| [Index] |
| Aaron KEENAN (1865 - 1936) |
| Children | Self + Spouses | Parents | Grandparents | Greatgrandparents |
| Aaron KEENAN (1865 - 1936) + Elizabeth Jane MORTON (1865 - 1946) |
Henry John KEENAN (1842 - 1889) | |||
| Ann Jane GAMBLE (1844 - 1925) | ||||
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Pic P1. Inscription In Loving Memory Of Our Father AARON KEENAN Died 11th Jan 1936 Aged 70 Years And Our Mother ELIZABETH JANE KEENAN Died 2nd Aug 1946 Aged 80 Years Pic S1. Inscription Pic 1. Inscription |
| b. 09 Dec 1865 |
| m. 1891 Elizabeth Jane MORTON (1865 - 1946) at Tumut, New South Wales, Australia |
| d. 11 Jan 1936 at Tumut, New South Wales, Australia aged 70 |
| Near Relatives of Aaron KEENAN (1865 - 1936) | ||||||
| Relationship | Person | Born | Birth Place | Died | Death Place | Age |
| Father in Law | George MORTON | 10 Feb 1827 | Co Armagh, Northern Ireland | 01 Sep 1919 | Tumut, New South Wales, Australia | 92 |
| Mother in Law | Emma PIPER | 30 Dec 1840 | Marulen, New South Wales, Australia | 17 May 1910 | Tumut, New South Wales, Australia | 69 |
| Father | Henry John KEENAN | 1842 | Kilrae, Co Derry, Ireland | 22 Jun 1889 | Gladesville, New South Wales, Australia | 47 |
| Mother | Ann Jane GAMBLE | 17 Apr 1844 | Co Monaghan, Ireland | 07 Dec 1925 | Marrickville, Sydney, Australia | 81 |
| Self | Aaron KEENAN | 09 Dec 1865 | 11 Jan 1936 | Tumut, New South Wales, Australia | 70 | |
| Wife | Elizabeth Jane MORTON | 1865 | Tumut, New South Wales, Australia | 10 Aug 1946 | Tumut, New South Wales, Australia | 81 |
| Brother | James KEENAN | 03 Aug 1864 | Brisbane, Queensland, Australia | 19 Jun 1942 | Batlow, New South Wales, Australia | 77 |
| Brother | John KEENAN | 1873 | 03 Apr 1957 | Sutherland, New South Wales, Australia | 84 | |
| Brother | Stewart Gamble KEENAN | 1885 | Tumut, New South Wales, Australia | Dec 1969 | Tumut, New South Wales, Australia | 84 |
| Niece | Harriet HARRIS | 1904 | Kiandra, New South Wales, Australia | |||
| Brother in Law | David Piper MORTON | 1861 | Tumut, New South Wales, Australia | 1955 | Temora, New South Wales, Australia | 94 |
| Sister in Law | Margaret Anne MORTON | 18 Jun 1863 | Tumut, New South Wales, Australia | 02 Aug 1889 | Tumut, New South Wales, Australia | 26 |
| Brother in Law | George MORTON | 1868 | Tumut, New South Wales, Australia | 11 Aug 1875 | Tumut, New South Wales, Australia | 7 |
| Brother in Law | John MORTON | 1870 | Tumut, New South Wales, Australia | 12 Aug 1875 | Tumut, New South Wales, Australia | 5 |
| Brother in Law | James MORTON | 1872 | Tumut, New South Wales, Australia | 30 Oct 1959 | Tumut, New South Wales, Australia | 87 |
| Sister in Law | Emma MORTON | 11 Oct 1875 | Tumut, New South Wales, Australia | 27 Oct 1970 | Cronulla, New South Wales, Australia | 95 |
| Brother in Law | Robert MORTON | 1878 | Tumut, New South Wales, Australia | 15 Jan 1960 | Tumut, New South Wales, Australia | 82 |
| Sister in Law | Lina Agnes MORTON | 1880 | Tumut, New South Wales, Australia | 1957 | Tumut, New South Wales, Australia | 77 |
| Brother in Law | Francis F MORTON | 1882 | Tumut, New South Wales, Australia | |||
| Events in Aaron KEENAN (1865 - 1936)'s life | |||||
| Date | Age | Event | Place | Notes | Src |
| 09 Dec 1865 | Aaron KEENAN was born | ||||
| 22 Jun 1889 | 23 | Death of father Henry John KEENAN (aged 47) | Gladesville, New South Wales, Australia | Asylum | 76 |
| 1891 | 26 | Married Elizabeth Jane MORTON (aged 26) | Tumut, New South Wales, Australia | ||
| 07 Dec 1925 | 59 | Death of mother Ann Jane GAMBLE (aged 81) | Marrickville, Sydney, Australia | 76 | |
| 11 Jan 1936 | 70 | Aaron KEENAN died | Tumut, New South Wales, Australia | ||
| Source References: |
| 63. Type: Web Page, Abbr: Trove, Title: Trove National Library of Australia, Locn: http://trove.nla.gov.au/ |
| - Reference = Adelong and Tumut Express 20 May 1910 (Name, Notes) |
| 76. Type: Web Page, Abbr: Find a Grave, Title: Find A Grave, Locn: https://www.findagrave.com/ |
| - Reference = https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/206609914/aaron-keenan (Name, Notes) |
| - Notes: "A Pioneer Family of Batlow - The Keenan's"
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/139318406 A PIONEER FAMILY OF BATLOW The Keenans WITH an association dating back to the early 'seventies and with no less than 47 members of the family, representing four gen- erations, now living in the district, there can be no question regard- ing the right of the Keenans to be classed as one of the pioneer families of Batlow. For the commencement of our story we must travel back to the other side of the world where, in famous County Derry, North- ern Ireland, on a blythe summer's day in the early 'sixties one Henry John Keenan persuaded a certain colleen, Ann Jane Gamble, to take his name and join him in his search for fame and for- tune in the much-talked-about colony of Australia. They were married in the Presbyterian Church of Kilrea, near Portglenore, prior to leaving on their adventurous trip; but nothing is known of either the actual date they sailed or the vessel on which they em- barked. No information is available, either, regarding the journey or the route followed, but, of course, it is generally known that in those windjammer days the trip look anything from three to six months and it would not be difficult to imagine the pleasure of the young Keenan couple when they at last set foot safely on Aus- tralian soil at some point on the Queensland coast which has not been definitely recorded. However, conditions in the north- ern State were rather hard on Henry and Ann, for the summer heat was a severe contrast to their accustomed glorious green freshness of old Londonderry, and shortly after the birth of their firstborn, a son James, the young couple de- cided to move south in search of more congenial conditions and bet- ter prospects. Just what were the details of that long and arduous trip no one will ever know. Day after day they plodded valiantly for ward, tarrying only long enough here and there for Henry to earn sufficient to see farther along the road and no doubt spurred on by the reports of fabulous gold strikes then being made in northern New South Wales. Eventually they ar- rived in the Monaro district of New South Wales and decided to stay for a while at a settlement then known as Providence. Henry obtained work as a shep- herd and they made their home in a hut provided for the purpose. With very few fences to restrain the stock from wandering, the shep- herd's job in those days was a con- stant and responsible one. Wild dogs were numerous and the sheep had to be 'folded' every night. Ann's life, too, as may well be im- agined, was far from an easy one. In addition to living under such primitive conditions, a second son, Aaron, was born on December 9, 1865, James being then only sixteen months old and the mother's only help at the time being a half-wild black gin. With her husband's dut- ies often keeping him away from the hut for days at a time, the wild dogs were a constant menace to Ann and her two babies and, when such jobs as gathering wood or fet- ching water had to be done she invariably had to take the babies along with her for fear the dogs would attack them in her absence. After something over two years of this life the young couple were attracted by the stories of rich strikes being made across the mountains in the valleys of the Tu- mut, Adelong and adjacent streams. So once more they packed up all their worldly possessions, loaded a horse they had acquired with goods and chattels in the pannier on one side and Master James riding in the pannier on the other side. As usual, the young parents had nothing but I a good pair of legs and a stout heart to provide their own transport, whilst they shared the burden of carrying the youngest child. On through the wilds of the mountain country they forged, until finally they descended the bridle track which was the only means of con- quering Talbingo, and found them selves at last in the lush valley of the Tumut River. Eventually they reached the banks of the Bombow- Jee Creek and were then befriended by the late Mr. and Mrs. George Morton and permitted to erect a slab hut for themselves on the Mor- ton property - the site of this early home is still known as "Keenan's Point'' Not only did the Mortons prove good friends to the Keenans, but in the years to come the families be came very closely united, for both the Keenan boys, Aaron and John, returned and claimed Morton girls as their brides. From this centre Henry was at last able to pursue his cherished ambition to search for gold, but old Dame Fortune gave him little encouragement or reward, despite extensive prospecting and much hard work throughout most of the neighboring fields, extending as far apart as Adelong and Argalong. Disappointed with his efforts, Henry decided to try his luck upon the nearby Reedy Flat (now Batlow) and moved there with the family, which had now increased with the arrival of a third child, Eliza. Once again luck was not with him, for he arrived too late to be in the rich gold strikes and, of course, he was too early to benefit by Batlow's later agricultural development, though it could safely be claimed that he helped to pioneer the agri- cultural side of Batlow's future, for he was known to dig as much as an acre of land by hand to grow vege- tables to help provide a living for his growing family. The site of their early Batlow home was where the orchard of Bowman & Sons now stands, and here eight more children were born making the total family five dau- ghters and six sons. Fate was not kind even in the Keenan family af- fairs, for no less than five of the children died at an early age. A diphtheria epidemic claimed Eliza and Ann within a day of each other at the ages of 17 and 15 respectively. The two grls were buried on the same day, and in the course of a few days they were followed bv their brother Henry, also a victim of the same dread scourge. Bella died as a result of a burning acci- dent and an infant son named Stu- art also passed away. A later son, the last of the family, was also named Stuart. The continued hard life, heavy work and family worries took toll of the father Henry's health and whilst still in his early forties he suffered a nervous breakdown which brought about his death in 1885. Fortunately the elder members of the family were able to assist their mother, Ann, over the next few difficult years, until in 1892 the widow married another Batlow re- sident, Robert Hobson. It was in the later years of her life as 'Granny' Hobson that Ann bccame so well-known and loved in the Batlow community. For many years she served the community in the capacity of obstetric nurse, for there were no doctors or trained nurses in the locality, and no one has been heard to dispute her claim that she never lost a baby. Al- though to a certain extent she made it a business, her fee was about £2, yet a person's inability to pay would not deter her from rendering just the same service as to those who could pay, and incidentally this ser- vice included not only attention for the mother but often, when neces- sary, taking control of the rest of the family and running the house- hold during the mother's incapaci- tation. Many the story she told of midnight calls to patients, some times miles away on some isolated claim whence she would have to wend her way either by foot or horseback and sometimes through snowstorms, flooded creeks or blind- ing rain. However, the hard life, disap- pointments and tragedies with which she was constantly surrounded did not weigh unduly heavily with her, for she went on to the fine old age of 81 years, passing away on De- cember 7, 1926, . in a hospital in Syd- ney, and was subsequently buried in the Woronora Cemetery at Suth- erland. Robert Hobson had prede- ceased her by 22 years, having suc- cumbed to a heart attack in 1903. Of the family which survived to reach maturity; James (the eldest) inherited his father's keenness for hunting the precious yellow metal and travelled extensively in its search. No more successful than his father, he later turned to shear- ing and became a recognised expert with the blades. This occupation took him as far afield as New Zea- land on one occasion, whilst vari- ous local flock owners considered their sheep were not property shorn if Jim Keenan did not do the job. With Batlow becoming interested in fruit growing, he obtained some land near what is now known as the Batlow Sportsground, and, in- cidentally, his land adjoined the small property on which his mother had previously lived with her second husband. He planted a small orch- ard and marrying a local girl, Flor- ence Skien, settled down to a quiet life divided between his own small property and working for other neighboring landowners. There were six children born to Mr. and Mrs. Jim Keenan, one daughter (Grace) being claimed a victim by diphtheria in childhood; but the others, Fred., Hector. Wilfred, and daughters Edna (Mrs. Seigal) and Muriel (Mrs. R. Langford) survive and play prominent parts in their respective spheres. Hector still lives on and farms the old property. There are fourteen members of the fourth generation to this branch of the family. 'Old Jim' as he was respectfully known throughout the district died in June, 1942, and Mrs. Keenan was also laid to rest in the Batlow Cemetery in February, 1948. Aaron, the second son of Henry and Ann, also went through the usual period of 'gold fever' and made his first home on the eastern bank of the Gilmore Creek where, in 1891. he brought as his bride Elizabeth Morton, daughter of his parents' old friends in Tumut. Three children, Ivy, George and Henry, were born before the fam- ily moved and carried on farming at various locations in the Tumut district, at Lacmalac for a period and then to Bombowlee, but results were disappointing and in 1903 they returned to Batlow, where Aaron resumed his search for the elusive 'rich strike'. In the meantime two more sons had been born. ' Stuart and Roy, and whilst at Batlow the family was brought to a total of eight with the arrival of Ray, Hilda and Neil. Aaron found that the gold still had too much dirt mixed with it and in 1917 the family re- turned aeain to Bombowlee and subsequently successfullv carried on maize growing and dairying for a great number of years. Ray, the youngest son, still continues to farm COUNCILLOR GEORGE KEENAN Help COUNCILLOR GEORGE KEENAN the property, but all the other sons have prosperous farming properties in the Batlow district, and the two daughters, Ivy (Mrs. John Morris) and Hilda (Mrs. Mervyn Webb) are settled in the Tumut district. The eldest son, George, has in recent years played a prominent part in many public organisations in the Batlow district and for the last two years has been one of the represent- atives for his Riding on the Tumut Shire Council. There are 24 mem- bers of the fourth generation and 11 members of the fifth generation of Aaron's branch of the family. Both Aaron and his wife passed their old age at their Bombowlee home, the former being laid to rest in the Tumut Cemetery in January, 1936, and his good lady ten years later, in August, 1946. John, the third son of Henry and Ann, also returned to the old lriends of the lamily, the Mortons, and made Emma Morton his wife. Al- though they subsequently moved about the country fairly extensively, John had chosen the more stable profession of a carpenter as his means of livelihood, and his moves from one district to another were always to enable him to take part in big new development works. Thus he returned to N.S.W. after several years in Victoria, when the Murrumbidgee irrigation project was being established. From Lee- ton he later went to the then infant Federal Capital of Canberra and spent many years on constructional work there. The family, in due course, moved to the Sydney area and finally settled at Engadine, where its members played a very prominent part in the development of that locality. The family of John and Emma Keenan comprises five sons, Robert, Clarence, William, James and Jock, all but William, who is in Queensland, living in the Engadine district, and two daught- ers, Dorothy (Mrs. H. J. Lovering) and Beryl (Mrs. Presland). Al- though long since retired from act- ive participation, John still takes a great interest in anything relating to the building trade and, despite the fact that the burden of years is starting to leave its mark on his health, he has recently patented and constructed a machine, which is proving a great success, for the making of concrete bricks in posi- tion on the wall of the building. Mr. and Mrs. Keenan have sixteen grandchildren (members of the fourth generation). Mary, the eldest daughter of Henry and Ann, became Mrs. John Houston and settled in Victoria, her husband being mostly engaged in work connected with gold mining. Six children were born to them, four of whom are still living. Grace, the younger daughter of the original Keenan family, married John Catherall and accompanied him to South Africa. After several years there her health broke down and she returned to her mother at Batlow to recuperate, bringing with her their two sons, Eric (14) and Sidney (11). Tragedy befell the family whilst at Batlow, as both the lads became the victims of a shoot- ing fatality and their mother never recovered from the shock, passing away not long afterwards. Stuart, the youngest member of the family of Henry and Ann, never married but still resides in Batlow and leads an active life in the em- ploy of the Tumut Shire Council, being responsible for the welfare of the Batlow water supply with seve- ral miles of race-line and the town reticulation system to take care of. Stuart, too, like other members of the family, had a period when his main interest was gold; but he later acquired portion of his mother's old property (Hobson's) and planted a small orchard. He became a recog- nised expert in the various forms of 're-working' fruit trees and of pruning. At the age of 64 years Stuart is the eldest of the 47 Keen- ans now living in the Batlow dis- trict and the only member of his generation here now. Katherine Norah, the three-weeks-old daugh- ter of Mr. and Mrs. Don. Keenan, is the latest addition to the fifth gen- , eraiion. Yes, as pioneers, the Keenans came to Batlow, and subsequent generations still carry on as Henry and Ann would have wished, bring- ing honor and respect to the name of Keenan. |