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.
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 ; 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 1970
- Edna 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
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).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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. James followed him north some time between 1895 and 1906
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 on 16 December 1915 at his home at Dunbible Creek
James Maragreat & Bridget
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