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Descendants of

Captain John SHERIDAN

Generation 1

1. John SHERIDAN was born ABT 1848 in Ireland, son of Bernard Richard SHERIDAN and Mary FENTON, and died 17 Dec 1940 in Kingscote, Kangaroo Island, SA.
He married (Ellen Elizabeth HOUGHTON 20 Apr 1876 in Adelaide, SA. She was born ABT 1856 and died 17 Feb 1925, daughter of George HOUGHTON.

Other events in the life of John SHERIDAN
Burial: Cheltenham Cemetery
Immigration: 20 Jan 1859, Clara
Electoral roll: BET 1939 & 1941, Kingscote, Kangaroo Island

Children of John SHERIDAN and Ellen Elizabeth HOUGHTON:
i. John Stephen SHERIDAN was born 29 Jan 1877 in Glenelg, SA
ii. Edith Alice SHERIDAN was born 26 Dec 1879 in Glanville, SA
iii. 2. Rosina Ellen SHERIDAN was born 09 Feb 1882 in Glanville, SA and died 03 Jun 1976
iv. 3. Henry James SHERIDAN was born 05 Jun 1884 in Marionville Port Augusta and died 27 May 1979
v. Katherine Maud SHERIDAN was born 12 Sep 1886 in Glanville, SA
vi. 4. Ernest Albert SHERIDAN was born 25 Dec 1888 in Glanville, SA and died 21 May 1969 in Woodville West, SA
vii. 5. Alfred William SHERIDAN was born 09 Mar 1891 in Glanville, SA and died 16 Dec 1969 in Minlaton, SA
viii. 6. Stanley Horace SHERIDAN was born 27 Jun 1893 in Glanville, SA and died 15 Sep 1967 in Woodville, SA
ix. 7. Leonard John SHERIDAN was born 03 Jan 1896 in Port Lincoln, SA and died 29 Aug 1976

Generation 2

2. Rosina Ellen SHERIDAN was born 09 Feb 1882 in Glanville, SA and died 03 Jun 1976. She married Oscar George STYLES 07 Feb 1912 in Medindie, SA. He was born 18 Apr 1879 in Rhynie, SA and died 08 Aug 1946 in Cowell, SA.

3. Henry James SHERIDAN was born 05 Jun 1884 in Marionville Port Augusta and died 27 May 1979. He married Evelyn Rosamond WOOD 30 Mar 1911 in Medindie, SA. She was born 28 Dec 1887 in Unley, SA and died 05 Apr 1975, daughter of John WOOD.

Other events in the life of Henry James SHERIDAN
Burial: Victor Harbour, SA

Children of Henry James SHERIDAN and Evelyn Rosamond WOOD:
i. 8. Ina Evelyn SHERIDAN was born 23 Dec 1911 in Richmond, SA and died 14 Apr 1988
ii. 9. Harry George SHERIDAN was born 19 Nov 1914 in Wisanger, Kangaroo Island, SA and died 13 Jul 1957 in Waitpinga, SA
iii. Mavis Rosamond SHERIDAN was born 26 Mar 1917 in Western River, Kangaroo Island, SA
iv. David John SHERIDAN was born 18 Sep 1920 in Hindmarsh Tiers, SA and died 13 Jul 1957 in Waitpinga, SA
v. Olive Mary SHERIDAN was born 16 Jun 1923 in Hindmarsh Tiers, SA
vi. Geoffrey James SHERIDAN was born 29 Nov 1927 in Hindmarsh Tiers, SA and died 08 Apr 1947 in Myponga, SA

4. Ernest Albert SHERIDAN was born 25 Dec 1888 in Glanville, SA and died 21 May 1969 in Woodville West, SA. He married Phyllis Emmaline KITSON 25 Mar 1914 in Port Adelaide, SA. She was born ABT 1889 and died 19 Sep 1981.

5. Alfred William SHERIDAN was born 09 Mar 1891 in Glanville, SA and died 16 Dec 1969 in Minlaton, SA. He married Ellen Robertson MARSHALL 19 Aug 1912 in Port Adelaide, SA. She was born ABT 1891 and died 03 May 1976, daughter of John Miller MARSHALL.

Other events in the life of Alfred William SHERIDAN
Burial: Edithburgh Cemetery
Electoral roll: BET 1939 & 1943, Kingscote, Kangaroo Island
Residence: 1940, Kingscote

Children of Alfred William SHERIDAN and Ellen Robertson MARSHALL:
i. 10. Alfred John (Jack) SHERIDAN was born 23 Dec 1912 in Birkenhead, SA and died 15 Dec 1992
ii. 11. Inez Ellen SHERIDAN was born 24 Dec 1914 in Birkenhead, SA and died 2002

6. Stanley Horace SHERIDAN was born 27 Jun 1893 in Glanville, SA and died 15 Sep 1967 in Woodville, SA. He married Ruth Eva Eliza MILLER 09 Nov 1915 in Norwood, SA. She was born 28 Jul 1893 in nr Clare, SA and died 08 Apr 1987, daughter of Arthur William MILLER and Ellen Eliza Anne SMITH.

Other events in the life of Stanley Horace SHERIDAN
Electoral roll: BET 1939 & 1943, Western River, Kangaroo Island
Residence: 1944, Western River, Kangaroo Island, SA
Political: BET 1949 & 1950, Chairman, Kingscote Council

Children of Stanley Horace SHERIDAN and Ruth Eva Eliza MILLER:
i. Brian SHERIDAN

7. Leonard John SHERIDAN was born 03 Jan 1896 in Port Lincoln, SA and died 29 Aug 1976. He married Hilda Marie STAEHR 08 Sep 1923 in St Peters, SA. She was born 08 Jan 1902 in Willaston, SA and died 31 Sep 1980.

Other events in the life of Leonard John SHERIDAN
Electoral roll: BET 1939 & 1943, Waterfall, via Western River, KI
Residence: 1945, Kingscote, Kangaroo Island, SA

Children of Leonard John SHERIDAN and Hilda Marie STAEHR:
i. 12. June Nathalie SHERIDAN was born 11 Jun 1924 in St Peters, SA and died 12 Apr 2010 in Nuriootpa, SA

Generation 3

8. Ina Evelyn SHERIDAN was born 23 Dec 1911 in Richmond, SA and died 14 Apr 1988. She married Allan Douglas GRAY 20 Oct 1934 in Adelaide, SA.

9. Harry George SHERIDAN was born 19 Nov 1914 in Wisanger, Kangaroo Island, SA and died 13 Jul 1957 in Waitpinga, SA.

Other events in the life of Harry George SHERIDAN
Burial: Victor Harbour Cemetery

Children of Harry George SHERIDAN:
i. James SHERIDAN
ii. Trevor SHERIDAN
iii. Chris SHERIDAN
iv. Valmai SHERIDAN

10. Alfred John (Jack) SHERIDAN was born 23 Dec 1912 in Birkenhead, SA and died 15 Dec 1992. He married Joan MURTON 27 Feb 1936 in Adelaide, SA. She was born 10 May 1913 in Booleroo Centre, SA and died 20 Jun 1964 in Kingscote, Kangaroo Island, SA. They divorced 10 Jul 1945.

Other events in the life of Alfred John (Jack) SHERIDAN
Electoral roll: BET 1939 & 1941, Kingscote, Kangaroo Island

11. Inez Ellen SHERIDAN was born 24 Dec 1914 in Birkenhead, SA and died 2002. She married Peter Ralph CORNISH 19 Aug 1941 in Port Adelaide, SA. He was born 28 Dec 1916 in Kingswood, SA and died 16 Nov 1994, son of Lancelot Charles CORNISH and Agnes Mary Roscilda RALPH.

Other events in the life of Inez Ellen SHERIDAN
Electoral roll: BET 1939 & 1943, Kingscote, Kangaroo Island

Children of Inez Ellen SHERIDAN and Peter Ralph CORNISH:
i. Margaret Helen CORNISH was born ... in Medindie, SA

12. June Nathalie SHERIDAN was born 11 Jun 1924 in St Peters, SA and died 12 Apr 2010 in Nuriootpa, SA. She married Fred BROWN.

Last updated : 17 Sep 2022

Further research

Captain John Sheridan’s father was Bernard Sheridan born 1813 Ballinrobe, Mayo, Ireland died 22 December 1883 Rottnest Island W.A. Bernard served with 34th & 47th Regiments. He spent 6 years and 5 months in the Mediterranean and 5 months in the West Indies with total service of 21 years and 241 days. He was discharged on 27 June 1853 in Limerick, Ireland. He departed London on 19 March 1857 on board the 708 ton ship Clara arriving in Fremantle 3 July 1857 with his wife Mary (nee Fenton) and sons John and James.

Mary nee Fenton was born ca 1820 in Ireland and married Bernard ca 1847 in Cork, Ireland. John was born in 1848 in Ireland. There were four other siblings born in the Ireland, and a brother Peter born in Fremantle on 22 December 1857.

John married 20 year old Ellen Elizabeth Houghton at West Terrace on 20 April 1876 (probably the Bishop’s Palace now known as the Archbishop’s House) (Bk107 Pg392). They had seven or eight children between 1877 and 1891. ... Ellen died 17 February 1925 in hospital in Semaphore age 69. Ellen & Captain John are both buried in Cheltenham Cemetery, Adelaide – Section I, Drive C, Path 10, Site 369S

In addition to the note in the Chronicle of 2 January 1941, there is a piece in the Advertiser of 18 December 1940 on page 16. There is also a reference in the South Australian Commercial & Trades Directory of 1882. The most comprehensive Obituary is in the K.I. Courier of 20 December 1940. He had a sheep farm at Western River. I’ve not been able to find how he arrived in S.A but at appears to be in 1872. There are Sheridan families on KI at the moment but any connection is unknown. ...

In a slightly related area I find that Bernard’s wife (Captain John’s mother) entered into a common law relationship with Joseph Dart while separated from Bernard. They had 1 son and 3 daughters all born in Perth. On 23 June 1866 in Perth Joseph was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 3 years for Mary Sheridan’s murder.

- research by Chris Ward

THERE passed away recently at the great age of 92 Captain John Sheridan, one of the last of that gallant crew of skilled seamen who carried in their sailing ships the trade of Britain to all parts of the world. Mr. H. A. Curtis (ex-secretary to the Minister of Education), now 88½, told me yesterday an interesting story about the old Kangaroo Island personality.

"Nearly 40 years ago," he said, "he came to see me at the Education office, and with his very heavy eyebrows and weather-beaten face, introduced him self, saying, 'I am Captain Sheridan, and have taken my ship into the Port of London six times. I have a daughter who wishes to be a teacher.'

"That I fixed up, and she took charge of a country school, and left to be married. Five years ago, I spent a few weeks at Kingscote, and was delighted to hear many good yarns from the old captain. One was about his ketch.

"He used to go regularly to Kangaroo Island and bring fish from there to Port Adelaide. One night he was sailing up the Port River when his boat collided with a barge, full of mud dredged from the river. As the boat struck, he said to the two men with him. 'Jump, boys!' and in a few minutes his boat sank. "He went on to say, 'Now, you knew Mr. Searcy who was president of the Marine Board?' 'Yes.' I said, 'I knew him intimately.' 'Well,' the captain said, 'he was a very determined character. But I beat him in the end, for after fighting him for 12 months I got £350 from the board, and built a new boat.'"

Obituary

Late Mr. H. J. Sheridan

The death occurred suddenly at his home at Hindmarsh Tiers on May 27 of Mr. Henry James Sheridan shortly before his 96th birthday.

Mr. Sheridan, the eldest son of Captain John Sheridan, was born at Port Augusta in 1883. His father at that time was dredging the top end of Spencer Gulf to enable bigger ships to take on salt and stumps. His school days were spent at Port Lincoln and Wedge Island where the family grew barley and raised pigs. At the age of 13 Mr. Sheridan worked at Conrad's Preserving Works and received the wage of one shilling a week. At that time the family lived at Glanville and his father had the job of delivering logs to the Wallaroo mines so he set tled the family at Western River in the outback of Kangaroo Island. There the Sheridan sons did back breaking work cutting logs and floating them down the river to be loaded on boats. Often they worked in water up to their necks for hours on end. Mr. Sheridan helped build the first two refugee huts for shipwrecked sailors on the cliffs of Kangaroo Island. In 1911 he married an Unley girl, Evelyn Wood, and they lived at Richmond for a time. Later they returned to Western River and in 1917 Mr. Sheridan acquired land at Hindmarsh Tiers. Their furniture was sent by fishing cutter to Victor Harbor and he and his family, horses and wagon travelled by steamer to Port Adelaide. The hardships of that trip down from Port Adelaide to settle on a scrub block and their early years on the land is a story in itself. Mr. Sheridan's youngest son Geoff died in 1947 following a motor cycle accident and the two other sons, Harry and David, were killed in a tragic aeroplane accident at Waitpinga in July, 1957. Mrs. Sheridan died four years ago at the age of 87. Mr. Sheridan still drove his car into Victor Harbor and Port Elliot until three weeks ago when he passed his driving test for licence renewal for his approaching birthday on 5th June.