I’m doing a month long meme for November – Movember Monday!! Each monday of the month in support of Movember, I will be posting about a moustached ancestor!! Come on over to the Inside History Hairy Mancestor page and let people know about your post!

Hamilton Lewis O’DONNELL was born on 13 Oct, 1847 in Omagh, County Tyrone, Ireland. His parents were Hamilton Lewis O’DONNELL and Emily Jane TODD. On his birth record, his surname is spelt O’DONNEL.

Sometime after his father’s death in 1865, his mother and his siblings came to Australia in 1872, arriving in Port Henry, Corio Bay, Vic, Australia.

On the 11th Mar, 1872, he married Annie BROWN in Geelong, Vic, Australia. After spending some time in the Mount Moriac, Vic, Australia area, where the first two children were born, the family moved to Shepparton, Vic, Australia where the next two children were born. After that, it was off to Nine Mile Creek, where the next five children were born. Their final children, twin girls were born at Bunbartha, Vic, Australia. The family were then based around the Shepparton/Mooroopna area.

In 1903, Hamilton is listed as living at Tallyagaroopna, Vic, Australia, where his occupation is listed as “village settler”[1]. He then works as a farmer in 1909[2] until 1914 where he is listed as undertaking home duties in Bubbartha, Vic[3]. In 1919, the year before his death he is listed as a pensioner living at Clive St , Shepparton, Vic, Australia. He was still at this address when he died on 8 Mar, 1920.

On the various Electoral Rolls where he is listed, his name is spelt as Hamilton Louis O’Donnell. There are others on the rolls who spell their names as Hamilton Lewis O’Donnell. This person is presumed to be the child of one of our Hamilton Lewis O’Donnells’ siblings ie a nephew.