Another chapter in Hubert Cahill Hughan's Story

Above: Photos of Hubert Carl Cahill Hughan as appearing in his record from World War 2.

It was wonderful to be able to finally put a face to the man whose story I have been so interested in chasing down. I applied to the National Archives of Australia for Hubert Cahill Hughan's record from World War 2 to be placed online, and on June 11, 2010 these documents became available for viewing online.

Apart from his war service record, which was very interesting in itself, I found most compelling the letters written by Hubert to the War Office asking for his service medals to be made out in the name of 'Cahill' rather than Hughan, even though he had enlisted under the latter name in both Wars. He wrote "I have two sons, one fourteen, one eleven. Boys of course like to display these sort of things to their mates, so you can see how they would feel when the two names were mentioned."

His request was granted, and the medals issued under 'Cahill' rather than 'Hughan'.

Death certificates of brothers Oscar Milward Hughan and Wilfred Fletcher Hughan

Will of Claudine Edmiston.

After revisiting the will of poor Minnie Hughan de Greslan who left her little collection of worldly goods to her young nephew, Wilmot Holworthy, I was reminded of the will of Minnie's first cousin, Claudine Edmiston (Claudine's mother was Marion Hughan, the sister of Minnie's father Allan Hughan).
The terrible photo above is of a ruby and pearl ring (it just wouldn't focus properly on a scanner!!)which came to me from my Mother, Marg Oakley Sheridan. Her father, Norman Oakley, one afternoon in the year before his death took the ring from an old tin trunk which contained dozens of family items from his Oakley, Bishop and Hughan families, and gave the ring to Marg, much to her delight as she loved it at first sight (despite the missing ruby).
In the Spring of 2005, when Marg discovered she was dying of cancer and had very little time left, she gathered a few of her precious family items and gifted them to me, along with their stories. She only knew that the pearl and ruby ring belonged to her grandmother, Olive Bishop Oakley, and I was happy with the knowledge that it was my turn to look after my great-grandmother's ring.
It was while reading the will of Claudine that I found reference to a 'Pearl and ruby ring- Mrs. Oakley' that was written in pencil as part of a codicil made shortly before Claudine's death in London in 1913. I am certain that this is the ring that has passed down to me- Olive had a few pieces of jewellery that I now possess that were beautiful, but very plain...I can't imagine her owning more than one 'pearl and ruby ring'.

Photograph of Allan Holworthy, son of Wilmot and Madeline.

Above: Allan Holworthy, the only son of Wilmot Holworthy and his wife Madeline Watkins.

Photograph of Phoebe Berry Hall Hughan.

Above: This photograph was emailed to me by the Holworthy family in Queensland, descendants of Phoebe Berry Hall and Allan Hughan.

Wilmot Holworthy's wife, Madeline Watkins

Above: From the collection of the late Allan Holworthy and his wife Nancy Charmian Holworthy comes this beautiful photograph of Allan's mother, Madeline Watkins.

Wilmot's childhood books