FAMILY STORIES

• See our family in a play in 1862 in London. Read about the theater they owned.

New stories from Margaret in Australia!

• Family legend says that 3 Swansborough brothers came to Australia, mid 1800's; no proof of this, Possibly 3 cousins.

   

• When Thomas arrived in Australia, as a 17 year old, he went to work with William Swanborough, at a vineyard and he married the Squires daughter, Anne Keirnan.

   

• Thomas was born Protestant, but married Anne Keirnan, who was aparently Roman Catholic, and the children (first 2 generations) were bought up in the R.C. faith; on Thomas' hospital records he was stated as Protestant.

   

• Thomas was admitted to hospital in 1864, he remained in hosital for 37 years, and died of Colitis and Dementia.

   

• Anne took the 3 boys from Adelaide, in 1863, to Rutherglen, Northen Victoria, where William George was born, and later Rose Anne was born in 1865. Whether Thomas went with them and then travelled back to Adelaide, we do not know. Anne took the 3 boys to Adelong N.S.W.

   

• Patrick Swansborough, b 1911, remembers travelling to Glenrowan, Victoria, to visit the Kelly family (Ned Kelly was a famous Australian bushranger, who died in 1880). Anne Swansborough's mother, was Bridget Kelly. Richard (Patrick's father) use to make boots for the Kelly family, and Kate Kelly use to ride horses with the Swansborough girls.

   

• Richard and Mary had 16 recorded children, but family say there were 18 children, possibly a set of still born twins; but Richard and Mary also raised Kathleen, daughter of Agness and Mary, daughter of Brigette.

   

• Feb 19, 1881 - Adelong Newspaper

  Magisterial Inquiry:- Mr W Menlove J.P. held a inquiry at Grahamstown on the infant son of Richard Swansborough. Evidence by Dr Agassiz. It was rumoured the child, and also a former one that died, had been cruelly treated and that scarcity of food led to death. In both cases medical evidence showed this to be quite untrue.

   

• Another of Richard and Mary's young children was killed by a wild pig.

   

• Richard was a bootmaker, and opened one of the first shoe shops in Wagga; about 1903. He was also a surgical shoe maker, these being hand made. Richard also had the reputation of being a miner's bootmaker, owing to the fact that his boots were remarkable for the wear, they would stand in water underfoot.

   

• Richard was a Choirmaster at St. Michaels, he also played the organ at the church, and could also play the violin.

   

• Joseph was a Bandmaster at Hillston and taught young boys to play instruments.

   

• Karen Swansborough (Queensland, Australia) was a contestant in the Gladiators TV Series (fitness competition). New mother of lovely little girl! Margaret is a proud grandma!

• Thomas Swanborough (1823). Arrived from Wales October 1845, after a hard ocean crossing. His wife's brother died during the voyage. Lived in PA, OH, and moved onto CA during the gold rush in 1851. Buried in Uppertown Cemetery, Placerville, CA.

  A small town remains called Swansboro and is about 5 miles NE of Placerville in El Dorado County. It is a very small place but has a private airport. [Information courtesy of Coalminers Listserve member, David B. Evans.]

• Thomas' wife, Ann Booth. Grandson Leo reported she took care of women having babies in article in book called Something Remembered in the El Dorado County Historical Museum. She came to America by boat (3 months) in 1846 and first were in PA and then on to El Dorado Co. in 1855. She apparently lost her brother at sea.

• Albert Henry Bowser, husband of Sarah Ann Swanborough was run over by a train on the rr tracks on Bear River bridge. He had been to a movie in Wheatland and got turned around and was walking wrong direction on the RR tracks per Albert Bowser. According to family folklore Sarah Ann ran away when son William was little. Supposedly went to Alaska during the Alaskan gold rush. On the 1900 census there is no wife listed for Albert H. & believe he is listed as widower also on 1910 census. She was buried in Washington

• Albert William Bowser was on Johnson Island when Pearl Harbor was bombed on 7 Dec 1941. He was working as a bookkeeper for Morrison Knudson Co. Johnson Island was bombed about a week later by Japanese submarines. They knocked out their water system. The crew was evacuated to Pearl Harbor for about a month until the water was restored. He was offered a chance to work on the underground buildings that the govt. was constructing but he didn't like Pearl so he went back to Johnson Island.

  He enlisted in the Army after returning from Johnson Island. His Basic Training was at a Fort Lewis, WA, and then was sent to San Diego, His wife joined him in San Diego, and because there were so many servicemen in San Diego, there were no motels available, so they lived in a tent on the beach. His unit was shipped to Europe and was one of the units involved in the "Battle of the Bulge". He suffered frostbite of his feet and was hspitalized for aperiod of time in England and also after returning home on the Queen Mary in 1945.

• William Swanborough. Coal miner; collier. Immigrated to US in 1865; could not read or write; he survived the Diamond Mine Disaster in Braidwood, Illinois. Pit boss of #2B mine, 1883 - spring thaw flood - 102 died.

• Raymond Swansbrough. Grew up in same neighborhood as Al Capone. Ran errands for him for extra money. Per Raymond, during Depression, Capone provided food for local neighborhood. Fought in WW II in Battle of the Bulge. Back broken as a result of ambulance accident. Had to retrain from shipping clerk to dental technician.

• John Heath started working on the slate banks at a local colliery at the age of nine; he went underground in the mines at the age of 13. He was employed at the Greenwood Colliery of the Lehigh Navigation Coal Company , for whom he worked 54 years. At some time he drove a team for the Johnson and Mucklow Co. in Tamaqua.Death of corporation employee.

• Following a long illness, the death occurred in the Warren Road Hospital, Guildford, on Sunday, of Mr. William Robert Swansborough(62) of 66, Broadwater Lane Farncombe who for nearly 39 years had been in the employ of the Godalming Corporation. For many years he was road foreman and afterwards caretaker of the Farncombe recreation ground. He was for a long period in the 2nd Batt of the Queen's Royal Regt, with which he served in the South African War and was present at the Relief of Ladysmith. At the outbreak of the Great War [WW I - ed.] he rejoined his old battalion and went to France in September 1914. He was invalided home and was tranferred to a Scottish regiment serving in Ireland.

  Later he was tranferred to the Royal Engineers and again sent to France where he remained until the close of hostilities. Mr. Swansborough was a member of the Godalming British Legion Leaf Club, the South African ar veterans' association and the Farncombe Lodge of the R.A.O.B. Formerly, he was a bandsman in the Godalming Corps of the Salvation Army. He leaves a widow, one son and two daughters, both of the latter being abroad.

  The funeral was on Thursday afternoon, the first part of the service being held at the Salvation Army Hall. Adjutant and Mrs. Davies of Aldershot, formerly in charge of the Godalming Corps, and Captain W.W. Sharpe officiated. The internment was at the new cemetery. The family mourners were Mrs. Swansborough (widow), Mr. and Mrs. C. S. Swansborough (son and daughter-in-law), Mr. and Mrs. J. Penny (brother-in-law and sister-in-law), Mrs. Cobbold and Miss Penny (sisters-in-law), Mr G. Lambert and Mrs W. Denyer. The South African War Veterans Association was represented by Messers J.H.Patton, J. Watts and W.J. Walters. Others present included Mr. H.W. Harrison, who as general foreman represented the employees of the Godalming Corporation. Among the wreaths was one from the Godalming British Legion Ivy Leaf Club, and another from the borough surveyor and the outdoor staff.

  Mrs Swansborough and family wish to thank all kind friends and neighbours for their sympathy in their sad bereavement also for beautiful floral trbutes. They also particularly wish to thank the staff of warren road hospital for their kindness and attention to Mr Swansborough while under their care.

• William Heath William came to the US as a small child. He worked as a coal miner, and later was a member of the coal and iron police during the time of the Mollie Maguire uprisings. He enlisted with the Seventh Cavalry in Cincinnati, Ohio in October 1875, and went with Company L, in which he served as a farrier, to the Dakota Territory. He served with General Custer at the Battle of the Little Big Horn; he was wounded/injured and somehow became separated from Company L. He was suffering from exposure and frostbite and his injuries when he was found by a family of settlers and cared for until he was well enough to travel back home to Pennsylvania. The family included Lavina Ennis, for whom his daughter Lavina was named. His name is listed on the monument at the site of the Battle of the Little Big Horn as having been killed in the battle, but he died in Tamaqua, PA in 1891 of a brain tumor, and is buried in the Odd Fellows Cemetery, Tamaqua, PA.

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