John Howe (1848 to 1882),
Catherine Naughton (1853 - 1943) and
John O'Regan (died 1892)

      John Howe (son of James and Mary Howe) was born in 1848 in County Clare, Ireland. He married Catherine Naughton, daughter of Hugh Naughton and Bridget O'Halloran, in 1875 in Tumut, NSW, Australia.

      Catherine was born at Tumut in the year 1853 and lived there during the early part of her married life.

Brief history of Tumut

Hume & Hovell first saw the Tumut River on their southwards progress from Sydney to Port Phillip in 1824. Settlers soon followed, pushing their way down the Murrumbidgee River and then up the Tumut. Land was first settled at Darbalara, where in 1830, the first white child was born to Thomas and Caroline McAlister.

During the first 20 years, settlement was scattered along the Tumut River. The main settlement was at Mill Angle, situated at the end of the present showground road, where the first inn was kept by Timothy O'Mara. On the opposite bank Anderson set up his blacksmith's shop and here Foord built the first bridge over the Tumut River in 1850.

Tumut was gazetted a town in 1848 and in this year Surveyor Townsend surveyed the district. Due to the flood prone site of the existing township he surveyed a new location and after the disastrous flood of 1852 the township was consolidated to the present site.

The district developed quietly, but the discovery of gold in the area increased the demand for goods and services, which led to a growth in both commercial and agricultural areas. Today the district has a number of pastoral, horticultural and agricultural pursuits and has become Australia's major softwood producing area.

      Catherine Naughton was described as a fine type of Catholic, an ideal wife and mother. She only had eleven years of married life altogether.

Their family

John and Catherine had 3 daughters

Mary Frances Howe was born in 1877 in Tumut, NSW. She married John Thomas Levett in Tumut in 1898 and they had eight children Arthur John, Vera M, Kathleen (Kath), Clare Doreen, May, Joe, Dulcie and Vincent.

Alice Elizabeth Howe was born in 1879 in Tumut, NSW.

Dora C Howe was born in 1883 in Tumut, NSW.

      John Howe died in 1882 in Gilmore, NSW (which is just south-west of Tumut), as the result of an accident (thrown from a horse on his property at Gilmore)

In 1887, Catherine married John O'Regan.

Their family

John and Catherine had one daughter

Ella Margaret O'Regan was born in 1889 in Tumut, NSW.

      John passed away five years into their marriage (apparently also killed by being thrown from a horse). Catherine stayed on at Gilmore for some years and then went into the Hotel Business at Goulburn Camden and Wollongong.

      In her last 28 years Catherine lived at North Sydney, then moved to Haberfield in her last few months to be near her daughter Ella. During her illness she was attended by the Rev Father T Leen, who also celebrated Requiem Mass in St Joan of Arc's Church, Haberfield.