What’s in a name?

Roseann Letitia, I know I was named after my Great Grandmother  Roseann and my Mother, Letitia.

Roseann – it is of English origin first used in the 18^th Century and a combination of Rose and Ann – well that’s what Google says!

Letitia - it is a feminine name derived from the Latin term "Laetus" meaning "happy".  

Where it all started was with my Great Grandmother Roseann (Rosanna) who immigrated as a 2 year old in 1856 from Ireland to Australia on the Lady MacDonald with her parents, John and Ann MORRIS, sister Ellen 9, and brother Timothy 12.  She died on 22 March 1921 in Warwick at the age of 69 years and is buried in the Warwick Cemetery. 

Roseann MORRIS married Patrick MITCHELL on 18 Feb 1874 at St Marys Roman Catholic Church in Warwick and gave birth to 16 children.  They lived most of their lives in Emu Vale and Swan Fells area. 

Roseann was 65 when she lost her son Maurice Henry in the First World War in 1918 and is buried in the Villers-Bretonneux  Cemetery.  I along with my descendants have had the privilege to visit his grave and pay respect. To my knowledge all her children moved away from the Warwick district except for Owen, Timothy, Theresa.  Her eldest daughter moved to Rhode Island in America, her daughter Roseann moved to Victoria and Western Australia and later returned to Bendigo where her descendants still reside. 

Roseann MITCHELL nee MORRIS

Obituary of my Great Grandmother Roseann Mitchell
Source: Warwick Daily News (Qld. : 1919 -1954), Saturday 2 April 1921, page 4

My mother Letitia MITCHELL was born on 6 July 1926 and died on 26 Dec 2008.  

My Mother and I at Warwick c1964

My Mother Letitia 

My Mothers sister, Roseann MITCHELL was born on 22 July 1923 at Tannymorel to Owen Patrick MITCHELL and Adele Mary CARNEY.  Roseann died on 7 April 1924 at the age of 8 months 16 days. 

The name Roseann & Letitia has come down the generations many times. I am proud and thankful to share my title with these amazing women. 

Maurice Henry Mitchell - Military History

Military History of Maurice Henry Mitchell

Maurice Henry Mitchell was born on 4 Jan 1891 to Rosanna & Patrick Mitchell. At the time of his enlistment on 18 February 1916 he lived at Guy Street Warwick was single and of Roman Catholic belief  and he listed his Mother Rosanna as his next of kin. He was 24 years of age at the time of embarkation.  His rank was Driver and he was assigned to the Field Artillery Brigade 3, Reinforcement 19 Unit.  Regimental Number 26277.

His unit embarked at Sydney per HMAT A47 “Mashobra” on 14 September 1916

They landed at Plymouth on 2 November 1916.  Maurice was admitted for 5 days to the Devonport Military Hospital at Plymouth on the day he arrived to be treated for Mumps. 

Maurice was placed in training at Perham Downs, Salsbury in the UK on 7 Nov 1916.  Perham Downs was for receiving troops fit to be drafted to their units at the front.  Maurice was marched out to Fort Wallington on 20 Dec 1916.

On 5 April 1917 Maurice was marched out from Camp 18 Larkhill (Artillery Depot) and proceeded overseas to France arriving at the Australian General Base Depot at Etaples on 11 April 1917.   He was assigned to the 6^th Army Field Artillery Brigade.

Maurice was granted leave to UK on 27 July 1918 and re-joined his battalion on 13 August 1918. 

Sadly, he was wounded in action the very next day on 14 August 1918 and died from his injury, a shrapnel wound to the right side on 15 August 1918.  He was treated by 11^th Can Field Ambulance and placed in the 47th CCS (Casuality Clean-up Station) on 15 August 1918.   

This injury was inflicted in the battle of Amiens.  For further reading on the battle go to the following link.  https://www.awm.gov.au/visit/exhibitions/1918/battles/amiens

Maurice Henry was originally buried in the Dury Hospital Military Cemetery in France and his remains were exhumed and re-interred with every measure of care and reverence in Plot 6a, Row C, Grave 2 of Villers Bretonneux Military Cemetery.  The reason for the relocation of his remains was that visitors to the Dury Hospital Military Cemetery were compelled to pass through the grounds of a French Lunatic Asylum where the inmates were at work. Notwithstanding the local authorities sympathised with Australian representatives and the Commission decided to remove the grave to the nearest British Cemetery as the only practicable way of overcoming this difficulty. 

The minister officiating his service was Rev. C Bullock.





Notification of items retrieved from the field in a sealed container were: 

• 2 discs
• 1 damaged fountain pen
• 1 matchbox cover
• 1 locket
• 1 brooch
• 3 religious medallions
• 1 badge
• 1 coin
• 1 YMCA wallet
• photos

These items were despatched on 23 Sept 1918 to his next of kin.

Maurice’s sister Theresa Blades was notified of this by letter on 20 Feb 1928.  

Paying my respects in 2015 to my Great-Uncle who sacrificed everything in the Great War at Villers Bretonneux Military Cemetery, France. 

The Last Will & Testament of Maurice Henry Mitchell.

                            William Andrew Mitchell                                          Maurice Henry Mitchell

                                           1892 -1932                                                          1891-1918

Maurice, second on the left in the middle row. 

Warwick Queensland Australia where Maurice Henry Mitchell is honoured for his service in The Great War. 

Every year we would attend Anzac Day to pay tribute to my Mothers Uncle. 

On this day....


On this day 105 years ago was the death of my Great Grandfather Patrick John MITCHELL. 

Patrick died in the Warwick Hospital from a Malignant Tumour.  His obituary stated he was 77 years old and had been ailing for a some weeks.  He was a highly respected farmer and resided in the Yangan District for well over 40 years.  

Patrick married Rosanna MORRIS on 17 February 1874 at the Roman Catholic Church in Warwick. Patrick was 30 years old and Rosanna was 19.  

On the Electoral Rolls for 1903 and 1905 Patrick was living at Emu Vale and his occupation was a farmer.  

Patrick and Rosanna produced 16 children 8 daughters and 8 sons, 2 sons died in childhood and one son Maurice paid the ultimate sacrifice in WW1 in France.  

Patrick was buried in the Warwick Cemetery on 2 September 1912.  

This is an interesting journey of research I must say and one that is far from complete.   Patrick was born supposedly in Tullaghbegley Donegal Ireland.  I have investigated several lines of enquiry in relation to Patricks birth but nothing is conclusive.  Patricks immigration is still a mystery as well.  According to his obituary notice in 1912 it stated he lived in New Zealand and New South Wales for a short period before coming to Queensland.  Another brick wall challenge for me to bring down. 

Welcome to my first blog.  


I started researching back in the early 1980's.  Why? My motivation was my Grandmother who was an orphan and I wanted to find her brother whom she had not seen in over 60 years.  I often wondered about her life and what we as a family did not know.  At first I started with names and dates and filling in the pedigree chart, then I started to wonder where did we come from?  How did we get here? What were the circumstances that brought my ancestors to this country? This lead me on a journey of exploring our past, documenting family stories, honing my interviewing skills, collecting photographs and much, much more.

I think my interest was initially inspired when I was little when almost every weekend my beautiful Mother would make us walk for almost one hour to visit her parents in the local cemetery.  We would read the headstones and Mum would explain who was who and the connection to our family.  Little did I know as a little girl in the 60's that there were so many graves of my ancestors that were buried in that cemetery of which I did not uncover until over 20 years later.  My brothers and I would skip through the cemetery not really understanding the impact of how my Mother was feeling.

I am addicted 💗