Peter McIntyre, 1855 - 1907, shortly after his arrival in Australia

Everything that is known about Peter after his emigration to Australia is courtesy of his great-granddaughter, Andree Wright, whose diligent researches indicate that he went to sea and was in Australia by c. 1883, the time of his marriage in 1884 at the very latest. This conclusion is broadly corroborated in a hand-written note appended to the brief reference to Peter on Marjory Brown MS MacLaren’s family tree - ‘Went to Australia’.

Isabella Mylrea, on her wedding day

Isabella, familiarly Belle, was born in Ballarat, Victoria, on 12th May 1864, the first child of Edward Mylrea, a Manx man, previously resident in Liverpool, England, and Isabella Walker, from Glasgow. Peter and Isabella were married on 12th March 1884, at the Holy Trinity Church of England, Williamstown, Victoria. The witnesses were Margaret Jane Jensen and J. Christian Jensen (who these people were is unknown). Both the bride and groom were resident at Clark Street, Williamstown, and Peter gave his age as twenty-six and his occupation as mariner. His parents were identified as Donald McIntyre, forester, and Margaret McKinley (sic). For reasons which are not apparent, Peter appears consistently to have understated his age, by two or three years. Daughter Isabella Walker Victoria, familiarly Jewel, was born on 24th May 1884 at Dover Place, in the Borough of Williamston, in the County of Bourke. Peter was stated at this time to be a mariner, again aged twenty-six, although he had had a birthday since his wedding and was now actually twenty-nine. His place of birth was given as Stirlingshire, Scotland. Isabella Walker Victoria McIntyre married James Doyle on 2nd January 1906 at St Mary’s, Williamstown, according to the rites of the Catholic Church. James, who was known in the family as Jim, was a ‘railway guard’, aged 37. He died on 15th August 1938. Isabella died on 30th January 1973 at their home in Beaumaris, Victoria. Jim and Jewel had no children and she did not remarry. Both are buried in Williamstown General Cemetery. A second daughter was born on 15th March 1888 at 12, Douglas Parade, Borough of Williamstown, County of Bourke. The child was not named on the certificate but this can only refer to Margaret Mary Cairns McIntyre, Andree’s grandmother, who remarried and at the time of her death in 1960 was the wife of William Francis Bourke. Peter again gave his occupation as mariner and his age as 30. He gave his place of birth as Loch Lomond, Stirlingshire, Scotland.

Isabella Walker Victoria McIntyre

Margaret Mary Cairns McIntyre, with sister Isabella

Peter was admitted as a Mason of the Grand Lodge of Scotland. Andree still has the certificate, which refers to him as ‘duly entered an apprentice passed FELLOWCRAFT and raised to the sublime Degree of MASTER MASON in the Lodge Australasian Kilwinning No. 337 holding of the Grand Lodge of Scotland’. The date of registration was entered as the 28^th September 1886 and a handwritten note in the margin states that it was ‘issued at Melbourne Victoria this 20^th day of December 1888’.

On 4^th May 1888, Peter received a ‘thirty-second’ birthday present from his brother-in-law, Edward James Mylrea, a purse containing a notebook, pencil and sleeves for money.

Presented to Peter McIntyre on his 32nd Birthday May 4th 1888. From His Sincere Friend Edward James Mylrea. Image courtesy of Tony Mylrea

A son, Donald, was born on 12th May 1899 in Williamstown. Peter was on this occasion entered as a telegraph lineman. Donald died at 39, Albert Street, Town of Williamstown, County of Bourke, on 17th November, just six months and five days later. The cause of death was certified as gastroenteritis by James Duncan, the medical attendant who saw Donald on the day he died. Peter was again entered as a telegraph lineman. Donald was buried on the 19th in Williamstown Cemetery, by Joseph Henry Whear, undertaker, George Curzon, Presbyterian minister, officiating. Peter was on other occasions recorded as a railway signal operator (and on one occasion as formerly of Glasgow), born at Loch Lomond. When Jewel married in 1906, he was designated as a ‘railway employee’.

Peter McIntyre in 1904. A copy of this photograph was sent home to his family in Scotland

Peter was probably already dying when news reached him from Scotland of the death of his maternal aunt, Janet McKinlay, on 11^th July 1907. A copy of the funeral notice is preserved in the family Bible.

Peter died on 24^th October 1907 ‘after a long illness’. The cause of death was cancer of the stomach, which had been of eight months’s duration. His occupation was recorded as telegraph lineman. His parents were recalled as Donald McIntyre, a forester (who had survived his son), and Margaret McIntyre, formerly McKinlay. His age was given, inaccurately (he was actually 52), as 49 5/12 years; his age at marriage, again inaccurately, as 25, and his children as Isabella Walker Victoria, age 23 5/12 years; Margaret Mary Cairns, age 19 7/12 years and Donald, deceased. The death was registered by authorised agent (presumably the undertaker) Joseph Lear. The certificate states Peter had been resident in Victoria for twenty-four years. This would suggest that Peter had arrived in Australia c. 1883 but given the inaccuracies in the other time values provided, this ought to be approached with caution.

Peter’s death and funeral notices refer to Victorian Railways, who were apparently his employers. His father-in-law, Edward Mylrea, had also worked for the Victorian Railways in Williamstown, as did Jim Doyle, Jewel’s husband. Belle’s brother, Thomas Alexander Mylrea (1870-1928), second son and fifth child of Edward Mylrea and Isabella Walker, was listed in the Report of the Victorian Railways Commissioners for the year ending 30 June 1893:

Thomas Alexander Mylrea, porter, 1886-1893

Peter’s grave, Williamstown Cemetery

Image courtesy of www.findagrave.com

The Herald of 22^nd April 1933 reported:

Mrs E Freemantle ...is recovering from a recent severe illness and has gone to “Stronachlachar”, Beaumaris, to recuperate.

Stronlachar was presumbably the home of Jim and Jewel, which, according to family lore, had originally been the holiday home of Belle’s family, although whether the Mylreas or McIntyres are indicated is unclear.

Belle was widowed for a second time when Edward Freemantle died suddenly of cardiac failure on 2^nd May 1933. He was a railway employee.

On one occasion, Peter sent home a broach to his half-sister, Marjory, and this was passed down to her granddaughter, the above-mention Marjory Brown.

Peter’s grave, Williamstown Cemetery

Image courtesy of www.findagrave.com