Keane, Thomas

Fast Facts

Type of person	Individual
Date of birth	1832
Place of birth	Ennistymon, County Clare, Ireland
Date of arrival	1851
Principal occupation	Agricultural labourer, quarryman and later a dairyman
Date of death	1903
Place of decease	Willunga

Thomas Keane was born in 1832 in Ennistymon, County Clare, Ireland. He was the son of John Joseph Keane (1800-1860) and Nora (nee Flynn) (1802-1845). There are at least six different spellings for the name – Kain, Keane, Kean, Kane, Kyne and Cain – of Thomas’ three sons, two used Kain (Michael and John) and one used Kean (Thomas junior) and the next generation used Keane. Thomas does not appear to be related to the Kane family who were in Willunga in the 1840s.

Thomas Keane, aged 18 years, arrived in South Australia on 25 May 1851 aboard Catherine from Liverpool. He was Catholic and, aged 26 years, he married Sarah Cecilia Hesham (or Heslam or Haslen) (1831-1911), aged 27 years, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Willunga on 9 Nov 1858. They had five children (3 sons and 2 daughters):

Michael Joseph (1859-1907) b. at Willunga, m. Joanna Pauline Braune (1860-1936) at St. Patrick’s Church, Adelaide on 21 April 1882, they had 10 children, he was a labourer, d. at Morphett Vale, SA.

John (Jack) (1861-1907) b. at Willunga, m. Ellen (Nellie) Wood (1867-1941) on 24 Aug 1885 at Willunga, they had 5 children, he was a labourer, d. at Hurtle Vale, SA.

Bridget Maria (Minnie) (1864-1930) b. at Willunga, m. Bernal Shaw (1861-1942) on 2 Dec 1899 at Adelaide, SA, they had one daughter, d. at Adelaide, SA.

Thomas Aloyisius (1866-1916) b. at Willunga, m. Margaret Stuart (1853-1923) on 11 Oct 1911 at Adelaide, SA, they had one son, d. at Adelaide, SA.

Cecilia (1868-1923) b. at Willunga, m. John Lawrence Murphy (1873-1946) on 6 Jan 1900 at Adelaide, SA, they had one daughter, d. at Thebarton, SA.

Thomas Keane was an agricultural labourer, quarryman and later a dairyman at Willunga. Thomas, his wife Sarah and their growing family lived in the cottage at 8 St. Lukes Street (Lot 38) (City of Onkaparinga Heritage Listing #5515) from about 1858 or before until his death in 1903 (probably approaching 50 years). In 1882 Thomas Kain purchased Lots 18 and 19 (across the road from his house at 8 St Lukes Street) from John Hill & Co’s coaching business.

Thomas Kain, aged 68 years, died at Willunga on 24 Sept 1903 and his wife Cecilia, aged 80 years, died in June 1911 and both are buried in St. Joseph’s Catholic Cemetery, Willunga.

Sources

• Passengers in History Database – South Australian Maritime Museum
• South Australian Births – Index of Registrations 1842-1906
• South Australian Marriages – Index of Registrations 1842-1937
• South Australian Deaths – Index of Registrations 1842-1972
• Family Histories. Manuscript folder held by the National Trust (Willunga Branch). Blue folder
• Statton J. (ed) 1986. Biographical Index of South Australians 1836-1885. Volume 2
• South Australian Directory – Willunga 1886 & 1889

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