Cousins connect ~ Mary Anne (Hynes) Rodoreda

Genealogy research is mainly a solitary pursuit, yet it is often at its most rewarding when cousins connect and work together to reunite two long-separated branches of a family. And this week, my 'new' 4th cousin Tom, and my unwavering research buddy and 3rd cousin Phyllis, both sent me their research results vis-à-vis Mary Anne (Hynes) Rodoreda, my recently rediscovered second-great-grandaunt.

Tom, who lives in Western Australia, visited the archives in Perth and obtained a certified copy of Mary Anne Hynes and Jerome Rodoreda's marriage certificate, as well as a certified copy of Mary Anne's death certificate. He also found the announcement of Mary Anne's death in a contemporary newspaper, not currently available online.

The certificate of their marriage on 14 January 1856 is especially informative, providing details not found in the church record of the event. It confirms Mary Anne was a milliner prior to the marriage. Presumably, she was an employee somewhere, as there is no sign of her advertising her wares in the newspapers of the day.

Her address was shown as 'Perth'—just Perth—with no street name mentioned. This rules out any further research on where exactly she may have worked. Can you imagine how small Perth must have been then, if a 'full address' was deemed unnecessary.

Excerpt from marriage certificate, Mary Anne Hynes, 1856

Note: the names Hynes and Hines were often used interchangeably, before spellings were standardised.

The best bit concerns Mary Anne's father, John Hynes, described as a carpenter by occupation. This agrees exactly with other records showing my third-great-grandfather's occupation. When his wife Margaret Hynes died in 1884, her death certificate gave her occupation as 'widow of a carpenter', while the register of her burial said she 'had been the wife of a carpenter'. So this is the final piece of the jigsaw confirming without a doubt Mary Anne's parent's, John and Margaret (HAYES) Hynes, were indeed my third-great-grandparents.

According to her death certificate, Mary Anne died of 'cancer' on 5 November 1881. Again, her address was listed as 'Perth'. We know from the Rate Books in 1880, the Rodoreda family lived at 12 Howick Street, Perth, in a four-roomed cottage, shop and bake house.

Mary Anne died young, aged 48 per her death certificate, though she may have been closer to 53 years old. She didn't have an easy death either, poor woman. How did cancer patients in the nineteenth century cope with the pain, without the benefit of modern medicines?

RODOREDA—Of your charity pray for the repose of the soul of Mary Ann, the beloved wife of J. Rodoreda, who departed this life on the 5th November, after a long and painful illness, fortified by the rites of Holy Church—R.I.P.

Then, the facsimile copy of the civil marriage registers, which Phyllis ordered last July, arrived on the 'slow-boat from Australia'. These copies are barely legible in places, but they do eliminate the possibility of transcription errors in the typed-up certified copies. Plus, they are worth it just to see the signatures of Jerome and Mary Anne.

Sources:
1. Certificate of marriage, Rodoreda-Hines, 910J/1856, no. 00047031035, issued 9 September 2020, Registry of births, deaths and marriages, Perth, Western Australia.
2. Certificate of death, Mary Ann Rodoreda, 11236T/1882, no. 00047030907, issued 9 September 2020, Registry of births, deaths and marriages, Perth, Western Australia
3. Jerome Rodoreda, 1880, 'Perth, Western Australia, Australia, Rate Books, 1880-1946', database with images, accessed Ancestry.com.
4. Death notice Mary Ann Rodoreda, The West Australian Catholic Record, 17 November 1881, p. 4.
5. Uncertified copy of original marriage record, Rodoreda-Hines, 1856, Registry of births, deaths and marriages, Perth, Western Australia.
6. Uncertified copy of original death record, Mary Ann Rodoreda, 1882, Registry of births, deaths and marriages, Perth, Western Australia.

Further articles about Mary Anne (Hynes) Rodoreda:-

• The missing piece of the jigsaw - Mary Anne Hynes; 
• Duped by the Emigration Commission;
• Mary Anne Hynes meets Jerome Rodoreda;

Mary Anne Hynes meets Jerome Rodoreda

So, if my suspicions are correct, Mary Anne Hynes arrived in Western Australia, unexpectedly, on 24 March 1854, and realised she had no way of getting to Melbourne. What did she do then? Did she know someone in Perth? Probably not! Did she stay in an immigration depot while she looked for a job? How long was she looking for work? And, how did she support herself in the 21 months before she married Geronimo (Jerome) Rodoreda?

Too many questions, with no good answers. One online family tree suggests, she worked as a milliner before her marriage, not in domestic service. Maybe the copy of her civil marriage register will shed some light on this, if it ever arrives. But, no further evidence of her occupation has been uncovered.

Geronimo Rodoreda (given name anglicised as Jerome, in Perth)
Jerome Rodoreda, Mary Anne's future husband, was born in Barcelona, Spain. He became a panadero (i.e. a baker). Later he joined the Benedictine missionaries with a view to bringing Christianity to the Australian Aborigines. On 6 October 1849, he left Cádiz in Spain aboard the Spanish man-of-war La Ferrolana, with 39 other religious and lay missionaries. The frigate docked in Fremantle, Western Australia, on 29 December 1849 and the missionaries soon made their way to the Victoria Plains, where they were based.

Missionaries on La Ferrolana, Cádiz to Western Australia, 1849

On 15 November 1855, two months before his marriage, Jerome Rodoreda took over Mr. William Dalton's bakery in Perth. Having left the missions, he baked bread and cakes for the people of Perth for over 30 years.

Jerome and Mary Anne, both Roman Catholics, celebrated their marriage on 14 January 1856, at a Mass said by Venantius Garrido, one of the Spanish priests who travelled with Jerome from Cádiz. Jerome's best man was Juan Perejuan, who also arrived in Western Australia on La Ferrolana. Mary Anne's bridesmaid, Ann Maria Farmer, was Juan Perejuan's wife, not someone Mary Anne knew from home.

The couple had nine children recorded in the baptism registers of the Cathedral of St John the Evangelist and the Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary (St Mary's Cathedral), in Perth.

1. Isabella Mary Rodoreda, born to Geronimo Rodoreda and Mary Anne Hynes on 8 July 1857, was baptised on 12 September 1857, by Martin Griver, also a Spanish priest who arrived in Perth on La Ferrolana. Isabella's Godmother was Catherine Sheehy, the daughter of Terent and Virginia Sheehy. Isabella never married. In later life, she suffered mental health issues. She died from pulmonary tuberculosis, on 30 September 1909, as a state patient at the Yarra Bend Hospital for the Insane, near Melbourne. Her remains are buried in the Boroondara General Cemetery in Kew, Victoria, beside her father who died the following year.
   
   
2. Christina Mary Teresa Rodoreda, born to Geronimo Rodoreda and Mary Anne Hynes on 26 February 1859, was baptised by Martin Griver on 26 March 1859. Christina's Godmother was Mary Hynes, daughter of George and Catherine Hynes. Mary Hynes was of no known relation, but travelled to Perth on the same ship as Mary Anne. Christina never married either. She died on 30 June 1938 and was buried in the Roman Catholic Cemetery at Karrakatta, in Perth.
   
   
3. Francis Edward (aka Francis Edgeworth), born to Geronimo Rodoreda and Mary Anne Hynes on 12 September 1861, was baptised by Martin Griver on 11 October 1861. Francis' Godmother was Sara Campbell, daughter of George and Sara Campbell. Francis became a baker like his father. He married Margaret O'Mara in 1887 and they had three surviving sons and a daughter. Francis died in West Perth on 11 November 1939 and was buried at the Cemetery in Karrakatta.
   
   

   

   Baptism register, Franciscus Rodoreda, 1861
   

   
   
4. Twins, Margaret and Mary Rodoreda, born to Geronimo Rodoreda and Mary Anne Hynes on 15 November 1862, were baptised by Martin Griver the following day. Their Godparents were Joseph and Ellen Reilly. Both infants died within about six weeks, first Margaret, then Mary. It is likely they were buried in the East Perth Cemetery. Perhaps they share a grave with Mary Anne, who died on 5 November 1881.
   
   
5. Edward John Rodoreda, born to Geronimo and Mary Anne Rodoreda on 9 January 1864, was baptised by Anselm Bourke on 15 January 1864. Edward's Godparents were Isidor Oriel and Mary Anne Kenny. Edward became an auctioneer and a land and estate agent. He married Julia Down in 1891 and the couple had 15 children, 11 of whom reached adulthood. Edward died in Melbourne on 6 February 1928, following an operation at St Benedict's Hospital, and was buried at Springvale Botanical Cemetery in Melbourne.
   
   

   

   Baptism register, Eduardus Rodereda, 1864, Perth

   
   
6. Joseph John Rodoreda, born to Jerome and Mary Anne Rodoreda on 7 May 1865, was baptised by Mat Gibney on 14 May 1865. Joseph's Godparent's were Ignatius and Mary Boladeras. Ignatius was one of the former Spanish missionaries that came to Western Australia with Jerome. No further information has been discovered concerning Joseph, who may have died in childhood.
   
   
7. Charles Dolphus Rodoreda, born to Jerome Rodoreda and Mary Anne Hines on 3 January 1867, was baptised by Mat Gibney three days later. His Godmother was Helen (or maybe Ellen) Reilly. In May 1889, Charles took over his father's bakery business in Howick Street and opened a grocery store at Beaufort Street. In December that year he sold the bakery business to an established baker, with a view to concentrating on his grocery interests. Charles married Sarah Darch in 1892. The couple had three surviving sons. Charles died on 18 July 1942 and was buried at the Karrakatta Cemetery.
   
   

   

   The Daily News, 11 May 1889, p. 4

   
   
8. Agnes Mary Rodoreda, born to Geronimo Rodoreda and Mary Anne 'Ines'
   on 19 April 1869, was baptised by Martin Griver on 25 April. Her sister Isabella was her Godmother. Agnes joined the Convent of Mercy and became a nun in December 1890, taking the religious name Sister Mary Alacoque. Sister Alacoque became a very successful music teacher at Our Lady's College, Perth. She died on 5 September 1957, aged 88 years, and was buried at the Karrakatta Cemetery.

I like to think Mary Anne had some communication with 'home' over the years. For example my great-great-grandmother Bridget (Hynes) Wynne, Mary Anne's sister, named a daughter Isabella, in 1863, and a daughter Agnes, in 1877. Isabella was not a common name among Roman Catholics in Ireland then, and Agnes was not that prevalent either. Perhaps Bridget followed Mary Anne's lead. Bridget also had two daughters, Margaret born in 1850 and Mary in 1860. However, these were such common names, little inference could be drawn from her choosing them. Plus, Margaret was the name of Bridget and Mary Anne's mother.

If you are related to anyone mentioned above, I'd love to hear from you: Email blackraven.genealogy[at]gmail.com.

Sources:
1. 'Départes des Missionaires', Annales de la propagation de la foi, v. 22, Society for the Propagation of the Faith (Lyons), January 1850, no. 128, pp 71-72, written in French, accessed GoogleBooks.
2. Passenger ships arriving in Australian ports, Western Australia 1829-89, Rob Nelson, 2001.
3. The Perth Gazette and Independent Journal of Politics and News, 30 November 1855. p. 1, accessed on Trove.
4. Marriage register, Church of the Immaculate Conception in Perth, Rodoreda-Hines marriage, 1856, Catholic Archdiocese of Perth Archives.
5. Baptism registers, Church of the Immaculate Conception in Perth, 'Catholic church records of Perth, 1844-1967', Baptisms, 1844-1899, 547 unindexed images, Isabella image 80; Christina image 88 and 89; Francis image 106; Margaret and Mary image 112; Edward image 120; Joseph image 127; Charles image 147; Agnes image 166, FamilySearch.
5. Isabella Mary Rodoreda, 1 October 1909, 'Inquest Deposition Files, 1840-1925', Victoria, Australia, database with images, FamilySearch.
6. Isabella Rodoreda, 2 October 1909, Boroondara General Cemetery, Kew Cemetery Grave Archive.
6. Burial records, Metropolitan Cemeteries Board, Christina Rodoreda; Francis Rodoreda; Charles Dolphus Rodoreda; Agnes Rodoreda.
7. Marriage index, Rodoreda-Omara, 1887, Department of Justice, Registry of Births, Deaths & Marriages, Register of online indexes.
8. Death notice, Edward John Rodoreda, The West Australian, 10 February 1928, p. 1, accessed Trove; Burial records, Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust, Edward John Rodoreda.
9. The Daily News, 11 May 1889, p. 4; The Daily News, 20 May 1889, p. 2; The West Australia, 24 December 1889, p. 2, accessed Trove.
10. Family Notices, Rodoreda-Darch, The West Australian, 9 May 1892, p. 1, accessed Trove.

Further articles about Mary Anne (Hynes) Rodoreda:-

• The missing piece of the jigsaw - Mary Anne Hynes; 
• Duped by the Emigration Commission;
• Cousins connect ~ Mary Anne (Hynes) Rodoreda.

Signature Silhouette #9 ~ My Granny, Annie (Byrne) Wynne

For many of my ancestors, we have no photographs, no treasured heirlooms, not even a funeral card to remember them by. But of those who could read and write, a few left their signatures behind. They often signed historical census returns, for example, copies of which still survive. Their signature may be all that remains of them today. So, it's my intention to publish a Signature Silhouette for each ancestor, until they are all are preserved.

Here's one for my grandmother, Annie (Byrne) Wynne:-

Annie (Byrne) Wynne (1910-1983)

My maternal grandmother was the only one of my grandparents who I knew in life, as opposed to in genealogy. Here is an example of her 'signature' when she was writing to her granddaughter.

Sources:
Idea courtesy of Cathy Meder-Dempsey at Opening Doors in Brick Walls.

Source of signature: Last will and testament of Annie Wynne, Dublin, dated 16 March 1983, National Archives of Ireland.