The Colemans & Dwyers: More Australian Cousins

This is the tenth post in a series about my Coleman and Dwyer ancestors.

Honora Dwyer and Bryan Sheehan with their children

In my previous post, I talked about our Coleman relatives who remain in Australia. There are also a large number of Dwyer cousins who live in Australia, New Zealand and Tasmania.

Mary Dwyer Coleman was one of eleven children born to John Dwyer and Johanna Burke Dwyer in Tasmania. Our family continues with the descendants of Mary’s siblings.

Children of John Dwyer and Johanna Burke Dwyer:

1. TIMOTHY DWYER, born unknown; died June 27, 1900 in Tasmania
2. MARGARET DWYER, born July 13, 1855 in Tasmania
3. CATHERINE ALICE DWYER, born July 12, 1857 in Deloraine, Tasmania. She married John Gaffney in 1885.
4. HONORA ANGELINE DWYER, born February 15, 1858 in Deloraine, Tasmania; died June 14, 1941. She married Bryan Sheehan in 1879.
5. HAROLD DWYER, born December 15, 1858 in Tasmania
6. MARY DWYER, born September 25, 1861 in Tasmania; died October 27, 1905. She married Andrew Mark Coleman in 1885.
7. JULIA MAUD DWYER, born August 9, 1865 in Port Sorrell, Tasmania; died May 19, 1890 in Tasmania.
8. SARAH DWYER, born about 1868 in Tasmania; died June 14, 1876 in Tasmania
9. PHILIP PATRICK DWYER, born about 1869 in Tasmania; died August 5, 1943. He married Mary Steers in 1897.
10. ELIZABETH ANN DWYER, born about 1873 in Tasmania; died June 3, 1880 in Tasmania
11. JOHN DWYER, born November 15, 1878 in Launceton, Tasmania; died November 3, 1954 in Gisborne, New Zealand. He married Irene Perkins.

Here is what I know about Mary’s siblings:

Philip Patrick Dwyer married Mary Ann Steers. They had five children: John Dwyer, Ada Alice Dwyer, William Dwyer, Philip Dwyer and George Dwyer.

Honora Dwyer married Bryan Sheehan. They had twelve children:

1. JULIA MAUD SHEEHAN, born 1879 in Sassafras, Tasmania; died 1961. She married Richard John Button.
2. MICHAEL SYLVESTER SHEEHAN, born 1881; died 1965. He married Elsie Bennett.
3. JOHN FRANCIS SHEEHAN, born 1883 in Latrobe, Tasmania; died 1970.
4. DENIS AMBROSE SHEEHAN, born 1885; died 1953. He married Alice Eliza Parker.
5. PHILIP PATRICK SHEEHAN, born 1887 in Sassafras, Tasmania; died 1946. He married Ida Eleanor Smith.
6. BERNARD BRYAN SHEEHAN, born 1889; died 1970. He married Maude Parker.
7. ALFRED SHEEHAN, born 1890; died 1898.
8. JOSEPH RONALD SHEEHAN, born 1891 in Latrobe, Tasmania; died 1971. He married Winifred (surname unknown).
9. HONORA ANGELINE SHEEHAN, born 1893; died 1991.
10. GEORGE REGINALD SHEEHAN, born 3 November 1895 in Mersey, Tasmania; died 1941. He married Marjory Beryl Isaac.
11. JOHANNA MAY SHEEHAN, born 3 November 1895; died 1952.
12. xii. LEONARD RALPH SHEEHAN, born 1897; died 1899.

Honora Dwyer and Bryan Sheehan

Sheehan brothers: Phillip, Bernard and (likely) George

Phillip Sheehan and Ida Smith

John Dwyer married Irene Perkins. They settled in New Zealand had five children: Florence "Joyce" Dwyer, Colleen Dawn Dwyer, Beverly Irene Dwyer, Mollie Wilson Dwyer and John Thomas "Jack" Dwyer. Their descendants remain in New Zealand.

Sisters: Mollie and Joyce Dwyer

Jack Dwyer with wife Judy Read

Catherine Alice Dwyer married John Gaffney in 1885. They had six children:


1. HUGH FRANCIS GAFFNEY, born 1886 in Emu Bay, Tasmania; died July 1945. He married Alice Maud Smith.
2. ALICE STANISLAUS GAFFNEY, born March 20, 1888 in Warratah, Tasmania; died July 8, 1959. She married John George Russell.
3. FRANCES MAUD LILLIAN GAFFNEY, born April 30, 1890 in Warratah, Tasmania; died 1967 in Tasmania. She married Sydrick James Hay.
4. JOSEPHENE VERONICA GAFFNEY, born April 1, 1893 in Warratah, Tasmania.
5. JOHN ALFRED GAFFNEY, born July 13, 1896 in Strahan, Tasmania; died February 28, 1977. He married Phyllis Martha Collidge.
6. CHRISTINA SYBIL GAFFNEY, born August 30, 1892 in Strahan, Tasmania; died December 5, 1898 in Strahan, Tasmania.

Hugh Francis Gaffney

The cousins listed above have many children and grandchildren still living in Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand.