My Elusive Ancestor - Bigamist Michael Denis Cronin (1894 - 1949)

 I know the birth and death details of Michael Denis Cronin, who was the husband of my paternal grandmother's sister.

Photo from Crilly Family collection - c 1912


But there are many gaps in between, and that is why I have chosen "Denny" as my most elusive ancestor.

Family legend has it that he did something to disgrace the family name and was banished by the family from Newry, Co Down, Ireland, to Western Australia – why?

He had two attempts at joining the Australian Imperial Force, one as Michael Denis Cronin, and another as Denis Michael Cronin – why?

He served in the Australian Imperial Force in WWI, was injured in France in 1918, and after recuperating in London, and marrying my Grandmother’s sister in January 1919, he was chosen to accompany Australian Prime Minister, Billy Hughes, from France to Australia, after the signing of the Treaty of Versailles – why?

After his daughter Monica (Dad’s first cousin) was born in Perth in 1920, he told his wife that things weren’t really working out in Australia for them, so she should return to England with their baby daughter, he would wind up his business dealings and follow.  He never did, and they never heard from him again – why?

Through my research I have found that in 1923 he married Isabel Twomey in WA. They had a daughter Patricia in 1927.

Isabel divorced him in 1934, and in 1936 he married Lillian Brooks.  They had two sons, Denis and Michael.

In 1949 he died as a result of injuries from a mining accident in Big Bell, WA.

He is buried in Karrakatta Cemetery in Perth, WA.

Entrance to Karrakatta Cemetery, and Denny's grave - my photos (2020)




Headstone of Michael Denis and Lillian Cronin, Karrakatta Cemetery - my photo (2020)

I hope to fill in the gaps about his life, and reveal these in a future blog.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

On bended knee across the sea....

Image
This may seem an odd title for my first blog, considering this is a genealogy blog.  But let me explain. My parents were both English, were work colleagues, played sport together in the Thames Board Mills company sports club, and had dated a few times. Then Dad applied to Australia House for the post-war "Ten Pound Pom" Assisted Passage Migration scheme to Australia. He was accepted, and immigrated to Australia in 1952. In 1953, "on bended knee" (virtually, in Sydney), he proposed to Mum (in Essex, England), by letter "across the sea", and she accepted. I have known this story, my whole life, but it still amazes me.  I can only imagine Dad's nervousness and apprehension, from when he dropped his letter into the post box at Sydney's GPO, to the approximate eight to ten weeks later when he received Mum's reply.  Mum's acceptance of Dad's proposal also amazes me, recognising that she was agreeing to leave her large, loving family to go to ...
Read more

My Dad performed at the Royal Albert Hall, London

Image
My Dad was too young to serve in WW2, but being British, and turning eighteen in November 1945, only months after the end of WW2, he was conscripted for National Service. He was posted to the Royal Army Pay Corps, based in London. I don't know a lot about Dad's eighteen months of national service, but I do know that he auditioned to join the Royal Army Pay Corps Swing Choir, led by Sergeant George Mitchell. His audition was successful. On 2 June 1946, the Swing Choir performed at the Royal Albert Hall in London, as part of a concert in aid of The Army Benevolent Fund. The program of the RAH concert, 2 June 1946 The Royal Army Pay Corps Journal of Summer 1946, featured the following article on page 199 - 200. "The 33rd Battalion RAPC Swing Choir, under the direction of Sgt George Mitchell, are to be featured in the Army Benevolent Fund Show, "Cavalcade of Stars in Battledress", at the Royal Albert Hall on 2nd June. Every member is from the battalion, or the attach...
Read more

Frederick Lucas Crilly - my great-grandfather

Image
Frederick Lucas Crilly   1864 - 1943 Frederick Lucas Crilly  was born in Lancashire, of English parents, and Irish grandparents, but the family still considered themselves very much Irish. Frederick, and his father and brothers were all very involved in the Home Rule for Ireland campaign, and the Irish Home Rule political party. His half-uncle, Daniel Crilly (1853 – 1923) was MP for County Mayo, Ireland, from 1885 – 1900, on the same platform. The 1901 census records Frederick as a "political agent", living in Cheshire. By the 1911 census, he is shown as "General Secretary (political) Irish League of Great Britain", and he had moved his family (including my grandmother) to Brixton, just out of London. He can be found in various newspaper articles over a number of years, speaking at meetings around England and Scotland, encouraging support for the Home Rule movement. The 1939 Register lists him as an "Examiner of Films".  This was when he worked for the Bri...
Read more