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Ancestors of
John Allison WHELAN
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Background
1.
John Allison WHELAN
John Allison WHELAN, son of John Anthony WHELAN and Rhoda Mabel
ALLISON, was born on 22 Jun 1920 in Auckland, New Zealand.1
Research Notes: Born on 22 June 1920, to the son of Irish Catholic immigrants
and the daughter of an English born mother and Maori father, John Allison Whelan
was the youngest child and only son of John Anthony Whelan and Rhoda Mabel
Allison. Father William Joseph O'Doherty baptised John into St Benedict's Roman
Catholic Church in Newton, Auckland on 31 July 1920. Sponsors at his baptism
were Mary Anne O'Hara and Loftus John Richards. Mary Anne O'Hara was the
sister of John Anthony Whelan.
John attended Newmarket District School, and school records of Attainment of
Proficiency name him as Jack, quite possibly in order to differentiate him from his
father. School reports indicate "very good" regularity of attendance and excellent
conduct, behaviour, and diligence. John's school progress report at the end of his
final year at Newmarket Primary School indicates that he was positioned at the top
of the class having been awarded 433 marks from a possible 525 marks. Class
teacher, Arnold Frederic Scherer, and Headmaster Thomas Turbott, remarked that
John was a "very thorough and conscientious worker - a fine result." John
received his Certificate of Proficiency on 26 November 1931 at the age of 11 years
and 6 months.2 Newmarket School motto was "Not self, but Service" and it seems
that this motto could well have been internalized in John's overall approach to life.
John's father died in March 1928 when John was only seven years of age, leaving
his widowed mother Rhoda with the responsibility of raising him and his two older
sisters, Kathleen and Joyce. Rhoda's father Charles had also died at an early
age, and one can assume that she would have been able to relate to the sense of
loss her children felt when their father died. John commenced Auckland Grammar
School in 1932. He had suffered polio as a child, but this did not prevent him
from playing rugby in the Auckland Grammar School Fourth grade "A" XV, which
won the secondary school championship in 1934. John sat School Certificate
exams in English, Latin, French, Algebra and Geometry, Electricity and
Magnetism, and Chemistry in 1934 and having passed all subjects, he was
awarded School Certificate on 15 April 1935. John completed his secondary
education at Auckland Grammar School in December 1936 and enrolled at the
University of Auckland in 1937, completing a Masters degree in French and Latin
in 1940. In 1941, John was admitted to Auckland Teacher's Training College for
a one-year course focussing on post-primary teaching.3 This was essentially the
equivalent to New Zealand's modern day Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching.
John enlisted in the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) in late 1941 prior to
concluding his teacher training. On 26 January 1942, he left the family home at
Maungawhau Road and made his way Thames, bidding farewell to extended
family en-route to Levin. He arrived in Levin on 7 February 1942 where he
commenced aircrew training.
John's 1942 journal provides detailed documentation and anecdotal accounts of
day-to-day events during training. After an initial period in Levin, John travelled
with the Group Training Squadron to Rotorua, where he trained between mid
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Ancestors of John Allison WHELAN
March and early April. Training consisting of drill, physical training, lectures on
self-care, and the flying syllabus, with the occasional opportunity for rest and
recreation. After two weeks of exams, John received notification of a 97.6%
examination result on 1 April 1942.
A notation in his journal indicates
disappointment in his result, although he would not have had much time to ponder
the outcome as he departed almost immediately with the No. 2 EFTS for New
Plymouth, arriving on 5 April after a two-day journey. No further entries appear in
his journal until 11 June 1942, two days prior to his return to Auckland on
embarkation leave. During John's time in New Plymouth, he commenced flight
training in a DH82 - Tiger Moth, where a total of 84 hours was spent pilot training
and his proficiency was graded as "average."
John arrived in Canada on 14 July 1942. Journal entries were not maintained
after this date, although John's formal flying log provides additional evidence of
continued training after the cessation of the journal entries.4 Training with the
Royal Canadian Air Force commenced with No. 5 Manning Depot at Lachine in
Quebec. John then joined No. 12 Service Flying School at Brandon where he
qualified as a First Pilot of a Cessna Crane, on 14 August 1942. A posting to
Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island followed in December 1942 and John
successfully completed flight training in an Anson on 3 February 1943. John
sailed from New York to England on the Queen Elizabeth and spent two weeks in
Bournemouth with the Royal Air Force (RAF) before receiving a posting to
Limavady in Northern Ireland, where he completed flight training in a Wellington
Mk XIV on 5 April 1943. In May 1943, John was posted to No. 1 Torpedo Training
Unit at Turnberry in Ayrshire, Scotland before a six week posting to the No. 303
Ferry Training Unit at Talbenny in Pembrokeshire, Wales. John was hospitalised in
Palestine on 9 August 1943 following a crash landing after take-off. After
discharge from hospital, he rejoined the RAF training programme at Ramat David,
in Palestine on 12 September 1943, also spending time in Shallufa and Almaza in
Egypt prior to the end of 1943. John also flew for Royal Australian Air Force
(RAAF) 462 Squadron stationed at Terria, Libya and in July 1944 was finally
posted to RAF 36 Squadron, where he served until the end of the war as a Flight
Lieutenant.
Now approaching 91 years of age, John has recently documented some
recollections of his war service. His flying log verifies a number of these. John's
service with the Air Force continued after the end of the war and he remained in
England to work for the Air Ministry. John writes that he "was roped in to assist
with the compilation of the history of the Royal New Zealand Air Force in World
War II, before all the documents got lost or forgotten about." Working from
Lowndes Square in London, John's research culminated in the publication of a
monograph, Malta Airmen. This monograph was the third volume under the series
title New Zealand in the Second World War: Official History, which was published
by the War History Branch of the Department of Internal Affairs in 1951. After the
war, and during his time with the Air Ministry, John managed "to hitch a ride
around Europe on Royal Air Force aircraft, seeing Denmark, the Netherlands and
post-war Copenhagen and East and West Berlin." He remained in England where
he studied at Cambridge University, graduating with a Master of Arts in History on
23 April 1953.5
John began a teaching career at King's College in 1953 after his return from
England, and remained at the school until his retirement in 1985. John's long
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Ancestors of John Allison WHELAN
standing association with King's College in many respects reflected the
Newmarket Primary school motto in terms of his commitment and dedication to the
school, at times ahead of all else. John was involved in extramural school
activities and was Secretary of Auckland Schools Rowing Association, Chairman
of the Auckland Secondary Schools Swimming Association as well as Master in
Charge of Rowing. His retirement by no means facilitated decline in his loyalty to
the school where he continued as the College administrator for School Certificate
examinations from 1986 to 1992. John also co-authored Kings College, Auckland:
The Second World War 1939-1945 - Register of the Dead, with two former
colleagues in 1999, well after his retirement. John voluntarily edited the King's
Courier, a quarterly publication produced by King's College Old Collegians
Association, for many years before the demand for increased technological
awareness deemed his input obsolete. He lives in Point Chevalier, Auckland and
is content in his retirement.
Noted events in his life were:
He was Anglican, although baptised and confirmed Roman Catholic.
He attended school at Newmarket Primary School in Auckland, leaving in 1931.
He served in the Royal Air Force during WW2 in Middle East and Europe.
He attained an M.A. (History) in 1953 at Cambridge University in England.
John married Roberta KING on 17 Jan 1956 in King's College Chapel in
Auckland, New Zealand.
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Ancestors of John Allison WHELAN
Parents
2. Father:
John Anthony WHELAN, son of Martin WHELAN and Elizabeth WALSH, was born
on 17 Jan 1880 in Thames6 and was baptised on 2 Feb 1880. He died in 1928 in
Auckland, New Zealand, and was buried at Hillsborough Cemetery.
Research Notes: John Anthony Whelan was the youngest of eight children born
to immigrant settlers Martin Whelan and Elizabeth Walsh. John was born on 17
January 1880 at Terrace Street, Waitangirua in Thames, New Zealand. His father
was not present at his birth and John's oldest sibling Michael was the informant of
the birth which was registered on 10 February 1880. One can assume that
perhaps at birth John was a frail baby and not expected to live as he was privately
baptized into St Francis Roman Catholic Church on 2 February 1880.7 A
supplemental ceremony conducted by Father O'Reilly was held conducted on 18
February 1880. Sponsors at that baptism were Joseph Lloyd and Theresa
Pearce. Whatever the circumstances surrounding the supplemental ceremony,
John survived his childhood and was confirmed into the Catholic Church at
Ararimu on 25 January 1891 at the age of 11 years. Bishop Luck confirmed two of
John's brothers, Martin and William on the same day. John's confirmation name
was Michael.
An absence of public school attendance records for John indicates that he may
have completed his education at the local Catholic School for boys without
interruption, unlike his siblings who moved with frequency between the local
schools and Convent schools in Thames. Private and denominational schooling in
New Zealand was not fully subsidised by local education authorities in the 1880s
and 1890s and in order to attend a convent school, a family was expected to self
fund the education of a child or children. By the time John, the youngest child in
the Whelan family, was old enough to attend school, his parents would perhaps
have been in a better position to fund his education. This, while a credible
explanation, is only a hypothesis. Investigation has revealed that records for the
local Catholic schools in Thames have been not preserved.
However, the Register of Patient Admissions for Thames Hospital does provide
some insight into John's life. The Register reveals a lengthy hospitalization for
John shortly after his fifteenth birthday, and just five days after the death of his
mother Elizabeth. Suffering from traumatic peritonitis, John was admitted to
hospital on 17 March 1895, and remained under the care of Doctors Murphy,
White, Parkinson and Lynch for 64 days until his discharged on 22 May 1895.8
Given the seriousness of such a condition at a time when health practices were
still being refined, John was fortunate not to have succumbed to post operative
complications. At the time of his admission to hospital, John was working as a
butcher's boy. This occupation was not devoid of hazard as indicated by a
previous admission to Thames Hospital. On 2 September 1894 John was
admitted for the amputation of a finger.9 One can assume this was perhaps the
result of a mishap with a butcher's implement. John was discharged from hospital
on 28 September 1894 after a stay of 26 days. This did not appear to interfere with
his ability to continue in the butchery business.
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Ancestors of John Allison WHELAN
It is not known exactly when or why John left Thames. It is possible that the death
of his father in 1894, when he was 14 years of age, followed by that of his mother
in 1895, may have prompted a later move to Karangahake where his older brother
William was mining for gold. John did remain in Thames after his discharge from
hospital in May 1895, and with his mother's death earlier that year, it seems likely
that he would have lived with his sister Elizabeth until his move to Karangahake in
late 1899 or early 1901.
John worked as a butcher in Karangahake between 190110 and 1903,11 although
his whereabouts between 1904 and 1912 is unknown, as he does not appear in
any New Zealand postal or trade directories for the period 1904 to 1912. In 1913
John is listed in the NZPOD as a butcher for Whelan Brothers at 54 Khyber Pass
Road.12 Perhaps John was enticed to Auckland in the hope of increased
employment opportunities in the rapidly growing city. John's older brother Martin
had been registered as a butcher in Auckland since 1893 and was living in Gordon
Street, Mt Eden in Auckland in 1912 so one can assume that John may have been
attracted to Auckland as a result of the family connection.
John was gainfully employed as an Auckland butcher at the time of his marriage in
1912 where on the 21 August 1912, at the age of 32 years; he married Rhoda
Mabel Allison at St Mary's Cathedral in Parnell, Auckland. The marriage was
solemnized in an Anglican Church, not a Catholic Church. At the time of her
marriage to John Whelan, Rhoda was 27 years of age - a rather mature bride, in
view of the trend toward marriage at an early age at that time. Nevertheless, John
and Rhoda took up residence at 104 Carlton Gore Road in Newmarket, Auckland
where they became first time parents to Kathleen in 1914 and again to Joyce in
1916. This was the former home of James Allison who had left the property to his
daughter Annie Kelly, nee Allison and with whom Rhoda and her older sister Maud
had lived following the death of their mother Sarah in 1898. John and Rhoda
lived at the Carlton Gore Road property until relocating to 3 Maungawhau Road in
Newmarket in 1916 after the birth of their second child Joyce. Their third child, a
son, John Allison Whelan was born in 1920.
John worked as a butcher until his death at home on the 22 March 1928, at the
young age of 48 years. His death notice in the New Zealand Herald reported:
"On March 22 at his residence, 3 Maungawhau Road, Newmarket, John Anthony,
beloved husband of Rhoda Mabel Whelan, and beloved brother of Mrs. O'Hara
and Mrs. Quinn; aged 48 years - R.I.P. The funeral will leave his late residence
today (Saturday) at 2 p.m. for Hillsborough Cemetery." After Mass conducted by
Father Bradley, John was buried in the Roman Catholic section of Hillsborough
Cemetery in Auckland on 24 March 1928.13 John's will was filed on 31 March
1928 and Rhoda received a bequest of all his "real and personal property."14
Rhoda lived in the family home until her death in 1969 with her eldest daughter
Kathleen, a spinster at that time, and the property remained in the Whelan family
until Kathleen's death in 1998 when it was sold by Kathleen's adult stepchildren,
following the death of their father.
Noted events in his life were:
He was in Thames Hospital for the amputation of a finger in 1894.
He was again in hospital for Peritonitis in 1895.
He worked as a Butcher in 1901 in Karangahake, New Zealand.
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Ancestors of John Allison WHELAN
He worked as a Butcher in 1903 in Karangahake, New Zealand.
He was a butcher in 1911 at 104 Carlton Gore Road, Newmarket.
He had his own business in Auckland in 1913 (Whelan Bros – butchers)
John married Rhoda Mabel ALLISON15 on 21 Aug 1912 in Parnell, Auckland.
Rhoda was born on 7 Feb 1885 in Auckland, New Zealand, and died on 3 Jul 1969
at Greenlane, Auckland, New Zealand at age 84.
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Ancestors of John Allison WHELAN
3. Mother:
Rhoda Mabel ALLISON, was born on 7 Feb 1885 in Auckland, New Zealand and
died on 3 Jul 1969 at Greenlane, Auckland, New Zealand at the age of 84 years. She
was buried at Hillsborough Cemetery.
Research Notes: Rhoda Mabel Allison was the youngest of eight children born to
Charles Allison (1844-1887) and Sarah Alderton (1848-1898). Rhoda was born in
Parnell, Auckland on 7 February 1885 and was educated at Parnell School. The
1894 Class List Schedule for Parnell School provides some information on Rhoda.
Rhoda was nine years and five months of age at the time of examination in 1894.
Statistically Rhoda was one of the youngest in the class and the last standard
passed was Standard I. Rhoda's examination performance indicates passes in
Reading, Writing, and Drawing. For Spelling and Dictation she was awarded 1/5
and for Mathematics 5/5. Given that Rhoda was awarded an overall pass, it would
seem her performance was considered adequate.16 Rhoda appears in a group
photograph of Standard V prize recipients at Parnell School in 1897.
On the death of her widowed mother Sarah, when just aged 12 years, Rhoda and
her sister Mabel went to live with their aunt, Annie Kelly at 104 Carlton Gore Road
in Auckland. Upon leaving school Rhoda became an apprentice dressmaker and
later established her own business in Parnell. The electoral roll for Auckland East
records Rhoda Mabel Allison as being 10070 on the roll for the electorate residing at 104 Carlton Gore Road, Newmarket. She died at Greenlane Hospital
on 3 July 1969 at the substantial age of 84 years and was buried beside her
husband at Hillsborough Cemetery in Auckland. Rhoda's last will and testament
dated 11 May 1964 left equal shares of her Estate to each of her children.17
Noted events in her life were:
She was Anglican
She worked as a Seamstress in Parnell, Auckland.
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Ancestors of John Allison WHELAN
Paternal Grandparents
4. Grandfather:
Martin WHELAN, son of William WHELAN and Winifred KELLY, was born in 1824
in Ireland, and was christened on 1 Nov 1824 in Stradbally Parish, Ireland.18 He died
on 21 Apr 1894 at his home in Thames aged about 70, and was buried on 22 Apr
1894 in Shortland Cemetery. 19 The cause of his death was disease of the heart.
Research Notes: Martin Whelan was born in Queens County, Ireland in 1824. He
was the second son of William and Winifred (aka Winny) Whelan, nee Kelly and
was baptised on 1 November 1824 in the Roman Catholic Church of Stradbally. It
has not been possible to establish a specific date of arrival in New Zealand,
although Martin's death certificate suggests an arrival between 1863 and 1864.
Martin's death certificate also indicates that his age at the time of his marriage was
41 years. Martin married Elizabeth Walsh on 28 May 1865 in Auckland. Elizabeth
was born in the United States of America and was the daughter of Michael and
Eliza Walsh, nee Garratt.
Martin and Elizabeth went on to have eight children, including twins, between 1868
and 1880.
Michael was born in 1868; Mary Anne in 1870; twins Margaret
Winifred and Martin Thomas in 1872; William Joseph in 1874; Eliza in 1876; Sarah
Jane in 1877; and John Anthony in 1880. The eldest child, Michael was born in
Napier, New Zealand on 17 June 1968. His surname in the registration of his birth
is Waelan. It is possible that Elizabeth remained in Napier following Michael's
birth giving Martin time to make his application for Mining Rights at Karaka Creek
in Thames on 17 August 1868, before making her way to the expanding goldmining community.20 Whatever the scenario, Elizabeth and Michael joined Martin
in Thames where they made their long term home at Block 27, Terrace Street.
Martin and Elizabeth lived at this address until their deaths in the late 1890s.21
Martin's death notice in the Thames Advertiser indicates his place of death was at
Block 27 Richmond Street, Thames. The Bay of Plenty Times reported: "An old
resident named Martin Whelan died suddenly today while driving a cow along
Richmond Street. He had been ailing for some time." It seems likely that Martin's
death on 21 April 1894 at the age of 70 years was from a heart attack as his death
certificate gives a jury verdict on his cause of death as "disease of the heart."
Martin was buried on 23 April 1894 in the Roman Catholic section of Shortland
Cemetery, Thames beside his infant daughter Sarah. The Memorial Inscriptions
on the headstone reads:
"Martin WHELAN died 21 April 1894 age 70, also
Elizabeth WHELAN, died 12 March 1895, age 55, also their infant daughter Sarah
Jane, died 30 June 1877, also Margaret WHELAN, wife of Michael WHELAN, died
22 April 1904, age 31, also Elizabeth WHELAN, died 14 Aug 1907, age 31.22
Noted events in his life were:
He was Roman Catholic
He purchased Miners Rights in 1868 at Thames, New Zealand.
Martin married Elizabeth WALSH on 28 May 1865 in Auckland, New Zealand.
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Ancestors of John Allison WHELAN
5.
Paternal Grandmother:
Elizabeth WALSH, daughter of Michael WALSH and Eliza GARRATT, was born
about 1840 in United States Of America and died on 12 Mar 1895 in Thames, New
Zealand aged about 55. She was buried on 14 Mar 1895 in Shortland Cemetery,
Thames (plot 721).
Research Notes: Elizabeth Walsh was born in the United States of America
and was the daughter of Michael and Eliza Walsh, nee Garratt. Primary source
documents do not indicate where in the United States Elizabeth was born, nor
when she arrived in New Zealand, although her possible arrival on 14 February
1865 on the Ernestina shortly before her marriage is currently being explored.
Elizabeth died at home the on 12 March 1895 from cirrhosis.23 She had been
admitted to hospital on a number of occasions for unrelated conditions. On 25
January 1887, Elizabeth was admitted with sciatica, and after a hospital stay of
14 days she was discharged on 7 February 1887. The Register gives
Elizabeth's age as 45 years and states that she had been in New Zealand for
22 years, again suggesting an arrival year of 1865. Elizabeth was readmitted
on the 13 April 1887 suffering from varicose veins and was discharged on 26
April. A final admission to hospital in September 1894 suffering from a "virus"
gives rise to the question of whether this was related to the cirrhosis from which
she died six months later. Her death was certified by Dr M H Paopore and she
was last seen by him on 26 February 1865. This would suggest she was
indeed ailing for some weeks prior to her death. She was 55 at the time of her
death, suggesting a birth year of 1840 and she had been resident in New
Zealand for 30 years at the time of her death. Elizabeth was buried beside her
youngest daughter Sarah and her husband Martin in the Roman Catholic
section of Shortland cemetery on 14 March 1895. Their memorial inscription
reads: "Martin Whelan died 21 April 1894 age 70, also Elizabeth Whelan died
12 March 1895, age 55, also their infant daughter Sarah Jane, died 30 June
1877, also Margaret Whelan wife of Michael Whelan, died 22 April 1904, age
31, also Elizabeth Whelan, died 14 Aug 1907, age 31.
11
Source Citations
1
Catholic Archives (Auckland), Register of Baptisms in St Benedict's Church, Newton: RB10-2,
Entry 335.
2
New Zealand School Records, Archives New Zealand: [YCAF 5493 1908-1936] AK, Records of
Proficiency, Newmarket School 1931, p. 26.
3
Teachers Training College Records, Archives New Zealand: [YCAL A997] AK, Auckland College
of Education (1941).
4
Flying Log, John Whelan's Flying Log: 1942.
5
Original Degree, MA (History) dated 23 April 1953.
6
New Zealand Birth Registration, Register of Births in the District of Thames: 1880/141
Registration no. 2001/0057047.
7
Catholic Archives (Auckland), Register of Baptisms in St Francis Church, Thames: RB25, Entry
36.
8
Register of Patient Admissions for Thames Hospital, Archives NZ: [YCAH/A442/9] AK, p. 65.
9
Register of Patient Admissions for Thames Hospital, Archives NZ: [YCAA 1026/181] AK.
10
Wises Postal Directory, WPD: 1901, p. 1723.
11
Wises Postal Directory, WPD: 1903, p. 1920.
12
New Zealand Post Office Directory, NZPOD: 1913, p. 1905
13
Obituary, New Zealand Herald, 24 March 1928, p. 1.
14
New Zealand Will/Probate, Archives New Zealand: [BBAE 1570 207/28] AK.
15
New Zealand Marriage Registration, Register of Marriages in the District of Auckland
(1912): Entry 65.
16
New Zealand School Records, Archives New Zealand: [YCAF 4135/40a] AK Class List
Schedule Parnell School (1894).
17
New Zealand Will/Probate, Archives New Zealand: [BBAE 1570 2159/69] AK
18
Irish Baptismal Records, Roman Catholic Baptismal Records 1820-1899: Parish of
Stradbally (1824), p. 20.
19
New Zealand Death Registration, Certified Copy of Death Certificate: 1894/002660.
20
Mining Rights, Archives New Zealand [BACL 14538/2a] AK Mining Rights No. 9865.
21
Electoral Roll, New Zealand Electoral Roll (1881) Coromandel Electorate: Registered voter no.
1141 (microfiche).
22
Memorial Inscription, Shortland Cemetery Burial Records: Plot 464 (on-line database
http://www.tcdc.govt.nz).
23
New Zealand Death Registration, Certified Copy of Death Certificate: 1895/001441.
12
Name Index
ALLISON
Rhoda Mabel (1885-1969) ………………….. p 8; p 9
GARRATT
Eliza ………………………………………….. p 11
KELLY
Winifred ………………………………………. p 10
KING
Roberta (1936- ).……………………………... p 5
WALSH
Elizabeth (1840-1895) ……………………… p 10; p 11
WALSH
Michael ……………………………………….. p 11
WHELAN
John Allison (1920- ) ……………………... p 1-5
WHELAN
John Anthony (1880-1928) ……………….. p 6-8
WHELAN
Martin (1824-1894) …………………………. p 10
WHELAN
William ……………………………………….. p 10
13