James Joseph Dynan (1859 - 1915)
James Joseph Dynan was born on 4 August 1859 (purportedly in Kilbarra, Tipperary). He was baptised at the Woodford Roman Catholic Parish Church in East Galway on 11 August 1859. He was the second son of John Dynan and Bridget Broderick (aka Broder). On his baptismal record his name is Dignan.
Little is know of the James's early years, apart from the fact that his father was a labourer, and the family moved around the East Galway and Tipperary borders.
It is thought that James moved to England around 1880 and there is a potential census record for him in the 1881 census. This view is in part reinforced in his brother Johns' obituary which states "he (John) travelled extensively in various parts of the world before embarking on the steam ship Almora for Australia in 1883". It is reasonable to accept that John was travelling with his older brother.
In 1882 James and his sister Mary Agnes migrated to Australia aboard the Compta. The Compta was a 2094 tonne, 200 horse power mail steamer commanded by Captain A A Fyfe and owned by the British India Steam Navigation Company. It departed from Plymouth on April 12, 1882 with 415 immigrants aboard (64 married couples, 121 single men, 81 single women, 60 boys, 89 girls, 16 infants. There were three births on the voyage including one before the steamer left Plymouth and nine deaths. See Compta - An Immigrant Ship for further information). The Compta was the first of the BISN mail services to make the trip up river and dock at the customs house wharves and on this Journey made landfall as follows:
- Thursday Island - 31 May
- Cooktown - 2 June
- Townsville
- Rockhampton - 7 June
- Mackay
- Brisbane - 9 June
We believe that James disembarked in Brisbane, However the Immigration index record indicates it may have been Rockhampton. It is unknown what he did after his arrival.
James siblings (John, Patrick and Bridget) emigrated to Brisbane 12 months later (in June 1883) aboard the Almora. Also onboard this journey was Margaret Sweeney. It is suspect that James relationship with Margaret Sweeney pre-dated his emigration, based on the date of birth of the twins, Margaret must have fallen pregnant within days of arriving in the colony (re-inforcing that theory).
James married Margaret Cecilia Sweeney on January 24 1884 at ???. Margaret is the daughter of Michael Sweeney and Mary Ann ??? (source is Margaret's death certificate)
James and Margaret relocated to Sydney immediately after their marriage, and it is here less than 30 days after their marriage Margaret gave birth to twin boys, the first of the eleven children (five sons and six daughters) they had between 1884 and 1899:
- John Dynan Born 1884 ; Married Florence Muriel Agnes Priestly ; Died 1956
- Michael Dynan Born 1884 ;
- James Joseph Dynan Born 1886 ; Married Ethel Adele Dooley ; Died 1966
- Bridget Dynan Born 1888 ; Married Maurice Murphy ; Died ?
- Margaret Dynan Born 1890 ; Married John Joseph Darrough 1883 ; Died 1974
- Patrick Cecil Dynan Born 1890 ; Married Mary Brooker ; Died 1964
- William August Dynan Born 1893 ; Died 1919
- Mary Cecilia Dynan Born 1895 ; Died 1983
- Catherine Ann Dynan Born 1899 ; Married Harold Ernest Vidler ; Died 1970Edna Frances Dynan Born ? ; Married Michael Buckley ; Died ???
James and Margaret were also foster parents to the daughter of James sister Mary Agnes
- Catherine Maloney Born 1890 ; Married Andrew McDonald ; Died 1948
The family lived around Sydney area until at least 1895. The Sands Directory for Sydney contains the following entries:
- 1885 - James Dynan - 481 Kent St, Redfern (near Druitt St)
- 1886 - James Dynan - 481 Kent St, Redfern
- 1887 - James Dynan - 481 Kent St, Redfern
- 1890 - James Dynan - 177 Beattie St, Balmain
- 1891 - James Dynan - 177 Beattie St, Balmain
- 1893 - James Dynan - High St, Waverley
- 1894 - James Dynan - High St, Waverley
- 1895 - James Dynan - Edmond St, Waverley
It does appear that the Dynan boy has a taste for a drink and trouble as shown by the follow articles
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SUNDAY OFFENCES. Mary Lyons, alias 'The Miser,' was ordered to pay 50s, or go to gaol for one month, for having used profane language. Denis O'Brien assaulted Constable Smith, for which he retires for one, month.John Dnfly assaulted Constable Mason and ThomasEos©, for each of which offences he was fined 40s, or twenty-one days. James Dynan, for riotous conduct in Kent-street, and Michael Connelly and Alexander Shepherd, for similar offences in King-street, were fined 20s each (or seven days imprisonment). |
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RESISTING A CONSTABLE.. James Dynan and Patrick Dynan were fined £3 and £2, with costs, respectively, for having resisted a constable in the execution of his duty. |
There are also multiple references to a James Dynan in the NSW Gaol Description and Entrance Books. There is one other James Dynan in Sydney at this point, an it is unknown which of these offences are attributable to him
| Date of Offence | Place of Offence | Offence | Sentence | How Disposed of | When Disposed of |
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| March 26 1885 | W.P.O | Obstructed Foot?ray | 7 days | C.L Sentence Suspended | 1 April 1885 |
| Dec 28 1885 | W.P.O | Assault | 14 days | Sentence Expired | 12 Jan 1886 |
| May 31 1886 | W.P.O | Drunk | 2 days | Sentenced Expired | 2 June 1886 |
| Jul 27 1886 | W.P.O | Drunk | 7 days | Sentenced Expired | 2 Aug 1886 |
| Sept 27 1886 | W.P.O | Sealing | 3 months | Sent to Parramatta Goal 25 Oct | |
| Oct 25 1886 | W.P.O | Stealing | 3 months | Discharged | 28 Dec 1886 |
| Jun 1 1886 | W.P.O | Obscene Language | 6 months | Sent to To Parramatta Gaol 23 Jun | |
| Nov 3 1890 | W.P.O | Drunk & Disorderly | 7 days | 9 Nov 1890 | |
| 23 Sep 1891 | W.P.O | Indecent Language | 3 months | Paid Fine | 28 Sept 1891 |
| May 8 1893 | W.P.C | Drunk Assault Constable | 7 days 1 month | Sentence Expired | Sent to Parramatta Gaol 9 May 7 Jun 1893 |
| Nov 27 1894 | W.P.O | Drunk & Disorderly | 10s. of 24 hrs | Sentence Expired | 28 Nov 1894 |
In 1894 his brother John selected 45 acres of land at Upper Dunbible in the Tweed Valley and moved his family north.
The exact date that James followed
his brother north, or how they got there is unknown, however there is a reference to their relocation in the death notice for William Augusta Dynan (their son), which would put the relocation some time before June 1895 - when Mary Cecilia was born.
It appears that he worked as a cane cutter (potentially on his brothers property) for about 4 years before becoming acquiring the property at Dunbible Creek and moving into dairy farming. We believe that the Certificate of Title is Volume 1967 Folio 2 ; Crown Grant Volume 1651 Folio 45
The family continued to grow after its arrival in the Tweed, and became quite prosperous.
On 31 Oct 1906 James is mentioned as the victim of a theft "The horse, No. 7 in this weekly, also a saddle and bridle, the poerty of James Dynan are supposed to have been stolen by Maurice Blake (aka Hartigan), charged on warrant with burglary" The horse was a dark bay colt about 14 hands. It was noted on 14 Nov 1906 that the horse and saddle were recovered.
- 1908 - James Dynan - Dunbible Creek (2 Horses ; 50 Cattle)
- 1909 - James Dynan - Dunbible Creek (3 Horses ; 120 Cattle)
- 1910 - James Dynan - Dunbible Creek (4 Horses ; 112 Cattle)
- 1912 - James Dynan - Dunbible Creek (3 Horses ; 120 Cattle)
- 1914 - James Dynan - Dunbible Creek (4 Horses ; 130 Cattle ; 226 A??)
- 1915 - James Dynan - Dunbible Creek (4 Horses ; 134 Cattle ; 226 A??)
- 1916 - James Dynan - Dunbible Creek (5 Horses ; 140 Cattle ; 230 A??)
- 1917 - James Dynan (Est.) - Dunbible Creek (5 Horses ; 130 Cattle ; 126 A???)
James died in hospital in Brisbane on 16 December 1915 . His funeral was held on Saturday 18 December 1915 and he was buried at
James named his sons John and Patrick Cecil Dynan executors of his will and the Notice of Probate was advertised on 11 Jan 1916
After James's death his son William Augusta managed the Dunbible estate on his mothers behalf.
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DEATH OF MR. JAMES DYNAN. The death occurred in Brisbane, yesterday, of: Mr. James Dynan, of Dunbible. Mr. Dynan, who has been suffering for a oonsiderable time, was very old resident of the Tweed. He was also an extensive landholder at Dunbible. The funeral will move from his late residence, Dunbible, to-morrow (Saturday). |
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Mr. James Dynan, whose death occured at Dunbible on Thursday last,arrived on the Tweed from the Old Country some 32 years ago, and was engaged in cane-cutting for a number of years. He "afterwards took up dairying, which he followed for about. sixteen years. , A widow, five sons and five daughters, and one brother and. two sisters are left to mourn their; loss, Deceased, who underwent four operations, in Brisbane, returned to home, and after suffering for about five months passed away as stated. Deceased ,was 56 years of age. |
The family must have been close, as every year the Tweed Daily news paper contained an In Memoriam notice each of which has a different, but incredibly heart felt poem. Some examples of these are right
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IN MEMORIAM. DYNAN.— In loving memory of my dear husband, and our dear father,James Dynan, who departed this life December 15, 1915; aged 56 years. We saw him suffering day by day, It caused us bitter grief, To see him slowly pine away, And could not give relief. Not dead to us, we loved him dear. Not lost but gone before; He lives with us in memory still, And will for ever more. - R.LP.Inserted by his loving wife and family. |
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IN ME M O R I A M DYNAN. — In loving .memory of our dear father, James Dynan, avlio de parted this life, December 16. 1915. Gentle in mind, patient in pain, Our dear father left us heaven to gain. With action so nobly generous and,kind Few in this world his equal could find. Not gone from memory, not gone from love . But gone to his Father's home above. R.I.P.Inserted by his loving wife and family. |
James Maragreat & Bridget