Woods Family Photographs
G’day Jim
Since my 1st e-mail I have discovered that my great grandfather, Joseph, migrated here in 1928 with his son, John Andrew (yes, 2 of them in the same street, no wonder I was pulling out my hair researching the family tree) and 2 daughters. They paid for my grandfather & his 3 boys to come out in 1938. An older daughter, Elizabeth, migrated in 1923 with her husband via New Zealand, where they had 2 boys, before settling in Victoria. They paid for Joe to come out, something that still occurs today with migrant families. They used to live in Ballymacash which is only referenced by a football team, a primary school, a park and a road these days. Ballymacoss seems to have taken its spot.
I have also learnt that two daughters remained in Ireland, one, Esther, married William Richardson, who was the caretaker at Brownlow House (Lurgan Castle) north of you. I have written to their 2 remaining children, who are close to 80 & hope to visit them this January. The other daughter, Isabella (Sophie) married into the Lyons family but the trail has gone cold for them as she had two daughters. And my great great grandmother – Margaret (nee Jeffers) Woods had quite a few relatives (her Aunt Maggie & John McClure for example) but not sure how many are there and how many are in the US as she was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1874 & returned to Co. Antrim with her father & brother (Campbell) when her mother died in the mid 1870s.
I have caught up with one of my father’s cousins here in Victoria after discovering such a large chunk of family I never knew existed. They have given me some more photos from the Lisburn area.
17/11/2011
