John Joseph Minch (1858-1900)
Hannah O’Neill (1872-1951)

Jump down to the list of their children

Hannah O’Neill, known as Nora, was the third youngest of six children of Patrick O’Neill & Elizabeth Lulham. She born on 07 Dec 1870 in Port Stephens, probably Buladelah where the family were living at the time.

John Joseph Minch was born on 04 Jun 1858 and first married Annie Murphy at Murrurundi in 1882. They had four children: Elizabeth Mary Josephine (b. 1885, record 23041), Anne (b. 1887), Catherine A (b. 1890 record 31237, d. 1893) and Andrew Ernest (b. 1892 record 32073, d. 1967 record 25004). Annie [Murphy] died in Scone in 1896.

John Joseph Minch then married Nora in Kogarah in 1896 (record 7542). John held the license for the Northern Miners’ Inn in Gundy.

He ran foul of the licensing laws in effect at the time; from The Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser on Sat 10 Nov 1883:

John Joseph Minch, licensee of the Northern Miner at Gundy, appeared on summons, charged by Senior-sergeant Coady, selling liquor during prohibited hours on Sunday, 21st ultimo. Plea guilty. Fined £1 and 4s 10d costs.

Same charged by same, with permitting liquor to be drunk at the bar of his licensed premises during prohibited hours. Plea guilty in order dealt with as above.

John was active and well liked in Gundy. In 1894 he was appointed one of the Trustees for the Catholic cemetery there (The Maitland Daily Mercury, Fri 31 Aug 1894).

John died on 01 Oct 1900 in Scone (record 14437), aged just 42, just before his youngest daughter was born. It was many years before probate was settled: the first notice appeared in The Scone Advocate on Tue 13 Nov 1900 and the last in The Sydney Morning Herald on Wed 7 May 1913.

In 1901, soon after John died, Nora’s sister Mary Jane O’Neill and her husband John Francis Moylan sold their interest in the Carrington Hotel in West Maitland and moved to Gundy to manage the Northern Miners’ Inn, as well as establish other business in the town. The Moylans retired to Scone in 1922. In 1926 Nora sold her businesses in Gundy; from The Muswellbrook Chronicle, Tue 2 Nov 1926:

Account Mrs. H. Minch, the free hold of the Gundy Hotel property, together with shops and vacant land adjoining to Mr. C. Thompson, of Tamworth.

Nora had earlier disposed of property she held in Wingham. The hotel mentioned in the notice of that sale was her brother Herb O’Neill’s Australia Hotel; from The Wingham Chronicle and Manning River Observer, Fri 03 Oct 1919:

Two allotments in Wingham owned by Mrs Minch sold at O’Neill’s Hotel Wingham Fri 03 Oct 1919.

In 1928 Nora went with her brother Herb and sister Ellen on a trip to China, Japan and the Malay States (The Maitland Weekly Mercury, Sat 2 Jun 1928).

Nora passed away on 19 Feb 1951. The notice of her funeral appeared in The Sydney Morning Herald on Wed 21 Feb 1951:

MINCH.—The Relatives and Friends of the late Mrs. HANNAH MINCH are invited to attend her Funeral; to leave St. Mary’s Church, Ridge street, North Sydney, This Day (Wednesday) at 10 a.m., for the Catholic Cemetery, Northern Suburbs. Requiem Mass will be celebrated for the Repose of her Soul at 7 o’clock This Morning.

From The Catholic Weekly, Thu 29 Mar 1951:

Nora Minch, who died recently at Strathfleld, was a member of St. Patrick’s (Church Hill) Sewing Guild, and a member of tho Legion of Mary. Requiem Mass for the repose of her soul was celebrated at St. Mary’s Church, North Sydney. Mrs. Minch is survived by her children, Mrs. N. Barling (Croydon), Mrs. R. Burgess (Young), Mr. E. Minch, (Gundy, Scone); her brother, Mr. H. O’Neill (Port Macquarie). and sister, Mrs. K. O’Shannessy (North Sydney). R.I.P.

Also from The Scone Advocate, Wed 21 Feb 1951:

Mr. Alf. O’Neill (84), died in Sydney recently. He was a former well-known resident of Wingham, and a brother of Herb, of Port Macquarie, and Frank, J. P. James and William predeceased him. Mrs. Shannessy is the only, surviving sister. Mary, Emily, and Ellen passed away previously. Mrs. Hannah (Nora) Minch, formerly of Scone, passed away in a Strathfield hospital on Monday last. Alf. was a great sportsman and prominent in horse training circles. The O’Neills lived on the Brookfleld estate in the early days.

John & Hannah’s family:

01. Margaret Uriel (b. 1897, record 32714, d. 24 Jul 1971)

02. Ruth Gertrude (b. 1901, record 7511, d. 1981)

Generation 2

01. Margaret Uriel O’Neill, known as Myra, married Frederick Wentworth Barling at Scone in 1919. Frederick was born in Katoomba in 1890 (record 17429), his parents being Frederick Barling & Annie Farrell. The wedding was described in The Scone Advocate on Fri 16 May 1919:

Barling – Minch

On Wednesday morning, 7th inst., at St. Mary’s Church, Scone, Mr. F. W. Barling, of Lithgow, eldest son of the late Mr. F Barling, of Wentworth Falls was married to Miss Muriel Minch, eldest daughter of Mrs. N Minch, of Scone. The Rev. Father McQuirk performed the marriage ceremony, and also celebrated the nuptial mass at which St Mary’s choir sang St. Cecelia’s Mass. The Church was beautifully decorated by girl friends of the bride. As the bride entered the Church on the arm of her brother, Mr. E. Minch, who also gave her away, the Bridle March was played by Miss Gallagher, who also played the Wedding March as the bridal party left the sacristry. The bride was beautifully gowned in white charmeuse, with an overdress of white ninon embroidered in silver beads, with a handsome court train of white satin embroidered in silver and lined with tulle. The bridal veil was arranged cap fashion surmounted by a coronet of orange blossoms. She carried a lovely bouquet of white chrysanthemums and cactus dahlias, the gift of the bridegroom. The bride was attended by her sister, Miss Ruth Minch, who looked charming in a tailor made costume of cream serge, with hat to match; and carried an ivory bound prayer hook, and wore two Nellie Stewart bangles, both gifts of the bridegroom. Mr. A. Power, of Sydney, cousin of the bridegroom, acted as best man. The bride’s mother was attired in a mole crepe de chene costume, with toque to match. After the ceremony, the wedding party motored to the Belmore Hotel, where the wedding breakfast was partaken of. The table was beautifully decorated with pale pink and white dahlias and asparagus, above which hung the wedding bell, composed of white tulle, silver net and orange blossoms The usual toasts were honored and responded to. Mr. and Mrs. Barling were the recipients of many beautiful gifts, including many cheques. The bride and bridegroom left by mail train for the South Coast, where the honeymoon is being spent, after which they will go to their future home at Lithgow. The bride travelled in a handsomely-tailored navy Gabardine coat and skirt, with hat to match; and wore a handsome set of white fox furs, gifts of her mother. –  Com.

Frederick was active in Lithgow society. He was the secretary of the Hibernian Society (Lithgow Mercury, Mon 13 Jul 1914) and treasurer of the Lithgow District Tennis Association (Wed 22 Jul 1925). It appears his father was station master at Wentworth Falls for some time and Frederick followed in his father’s footsteps: in the electoral rolls Frederick was described as a railway clerk; Myra was registered as Uriel Myra. In 1930 and 1932 the couple lived at 16 Villiers St, Grafton. In the rolls between 1933 to 1954 they show up at 14 Rockleigh St and 18 Robinson St Croydon, Sydney. Mentioned also at these addresses at different times were John Francis Barling, bank clerk; Rota Josephine Barling, bank clerk; Patricia Mary Barling, stenographer.

We assume the Mr. F. W. Barling mentioned in these reports is Frederick:

1922: Mr. F. W. Barling, attached to the District Superintendent ‘s office, Junee Railway Station, has been transferred to Eskbank.

1935: F. W. Barling (assistant rates officer)

1954: Bulk Loading. Mr. R. M. Wheatley, representing Mr. F. W. Barling, commercial manager of the Department of Railways, is visiting Grafton to investigate the granting of a bulk loading contract to the Grafton Transport Cooperative.

Frederick and Myra lost a daughter in 1924; from The Sydney Morning Herald on 28 Jun 1924:

BARLING.- June 27, 1924, at her aunt’s residence, Arncliffe Post-office, Nora Gertrude, beloved daughter of Mr. and Mrs. F. W. Barling, of Lithgow, aged 2½ years. R.I.P.

Frederick passed away on 05 Aug 1956 at Petersham (record 22167) and is buried at North Ryde. Myra died on 24 Jul 1971 at Parramatta.

02. Ruth Gertrude Minch appears to have been in a hairdressing partnership in Orange, NSW, until 1930; from The Sydney Morning Herald on Mon 31 Mar 1930:

NOTICE is hereby given that the Partnership heretofore subsisting between Misses MCLAUGHLIN and MINCH carrying on business as Lady Hairdressers at 99 Summer-street, Orange, under the style or form of “The Madeline” Salon has been dissolved by mutunl consent as from the sixth day of February, one thousand nine hundred and thirty. The aforesaid business will be carried on by Miss A. McLaughlin as from the aforesaid date.
(Signed) ANNE E. MCLAUGHLIN. Witness: ISABEL M. HANRAHAN.
(Signed) RUTH GERTRUDE MINCH. Witness: R. O’SHANNESSY.

Ruth was mentioned as being at a number of concerts given by her first cousin Myra O’Neill; from The Manning River Times and Advocate for the Northern Coast Districts of New South Wales, Sat 09 Jul 1927:

Miss Myra O’Neill, of Taree, entertained a number of friends at the Ambassadors, Sydney, on Saturday afternoon. Her guests included Misses Kath O’Neill, Maris and Colleen O’Shannessy, Ruth Minch, Margery Young, Eileen Lulham, Mary Mahony, Mesdames Griffin and O’Brien, … Miss Kath O’Neill returned home on Thursday.

In 1933 at Scone Ruth married Philip George Michael Burgess (record 8783). In the 1972 to 1980 rolls the couple were shown as living at 16A Robinson St Croydon North (earlier her sister was at number 18).

Ruth passed away in Sydney in 1981 (record 13779; her mother was listed as Honora, not Hannah). Philip passed away the following year (record 9783/1982).

We would love to hear from anyone who can assist with further information – email mick@oneillfamily.id.au