Michael Joseph Francis Whelan b.1866
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Mick Whelan, the fifth child of John and Mary Whelan, married Margaret Jane Raeburn (known as Jean Raeburn) on 9th February 1885 in Carlton.
Jean was the daughter of William Raeburn, who earned his living as a ‘clothes presser’, and his wife Margaret Raeburn(previously Margaret Stevenson).
Mick excelled at Australian Rules Football, being a great utility player for the Carlton Football Club (‘The Blues’) in the mid and late 1880’s. During these years Mick earned his living as a carrier or carter. Sadly, in 1891, Ruby, their 2 year old daughter died. The sorrow did not stop there, as Mick’s wife Jean came down with ‘Phthisis’. Just six months after the diagnosis of her illness, on 27 June 1901, the 36 year old mother passed away.
Mick Whelan lived to the age of 75 years. He made his home at 927 Drummond Street where he died on 12 July 1938.
Children of Mick and Jean Whelan were:-
Margaret May Whelan born c1885 in Carlton, died sometime before1938.
Elizabeth Annie Whelan (Sylvia) born 11 Feb 1887, became Sylvia Brown
Felicia or Elisha Whelan (Ruby) born 21 July 1889, died in 1891
Sylvia married John Duncan Brown. John was the son of plumber, John Lawson Brown and his wife Margaret Brown nee Margaret Gordon.
Within the first year of their marriage Sylvia and John began what was to be a very busy household. Their first child was born later that year and their last child 28 years later in 1931.
Initially they lived at 6 David Street Carlton, where John’s occupation was shown as a labourer. By 1924 they were at 681 Drummond Street, and John, then aged about 40, was a railway employee, which he was to remain until he retired.
Sylvia gave birth to no less than seventeen children, but the happiness of their next baby was often overcome with the tragedy of the death of another child. In all, five children predeceased her, and later children were honoured with the name of siblings who had died earlier.
No doubt Sylvia had gained a love of Aussie Rules football at an early age from her father, and in 1938, with their growing family, Sylvia and John moved to 56 Garton Street, right opposite the Carlton Football Club stadium. Sylvia’s daughters, Ruby and Alma, relate how passionate their mother was about the game; especially her beloved Carlton Team. They remember that on Saturdays an enormous pot of stew was prepared for the evening meal. However if Carlton lost, their mum was so downhearted that the family had to dish up their own tea!
With the assistance of electoral records from 1938 we calculate there were probably 14 members of the Brown family in the house at Garton Street at that time, including son John Duncan and his new wife.
Sadly, by her mid 50’s Sylvia had developed Diabetes Mellitus, and she died at home on 28 April, 1956.
John Duncan Brown lived for 9 years after the death of his wife, dying in October 1965 and joined his wife, his teenage daughter Irene Gladys and a Doris Ernestina Whelan at the Fawkner Cemetery. The latter person was a 76 year old lady born around 1893, never married, father Michael Whelan, and hence we speculate might have been another sister of Sylvia, although we are unable to trace any record of her birth.
Children of John Duncan and Sylvia Brown were:-
William Brown, born c1903, died sometime before 1918
Irene Maud Brown, born c1904/1908, died aged 10.
Sylvia Brown, born c1905 became Sylvia Geary,
John Duncan Brown, born c1907, married Mavis Francis Williams, died 1965
Alex Gordon Brown (Gordon) born c1909, died aged 17
Olive Myrtle Brown, born c1913, died 1968, not married.
Dorothy Brown, born 1915 (lives in Newcastle, NSW)
William Brown (Bill) born c1918
Alma Brown, born 1920
Irene Gladys Brown, born c1921, died aged 18
Jean Margaret Brown, born c1922, died aged 4 years
Ruby Brown, born 1923
Thomas Brown, born c1925
James Brown, born c1926
George Brown, born c1928, married Veronica Napoli, and died 1983. They had children Kathleen, Kevin, and Geoffrey.
Gordon Brown, born 1930
Jean Brown, born 1931