From Ireland to Australia: Winters Family History
Robert Edward Winters (1865-1913)
Robert Winters was born in February 1865 in Upper Sunville a small hamlet in Co Limerick, as the 5th child to the 1st marriage of Andrew and Mary Winters nee Jenkins.
We are uncertain as to the arrival date in Australia for Robert, however family stories indicate that Robert migrated from Ireland with his elder brother John during the 1880s.
Events during that period that may have influenced the migration of the two brothers.
- In 1877 Robert's mother died aged 46 and Andrew was left with 7 children aged between 5 and 21 years. Robert was 12 years of age in 1877.
- Andrew remarried in 1879 to Rachel Mahoney ( aged 21 years ) and a further 7 children were added to the family between 1880 and 1889
- Robert's brother John married in Sydney NSW in February 1888
- Robert was not a witness to his brother's marriage in 1888 so this casts doubt on whether he had migrated at the same time. Robert was according to his death certificate living in Queensland for 2 years and W A for 20 years.By deduction this indicates Robert's arrival in Australia as approximately 1891
- Robert was a passenger on board the vessel Innaminka which sailed from Melbourne arriving at Fremantle in March 1898. According to Postal Directories searched Robert lived at Bulong near Kalgoorlie in 1898 and at various local Perth addresses during the early 1900s. Robert was recorded as living in Leake Street Cottesloe ( now Peppermint Grove ) in 1904 where he met his future wife Mary and they married in Claremont in May 1907.
There were 2 children of this marriage namely John born November 1908 and Robert known as Bill born April 1910.
John continued working as a gardener and in around March/April 1912 he fell from a tree and died as a result of these injuries in May 1913 leaving Mary to care for 2 children under 5 years.