Bourne

The Toomey Family: Ireland to Australia and Back Again

Mark Anthony Toomey was born in Dublin in 1844 to Mark Toomey and Jane Kelly. He married Julia Adelaide Bourne in 1868 at St. Peter’s church in Dublin. She was from a respected legal family. When his daughter was born in 1875 he was a wine merchant.

Mark Anthony was very active in Freemasonry and was initiated in Commercial Lodge No. 245 in 1871 in Dublin. In 1878 he was installed as Worshipful Master of this Lodge. He was also a Life Governor of both the male and female Masonic Orphan Schools in Ireland.

There were six children in the family: Mark born 1869 and died in 1871; Louisa Alice born 1871; Mark born 1873; Jane born 1875; Walter Bourne born 1878 and Richard Fenton born 1880. The children were all born in Dublin.

Mark Anthony Toomey got into what was described as “financial trouble” over a debt he had guaranteed and could not pay. This was an offence you could go to prison for and two of his Bourne brother in laws suggested he went to Australia. According to family lore he left for Sydney in 1883. There is a letter dated 2 March 1880 that suggests it may have been closer to 1880. If this is the case then the reason Julia and family did not go with him at the time could have been because she was carrying their son Richard.

When Mark Anthony arrived in Sydney he hired a Chinese girl to look after the house and then Julia and family joined him.

Julia and the children joined Mark Anthony in 1890. They left London on 5 February 1890 and arrived in Sydney on 27 March 1890. They were on the Coromandel which originated in Greenock Scotland. Julia could not settle in Australia and did not like the Chinese help so she went back to Dublin. She left her son Mark behind. Julia wanted to leave Jane in Australia because Jane wanted to stay but Mark Anthony said no girls.

Walter Bourne Toomey returned to Australia via Canada. He arrived in Montreal in 1907 and arrived in Sydney in 1909. It is believed that Richard returned to Australia in 1911. The female lines were the only ones to remain in Ireland.

On arrival in New South Wales Mark Anthony joined the Freemasons. In 1885 he helped to form Lodge Hiram No. 41 and was elected Secretary. In 1887 he was made Grand Secretary and also held the position of Deputy Grand Secretary of the United Grand Lodge of New South Wales. He was a member of the Leinster Marine Royal Arch Chapter No. 266.

Mark Anthony Toomey died in Sydney on 29 March 1916. He died at the home of his son Mark Toomey at Rubyville, Church Street, Chatswood. The funeral was at the Church of England Cemetery Gore Hill.

Julia lived in the home of her daughter Jane and her family. She retired to her bed to die when she was 60 and did not die until she was 91. She died in 1932 in Rathmines Co. Dublin.

Julia Adelaide Bourne Toomey is buried in St. Nahi’s Cemetery in Dundrum Co. Dublin. The headstone reads: In Loving Memory of our parents Mark Toomey who died 21st March 1916 aged 72 and his wife Julia Adalaide (daughter of the late Walter Bourne of Taney House in this Parish) who died 9th April 1932 aged 91 “Peace Perfect Peace”with loved ones far away. This must have been put up by their daughter’s as the sons were all in Australia at this time. Mark Anthony Toomey is actually buried in Sydney Australia.

Mark Anthony and Julia Adelaide only lived together for about 14 years. They spent more than double that living apart from each other. If Julia had not returned to Ireland then I might not be here writing their story.

Bourne Family Research

15 Comments / By Ruth Blair

My Bourne family has left a lot of really good records behind. I have been lucky for the most part with my research into this family. Walter Bourne and his son Walter were solicitors in Dublin and both held the post of Clerk of the Crown for the Queen’s Bench and Deputy Clerk of the Crown for the northeast circuit. Walter junior took on the job after his father retired.

The family lived in Taney parish, Dundrum, Dublin County. They also lived and worked in Harcourt Street Dublin.

A very good book was researched by Mary A. Strange and Elizabeth B. Fitzgerald and written by Mary A. Strange in 1970 called “The Bourne(s) Families of Ireland” I had the great privilege of getting to know her and she sent me a copy of her book. Mary’s book covers the research of her Bourne(s) family as well as others that she believed were connected but she had not been able to make that connection yet.

The book is divided into three parts one on the different locations where the Bourne ancestors of Hannah Maria (Maxwell) Bourne lived and the other relating to Hannah Maria (Maxwell) Bourne and her descendents. Mary and Elizabeth were connected to Hannah Maria (Maxwell) Bourne. The last part is related to the pedigrees of Dr. Lorton Wilson. My Bourne family was included in the last part of the book.

No connection has yet been made between my Bourne line and Mary’s but I am still researching. New records come up every day. I am researching parish registers and writing down all names that may relate to Bourne. So far I have come up with Bourne, Bourn, Bourns, Bournes, Byrne, Burne, Burn, Bryn and Bowrn. I believe this wall can be broken down it will just take a little time and perseverance.