JOHN WARREN WHITE OF CAHERBLONICK, COUNTY CLARE, IRELAND
This is the first of occasional posts about of some of Ireland's former citizens... this particular article comes from Text Queensland... www.textqueensland.com.au
If, like me, you didn't know where Caherblonick is, this may give you some idea...
JOHN WARREN WHITE AND FAMILY
Tht Presidential Paper of COMMANDER NORMAN S. PIXLEY C.M.G., M.B.E., V.R.D., Kt. O.N., F.R. Hist. S.Q.
Read at the Annual Meeting of the Royal Historical Society of Queensland, 25th September 1975.
John Warren White of Caherblonick, County Clare, Ireland, was born in 1828: he was the eldest son of a barrister, Thomas Warren White (known as the "Father of the Irish Bar") and Elizabeth White, who, before her marriage, was Elizabeth Persse of Roxburgh, County Galway, Ireland.
Choosing an army career, he was an officer of the Rifle Brigade, with which he had served in Canada, but resigned his commission and departed for Australia in the sailing ship "Lightning", arriving in the fast developing Colony of Victoria in 1850.
Six feet three in height, strikingly handsome, with high principles and a courtly manner, being also a good horseman and a first- class whip, he soon found his place in the country life of the colony.
There in due course he met and married Maria Gibton, daughter of Robert Nassau Gibton of "Tallaght", County Dublin, Ireland, who had come to Melbourne in the "Afric" in 1857.
John White became occupied in buying and selling of sheep and other properties: at one time he owned a flour mill. After living with his wife in various country towns they settled in St. Arnaud, seventy miles from Ballarat, and John was for a time mayor of the town. They had eight children, all born in Victoria, one of whom died in infancy.
In 1881 John White brought his family to Queensland where he was interested in pastoral property. They lived in the Gympie, Charters Towers and Gladstone districts with varying fortunes, during which his wife, gentle, of small stature and deeply religious, faced with fortitude the hardships of pioneering and the care of her seven children who, with their dogs and horses, developed a love of animals. The wise and kindly influence of their parents as to good manners, speech, amusements and duties in and around the home was a lasting one and the family retained close and affectionate links with each other through the succeeding years.
Leaving the country, they came, with a small capital remaining, to Brisbane to live at Franz Road, Clayfield, in a house called "The Bungalow".
When the Stock Exchange was inaugurated in Brisbane, John Warren White became it's first president in 1885.
He and his wife each lived to the age of ninety years: John died in January 1918 and his wife in December 1925.. A saga of service to their country runs through the story of the family.
THE FAMILY
The names of the children were: Maud Letitia, John Warren, Dudley Persse, Katherine Gertrude, Mabel Elizabeth, Cyril Bru- denell Bingham, and Eustace Nassau.
Maude Letitia (1861-1953), the eldest, married in 1884 Boyd Echiin, an Irishman who came to Australia and took up land in Queensland. He served as a captain in the 3rd Queensland Mounted Infantry, with the Boer War Contingent, and during World War I was commandant of the prisoner of war internment camp in Brisbane.
Their son, Richard Fleming Warren ("Warrie"), was in the Queensland National Bank at Yangan for a time, then went to live in Nigeria, until the outbreak of World War I when he left for England, joined the 1st Battalion, Grenadier Guards, and served throughout the war, rising to the rank of major.
(Rumour hath it that, during one weekend leave in France, Warrie and some fellow officers journeyed to Paris with H.R.H. Edward, Prince of Wales, in the Royal car, with Warrie sitting on the Prince's knee!).
During the war he married Isobel Buckland Taylor, returning after the close of hostilities to Africa, but later he went back to England. In World War II, he served in the Brigade of Guards home guard with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel.
Gladys Ivy ("Dai") Echiin, Maude Letitia's elder daughter, took up a nursing career and in November 1914 left Brisbane in the hospital ship "Kyarra" for the Middle East, where she served in No.1 Australian General Hospital in Egypt nursing the many wounded who came from Gallipoli in 1915. After returning to Australia in a hospital ship in 1916 ,"Dai" went to England, and after a period in Harefield Hospital, served in field hospitals in France which at times were subjected to heavy fire. She was awarded the associate Royal Red Cross which was presented to her at Buckingham Palace by King George V.
"Dai" Eichiin returned to Brisbane after the war
and joined the public service as a nursing sister.
Nancy Lynette ("Nan") Echiin, the younger daughter, was a journalist attached to the Brisbane "Courier" until her marriage to Lieutenant-Commander Eric Feldt (formerly of the R.A.N.), at that time a patrol officer in New Guinea. At the outbreak of World War II he joined the Navy and formed the Coast Watchers, that small and devoted band which rendered invaluable service under his control and supervision with the rank of commander. He was awarded the O.B.E. for outstanding service in the South Pacific and later wrote a book, "The Coast Watchers". When her husband was stationed in Townsville, Nan made camou- flage nets, and helped in service canteens and with the Red Cross. The Feldts had no children.
Maude Letitia Echiin died on 2nd August 1953 aged 92.
"WHITE BY NAME AND NATURE"
John Warren ("Jack") (1863-1947), the eldest son, joined the Queensland Police Force as a cadet in 1882 soon after arriving with the family and was sent to North Queensland, where he served in a number of districts and was in charge of units of the native police.
Ten years later he married Elizabeth Rose Georgina ("Ruby") Barker, daughter of William Barker of "Nunnington", Kangaroo Point, and "Tamrookum", Logan River district. Eventually Jack and Ruby bought a home in Oaklands Parade, East Brisbane, opposite where the Church of England Grammar School now stands.
Jack White was a splendid horseman, and when he was appointed Inspector in charge of the Brisbane district in 1898, this included responsibility for the Mounted Police, which he led on ceremonial occasions. During his term he conducted investigations into the notorious Gatton murders. Due to ill health he retired in 1911
and was awarded the Imperial Service Medal.
He then served as stipendiary steward of the Queensland Turf Club for some years, finally leaving to live at Tamborine Mountain until his death in June 1947, aged 84 years. Referred to by many who knew him as "White by name and white by nature", residents from the Mountain hired a bus to travel to Brisbane to pay their last respects at his funeral.
The "Jack" Whites had three sons. Godfrey William Warren, born in 1849, joined the 9th Light Horse Regiment in South Australia soon after the outbreak of World War I in August 1914, serving in Egypt, Gallipoli and in Mesopotamia, where he was A.D.C. to General Sir Harry Chauvel, and was mentioned in despatches. Godfrey then transferred to the Indian Army with the 5th Cavalry, Bengal Lancers in which by the end of 1918 he was adjutant and held the rank of captain.
Retiring to Australia in 1922, he lived at Tamborine Mountain until his death in 1930 as the result of an illness contracted during the war.
The second son, John Galliard Warren ("Jock"), born in 1897, served with 1st Corps Cyclists Battalion in World War I in France, and was given a commission in the Second World War as transport officer ship's staff with the rank of captain. While assisting the 8th Division A.I.E., he was taken prisoner of war by the Japanese and spent three and a half years in Changi Gaol, Singapore. After the cessation of hostilities he returned in ill health to Brisbane in
1945.
Thomas Warren, the third son, born in 1902 and entered Duntroon Military College in 1920. After graduating four years later he was sent to India, being attached to a Cavalry regiment (the Scots Greys) for approximately two years. Appointed to Camberley Staff College in 1938, Tom White, after completing the staff course in 1939, went to France on the outbreak of World War II and served in nearly every theatre of the war, being twice mentioned in despatches.
He was on the staff of General Douglas Macarthur (Supreme Commander of the allied forces in the South-West Pacific) from whom he received a citation and the Legion of Merit (officer). After the end of hostilities he spent two years in Berlin as head of the military mission. As state marshal for the Queensland tour in 1954 of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, he was invested on its conclusion with the M.V.O. by the Queen. In 1957 he retired from the Army with the rank of Brigadier. (Tom White's only son Donald served with the R.A.A.F. in Korea and Vietnam, winning the D.F.C. He later rescued a man off the N.S.W. coast with a hazardous helicopter manoeuvre, for which he received the Queen's Commendation).
There are more pages to follow...
re the rest of the family..
you can find them at
www.textqueensland.com.au
JOHN WARREN WHITE OF CAHERBLONICK, COUNTY CLARE, IRELAND
John Warren White passed away in 1918. He is buried in Toowong Cemetery, Brisbane, along with other family members.
Brisbane City Council records show that more than one individual is buried in this grave. Their details are shown above.
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