General history - spoken word and sourced documents

General  History:  

Jeremiah Callaghan was born in County Cork, Ireland on the 1st January 1835. He arrived in  Dunedin, New Zealand on the "City of Hobart" from Melbourne in 1861. He died in 1907 after spending 4 months in the "Sisters of Mercy" Hospice, Dunedin. His death certificate states that he died from cancer of the jaw and that his parents name where Michael and Honora (nee Carolin or Carolan).

Jemima (Jamesina) arrived in New Zealand on the "Storm Cloud" - (see passenger list) from Glasgow, on the 17th January 1860 with her sister Esther  McLeod and Neil McLeod. She was born in 1829 and died after spending 5 years in the Sea-cliff mental hospital at the age of 81 in 1910. Her fathers name was Norman and the family was from Caithness, Wick, Scotland. 

Both are buried in separate un-marked graves in the Southern cemetery, Dunedin with 2 other people. At the time of Jeremiah death he had two sons aged 40 and 38 (John and Jeremiah) and a daughter aged 36.

They were married on the 15th December 1864 by Reverend Riemenschnider in a Maori  church in the Otakou Marae. Reverend Riemenschnider was a  Methodist missionary associated with the Otakou Marae which is located at 25. Tamatea Road, Otakou, Otago Peninsula (see wedding certificate part A and part B)

She was Presbyterian while he was Roman Catholic. At the time of their marriage Jemima was 34 years old and Jeremiah was 29.

Jeremiah and Jemima had their first son John William on the  4th January 1865 and their second son Jeremiah Henry  in 1869. A daughter was also born in 1871,  it is  believed that her name was Anne and she immigrated to Australia but at present no records have been found to confirm this.

John William and Jeremiah Henry bought separate bush land property on the Catlins lake, Owaka in South Otago where they raised their families.It is recorded in the Owaka museum that Jeremiah Henry Callahan (Jerry) was a stage coach driver in 1891-92 and that he drove the coach from Glenomaru to Owaka and Ratanui. This is a photo of Jeremiah Henry Homestead on the edge of the Catlins lake which burnt down in 1972.

Jeremiah Henry died in 1953 and is buried with his wife Ann Proctor in the Owaka Cemetery. Their children where:  
Leonard (Len), Tom, Ron, Bill, Frank, James (Jimmy), Roberta (Berta),  Neil, Harry, Hubert (Chub), Christina (Bubs), Miro, Olivia (Ollie).

John William moved to Gisborne during World War I in 1916 aged 50, where he lived at 60 Ballance Rd, Gisborne until his death. The family home was passed to his son Harry Callahan and remained in this family until recent years.

He was a member of the I.O.O.F (Independent Order of the Odd Fellows) from 1905 and joined the Gisborne branch upon his arrival with his son in law Alf Bradfield also from Owaka.(See photos -I.O.O.F-A and I.O.O.F-B). 

He was employed in 1920 by the District Borough Council in the Water Works Department as a laborer where he worked until is retirement in 30/3/1935. He died on the  14th April 1942, 78 yrs and is buried in the Taruheru Cemetery, Gisborne with his wife Ellen and his daughter in law Rose Young.

Original Council Letters of resignation - 1935:
Notice and Replies - Letter1, Letter2, Letter3
Account Book and Wages - Ledger1

Please view the Obituary notice that was placed in the Gisborne Herald newspaper on the 17th April 1942.

He returned to the Catlins after his retirement in 1939 accompanied by his 17 year old niece Nell Lloyd (Father -  Bill Callahan). She recalls taking a steamer from Gisborne to Lyttleton followed by a train to Owaka with her Grandfather. Many of the Catlin photos where taken by her using a small box brownie.  This photo was taken at that time by Nell of her Grandfather - John William while he was visiting his old homestead by the Catlins lake in 1939.  The original homestead is 4km from Owaka on the edge of the lake - These photos were  taken in 2004, the original home no longer exists - Photo1 and Photo 2.

At the time of his relocation to Gisborne John had three sons serving in Gallopoli and/or in  France.  These sons were Henry Albert (Harry), William Jeremiah (Bill) and Fred.  His oldest son John died of Tuberculosis in 1912 at the age of 26 years (view photo).

At the end of the war these sons did not return to Owaka, Catlins, Otago  but instead joined the rest of their family in Gisborne. 

It was recorded in the South Otago Witness newspaper (11 October 1916) that six Callahan Catlin River boys where serving king and country - Private Jas. Callahan (13th Reinforcements), Private F. H. Callahan (8th Reinforcements), Trooper Thos. Callahan (11th Reinforcements).  Trooper H. Callahan (7th Reinforcements), Trooper W.J. Callahan (1st Expeditionary Force), Private F.N. Callahan (17th Reinforcements).


The Gisborne family - John,  Elizabeth (Bessie) Bradfield,  Henry (Harry),  Michael (Jim),
Ellen (Nellie) Murphy,  William (Bill),  Annie Douglas, Bill (Fred) , Lavinia (Tottie) Teutenberg, Frances (Frank), Mary (Agnes) Candy.

Esther  McLeod , Jemima's sister married Peter Gunn on the 15th July 1864 in Dunedin, Otago, 6 months before Jemima married Jeremiah Callaghan.

An extract from The cyclopedia of New Zealand, volume 4 1890, Otago and Southland states that Neil McLeod had an an accountant business called McLeod Gunn and Co in Dunedin. Neil McLeod appears to  have been in business with his nephew who was born in 1867.

For additional questions or information please contact - callahan_paul@yahoo.com