Moses Burke.

[shippo]

Hi Shippo,
yes I do have a copy of the marriage cert for John Burke & Mary Ann Connolly (9-6-1879). This Mary Ann is actually Hannah Maria. Unfortunately, the cert does not contain the name of John's father (alive or dead).
Oh well - I'll keep looking. Jeddah.

He will be there somewhere just hopefully something will pop up that will help. Do you know when Ellen died? by the sounds of it they weren't together but maybe her death might throw a light on something.
Where there any other children for the couple?
Have you tried tracing a couple of the kids Ellen had to Phillips? Sometimes there might be something to help such as a marriage of one of the kids might give Moses's up as step father or something along them lines.

[shippo]

Arrived Tasmania 26-8-1849 on board "Hyderabad".

Sometimes something just pops up Still trying to confirm its your fella but looking good.

Burke, John
Record Type: Health & Welfare
Age: 79
Property: Launceston Invalid Depot
Admission dates: 06 Aug 1904 to 12 Aug 1904
Place of origin: Ireland
Ship to colony: Hydrabad
Paupers & Invalids no.: pi0240900
Record ID:
NAME_INDEXES:1774525

Not sure if it will open onto the page or not.
https://stors.tas.gov.au/NS1172-1-1$init=NS1172-1-1P82

[jeddah]

Hi Shippo,
I have found that Ellen died in Launceston 27-5-1885 as an invalid. No mention of whether she was married/widow. I have tried tracing a couple of her children with Phillips - so far nothing. She only had one child, John, with Moses Burke. Poor old Ellen was in the news quite a bit. In and out of prison in Launceston on various charges - idle and disorderly etc. On one occasion Feb 1877 she even attempted suicide. She failed and was fined and put in prison for 3 months!!!

[jeddah]

This DOES look good. Shall try to check it too. Jeddah

[shippo]

Appears it is the same Ellen as that who married Moses. On Moses's convict file it has that he worked for Edward Archer and a newspaper makes mention that a Mr E Archer took Moses and the children in after his homestead had been burnt down.

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/a...=ellen%20burke

Mr E Archer was Edward Archer, husband to Susannah Archer.
Agnes Phillips born 1855 parents Edward Phillips and Ellen Bourke.

When Agnes married in 1872 Susannah Archer was one of the witnesses.

https://linctas.ent.sirsidynix.net.a...es%09Marriages

Appears that the Archer's had taking in John and the Phillips kids as well and were still well enough known to each other to be a witness on one of the marriages.

Im not able to find a death for a John Burke that fits your John. A couple of them have no age etc to confirm his your fella.

[jeddah]

Hi Shippo - checked to record you sent. This has to be my Moses. The record states he arrived on Hyderabad II, and can't find (so far) a "John Burke" on that ship. When he was discharged on 12-8-1904 he went "to relatives". This has to be to his son John. There are only 2 step-children alive in 1904: Ann (who is married to David Wilson: and Agnes (who is married to (1) James Howard & (2) Alexander Square. Discount Agnes as she is in Victoria. I reckon he went to his own son, John. Hs age is given as 79 ; however in 1904 he would have been 76 (born/bapt 19-1-1828). Have learned not to put too much trust in ages. Many thanks for all your help. Jeddah.

[shippo]

Hi, I feel it's your Moses as well. At least the 1904 record has narrowed some dates down.
Have you checked the cemeteries around the area John jnr lived to see if his father is there?

It's a interesting family

[jeddah]

Hi Shippo,
have checked some cemeteries, but nothing so far. Even burial records have not turned up anything.
Have to see of I can get access to the Federation Index on the "Digger" programme. This covers 1900-1919.
Can't see that he has lived past 1919. Born 1828 by 1919 he would have been 91 years old. That's a really good old age for those times!! Most states have good BDM sites, except Tasmania - for anything after 1899.
Shall keep soldiering on though. Jeddah.

[Jomot1]

The admission to the invalid depot also shows his discharge a few days later (12 Aug 1904) "to relatives".

It also looks like there may have been children born before John Jr, as there is a Diamond Wedding notice in The Mercury on 9 Jun 1939 stating that John was the "second son of Mr & Mrs M Burke" Hannah Maria was the elder daughter of Mrs & the late John Connolley.

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/a...rm=%22burke%22

[Jomot1]

The closest I can find to Moses/John's age is a death on 1 April 1911:

BURKE.-On April 1, 1911, at No. 106 Brisbane Street, Hobart, John Burke in the 85th year of his age. R.I.P. Funeral will move from St. Mary's Cathedral for Queenborough Cemetery at 3 o'clock This Afternoon. Friends respectfully invited.

Brisbane Street is less than 1.5 miles from Weld Street where John & Hannah Maria lived, but there seems to have been some sort of court case involving his daughter-in-law Mary Burke who was the named executrix. Her husband was also said to be named John Burke, but the will itself names her as Mary Burke wife of John Burke of Sydney, which doesn't tie in with John Jr remaining in Hobart. The newspapers also suggest that John Sr had a living wife.