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Jane Taaffe née Alcock (1900-1990) - Pelaw Main resident. Recorded 23 November 1984. Part 1/1.
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SummaryJANE TAAFFE
Recorded 23 November 1984
Part 1/1
0:25
She came to Pelaw Main about 1930. They had to go to church at Kurri.
1:02
Monsignor Peters was her uncle. Jane was the first child he christened when he came from Ireland. He was educated in Ireland.
1:25
Fr. Gloucester was a curate with Mon. Peters in Hamilton.
2:07
Fr. Cullen came from Hamilton. Jane won a sulky at a bazaar when she was a girl. Fr. Cullen wanted the sulky to be given to him and Jane’s mother said she couldn't because Jane had won it. Her mother wasn't a Catholic. "He was a terrible hard man". Children were going to school in the church after the school had burned down.
3:31
The original convent was at Kurri - Jane was educated at Lochinvar
3:57
Mother Catherine was a musician. The nuns in Lochinvar were girls who'd been educated in Maitland at the Dominican Convent.
4:27
Sr. Marie Therese was her aunt - her mother's sister. Her mother had sisters and cousins in the Mercy Convent. Sr Ignatius. The Maitland Dwyers. The Morpeth Murphys. Her father had no relatives or siblings - "he was a convert".
5:42
Her husband was Lands Dept. Inspector - "he's been dead 44 years".
They had 3 boys. Jane reared her grandson, Terry Yates. He died 11 months ago aged 35.
7:38
She was born in Hamilton, 1900. She is related to the Cavanaghs. Her parents were young when they died. Her grandfather (Peters) was a Frenchman from Alsace Lorraine. He was a government interpreter and a cabinet maker.
10:09
Fr. Lineham - he's very vague and not suitable for the young ones. She would do a lot of housekeeping for Fr. Gloucester. Fr. Malone was the current priest.
11:06
Fr. Searle comes from Telarah
11:14
Fr. Heggerty
12:24
Fr. O'Donoghue - a big man who came from Ireland. She was more involved with the Mercy convent.
13:19
Reason for selling Abermain convent - about 20 years ago. The nuns were replaced with lay teachers. She boarded at Lochinvar and became very attached to the nuns.
14:47
Lane & Quinn's - her nephew's aunt is a nun at Lochinvar" and she put Lochinvar on the map as far as education is concerned" - Sr Stepner.
14:50
Sr. Stepner was younger than Jane.
15:50
Sr. Magdalene taught Jack. She went to school with Jane. Jane went to a co-ed High School in Hamilton - Sr Baptiste could control everyone.
17:37
Recollection of Lochinvar convent - they had a summer habit and a winter habit. The life of a nun today compared to the early days. "They never had anything!"
20:16
Monte Pio orphanage - Mother Stanislaw was the head. Her father was a generous convert. Monte Pio adopted children even though they may not have been Catholic.
21:33
Sr. Anna Maria attended school with Jack. Jane didn't go to Mass on Sunday because it was too far. She couldn't walk the distance. The taxi fare was $2.50 each way, "it’s wasteful". The priest visited her once a month.
Jane never worked as a girl. Mass was said in Abermain and Kurri. There's very little bigotry nowadays.
She didn't expand on how she met her husband. He left school aged 12. He had wonderful handwriting. He could talk with anybody. His father died when he was 2 years old and he went to Queensland where he drove cattle from the Gulf of Carpentaria to Melbourne. He was in the police force which he left to go into the Lands Department.
Ann Johnson. Her daughters were Eileen, Ann and Joan. Her eldest son won two bursaries when he was 11 - he taught in many country schools until he retired as a Head Master. Her boys went to De La Salle College in Armidale.
Lochinvar was a little school and an old church when Jane was young. Her eldest brother, Morton Alcock, was an architect and he worked for Tom Silk. They worked on plans for the Lochinvar church. Tom Silk was a Catholic and worked on many church designs. Morton was earning half a crown a week. Silk wasn't very generous. Morton left after he was indentured to Silk.
Her grandmother - Mrs Peters "was a lovely woman." They lived in Denison Street in Hamilton. She was born in Cooks Hill. Her mother was born where the Theatre Royal is in Newcastle and her uncle Vic, Mon. Peters, was born where the Civic Theatre is, in the grounds just opposite. Her father was born in Darby Street in Cooks Hill. Her grandfather was the Frenchman who was an interpreter.
Jane was christened in St Mary's in Cooks Hill. The churches were named before Fr Gloucester came to the Hunter. The priests before Fr Gloucester didn't stay very long. They were moved about a lot. She remembered Bishop Murray.
The Dwyers. Her daughter left her children and Jane adopted them. Her granddaughter lived at Weston and she married Gary Hedges from Pelaw Main.
Tape duration: 41:52
Taaffe née Alcock, Jane Gardiner, 1900-1990PersonJack DelaneyCollectionVoices of the HunterLocation[1] Hamilton, NSW[2] Pelaw Main, NSWIdentifier303B
Recorded 23 November 1984
Part 1/1
0:25
She came to Pelaw Main about 1930. They had to go to church at Kurri.
1:02
Monsignor Peters was her uncle. Jane was the first child he christened when he came from Ireland. He was educated in Ireland.
1:25
Fr. Gloucester was a curate with Mon. Peters in Hamilton.
2:07
Fr. Cullen came from Hamilton. Jane won a sulky at a bazaar when she was a girl. Fr. Cullen wanted the sulky to be given to him and Jane’s mother said she couldn't because Jane had won it. Her mother wasn't a Catholic. "He was a terrible hard man". Children were going to school in the church after the school had burned down.
3:31
The original convent was at Kurri - Jane was educated at Lochinvar
3:57
Mother Catherine was a musician. The nuns in Lochinvar were girls who'd been educated in Maitland at the Dominican Convent.
4:27
Sr. Marie Therese was her aunt - her mother's sister. Her mother had sisters and cousins in the Mercy Convent. Sr Ignatius. The Maitland Dwyers. The Morpeth Murphys. Her father had no relatives or siblings - "he was a convert".
5:42
Her husband was Lands Dept. Inspector - "he's been dead 44 years".
They had 3 boys. Jane reared her grandson, Terry Yates. He died 11 months ago aged 35.
7:38
She was born in Hamilton, 1900. She is related to the Cavanaghs. Her parents were young when they died. Her grandfather (Peters) was a Frenchman from Alsace Lorraine. He was a government interpreter and a cabinet maker.
10:09
Fr. Lineham - he's very vague and not suitable for the young ones. She would do a lot of housekeeping for Fr. Gloucester. Fr. Malone was the current priest.
11:06
Fr. Searle comes from Telarah
11:14
Fr. Heggerty
12:24
Fr. O'Donoghue - a big man who came from Ireland. She was more involved with the Mercy convent.
13:19
Reason for selling Abermain convent - about 20 years ago. The nuns were replaced with lay teachers. She boarded at Lochinvar and became very attached to the nuns.
14:47
Lane & Quinn's - her nephew's aunt is a nun at Lochinvar" and she put Lochinvar on the map as far as education is concerned" - Sr Stepner.
14:50
Sr. Stepner was younger than Jane.
15:50
Sr. Magdalene taught Jack. She went to school with Jane. Jane went to a co-ed High School in Hamilton - Sr Baptiste could control everyone.
17:37
Recollection of Lochinvar convent - they had a summer habit and a winter habit. The life of a nun today compared to the early days. "They never had anything!"
20:16
Monte Pio orphanage - Mother Stanislaw was the head. Her father was a generous convert. Monte Pio adopted children even though they may not have been Catholic.
21:33
Sr. Anna Maria attended school with Jack. Jane didn't go to Mass on Sunday because it was too far. She couldn't walk the distance. The taxi fare was $2.50 each way, "it’s wasteful". The priest visited her once a month.
Jane never worked as a girl. Mass was said in Abermain and Kurri. There's very little bigotry nowadays.
She didn't expand on how she met her husband. He left school aged 12. He had wonderful handwriting. He could talk with anybody. His father died when he was 2 years old and he went to Queensland where he drove cattle from the Gulf of Carpentaria to Melbourne. He was in the police force which he left to go into the Lands Department.
Ann Johnson. Her daughters were Eileen, Ann and Joan. Her eldest son won two bursaries when he was 11 - he taught in many country schools until he retired as a Head Master. Her boys went to De La Salle College in Armidale.
Lochinvar was a little school and an old church when Jane was young. Her eldest brother, Morton Alcock, was an architect and he worked for Tom Silk. They worked on plans for the Lochinvar church. Tom Silk was a Catholic and worked on many church designs. Morton was earning half a crown a week. Silk wasn't very generous. Morton left after he was indentured to Silk.
Her grandmother - Mrs Peters "was a lovely woman." They lived in Denison Street in Hamilton. She was born in Cooks Hill. Her mother was born where the Theatre Royal is in Newcastle and her uncle Vic, Mon. Peters, was born where the Civic Theatre is, in the grounds just opposite. Her father was born in Darby Street in Cooks Hill. Her grandfather was the Frenchman who was an interpreter.
Jane was christened in St Mary's in Cooks Hill. The churches were named before Fr Gloucester came to the Hunter. The priests before Fr Gloucester didn't stay very long. They were moved about a lot. She remembered Bishop Murray.
The Dwyers. Her daughter left her children and Jane adopted them. Her granddaughter lived at Weston and she married Gary Hedges from Pelaw Main.
Tape duration: 41:52
Taaffe née Alcock, Jane Gardiner, 1900-1990PersonJack DelaneyCollectionVoices of the HunterLocation[1] Hamilton, NSW[2] Pelaw Main, NSWIdentifier303Bloading google map....
Delaney, Jack, 1919-2010, Jane Taaffe née Alcock (1900-1990) - Pelaw Main resident. Recorded 23 November 1984. Part 1/1., [303B]. Living Histories, accessed 01/10/2023, https://livinghistories.newcastle.edu.au/nodes/view/55992