gender: F (Female)
Where born: England

Civil Parish: St Marylebone
Ecclesiastical parish: Rectory
County/Island: Middlesex
Country: England

Street Address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage:

Disability:

View Image

Registration District: Marylebone
Sub-registration District: Rectory
ED, institution, or vessel: 13a
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Schedule Number: 350
Piece: 1488
Folio: 659
Page Number: 28
Household Members:
Name Age
Michl Flanagan 41 b. Ireland, Assistant Surveyor
Anne Flanagan 27 b. Ireland
Bridget Flanagan 5 b. Ireland
Mary Ann Flanagan 11 Mo
Mary Collins 22 Sister, b. Ireland

That 1851 looks promising Rootgatherer!! Don't know about you, I can't find any of them after this though - just a lot of links to the US.

No, I can't find any of them on later census either Flip. The problem is that we are looking for a fairly common surname and with so many variants too.