Where it began
Background
A note about spelling: Some names have changed their spelling between Italy and Australia. for example Caterina became Catterina; Domenico became Dominic; Cescon became Thescon. Where possible I have used the original Italian spelling which might not be consistent with Australian records.
Around the late 1870s, times were hard for peasant families in the northern areas of Italy. This area north of Venice had been, until 1866, part of the Kingdom of Lombardy and Venezia ruled by the Austrians as part of their extensive empire. The region of Veneto stretched from the coastal plains of the south,to the mountains, the Dolomites, of the north. This higher land and was dry, gravelly and porous. It was harsh rural farmland. The peasants lived simply and most often either owned very small family plots or worked as tenant farmers on land owned by landlords who had little regard for the well-being of those who worked their fields. Lorenzo and his wife Caterina and their two children, Domenico and Marietta, eked out an existence in the area around Brugnera. Orsago, Albina, Codogna, Ghirano, Cimetta and Fontanelle are all birthplaces of various members of the extended family mentioned in death and marriage certificates. These are all within close proximity of each other in what is now the province of Treviso.
At this stage the birthplaces of Lorenzo (Girran on his death certificate - the Venetian/Italian spelling being Ghiran/Ghirano) and Caterina (nee Cescon - birthplace Fontanelle), children Domenico and Marietta (Maria Lucia) and Lorenzo's second wife, Maria Tome (nee Lucon - birthplace Cimetta), are based on the best information available.. We also know that Caterina bore three children who died in infancy (Giovanni 1870, Teresa !872, Anna 1874). The information in these pages is based on information as stated on death or marriage certificates, as remembered by surviving family members and informed by visits to Italy to follow clues. Lorenzo also had two brothers who remained in Italy - Fedele (1840-1927) and Pietro (1841-?) (ref "Famiglie Perin del Mondo” written by Antonio Perin). He may also have had sister(s) unrecorded by Antonio Perin presumably due to the fact that the males were easier to trace.
1879
At some point around 1879, the peasants (contadini) of this area were introduced to a utopian scheme promoted by a Frenchman (the Marquis de Rays) by one or two of their countrymen, most likely Giuseppe Martinuzzi, Vincenzo Nardi and Girolamo or Giovanni Tome. de Rays' scheme promised these desperate families an island paradise in the South Pacific where they would be free to prosper in the well ordered and Christian colony of La Nouvelle France. His scheme was well promoted with brochures and images and though Lorenzo and Caterina were illiterate their children may have had basic education (primary schooling became universally available after unification in 1866). To these poor peasants this must have seemed very attractive. Unfortunately the scheme was little but a crazy dream with none of the promised infrastructure or benefits of colonization ever delivered. de Rays was a frustrated member of the aristocracy who had fallen on hard times but dreamed of being famous and powerful. He was so deluded that he named himself King Charles I, monarch of this new colony — which he never visited or saw in any form other than on a map. He had unofficially annexed the eastern half of New Guinea including the islands of New Britain, New Ireland and Bougainville. Presumably he regarded these Pacific Islands as a case of vacant possession. Not a completely ridiculous concept given that the French had established a penal colony in New Caledonia and the British had colonised land in the Pacific including Australia, New Zealand and had a presence in the New Hebrides. Interestingly de Rays' original colony was planned for Shark Bay on the north west coast of Western Australia but on becoming aware of his plans the British government made it clear that the territory belonged to them.
Despite the fact that this scheme was nothing but a charade, the Marquis dispatched four boatloads of colonists and associated members of his entourage to the Pacific over the period 1879 to 1882. The third of these, the steam and sail barquentine vessel, the India, travelled via the Suez Canal, which had opened in 1869. The India sailed via Port Said (Egypt), Aden, Sri Lanka (Point Galle in what was then known as Colombo), Singapore and finally to Port Breton on the island of New Ireland in New Guinea. Port Breton was formerly Port Praslin — de Rays appears to have named the bay in celebration of his birthplace in western France - Britanny).
Conditions were so unbearable and the death rate so high, that after a number of months the expedition members demanded to be removed from Port Breton and taken to Australia. This they achieved, but not without first being forced into Noumea, the capital of New Caledonia for supplies and repairs. In Noumea, at the time a French penal colony, Lorenzo's wife Caterina, heavily pregnant and having survived the most challenging nine months of her life, died in childbirth in March 1881. The survivors were desperate and petitioned the Colonial Secretary and Premier of New South Wales, Sir Henry Parkes, for leave to enter Australia as what we would call refugees. The request was granted and they were finally allowed to travel to Sydney in April 1881 on the James Paterson, a ship sent from Australia for the express purpose of transporting them. The India was sold by the French authorities to cover the costs of their contribution to this rescue mission.
Thus Lorenzo made landfall in Australia with his two children. He soon remarried. Maria Tome's (nee Lucon) whose husband, Giovanni, had died on the voyage between Port Breton and Noumea in February 1881, brought three children to the marriage - Giacomo/John, Teresa and Annetta. Lorenzo and Maria, both widowed, joined forces to begin life as a blended family. Five more children were born over the following ten year period. The first two, Natale (1882) and Lorenzo/Lawrence (1884), were born in Thornleigh/Pennant Hills in Sydney where the family was sent as domestic labour after arrival (though neither boys were registered at birth). The other three were born in the Woodburn area of northern NSW where the family had joined other expedition members to form a community which became known as New Italy.
The second of these Australian born children was Lorenzo/Lawrence, or Larry as be became known in the Australian vernacular, who is father to Kevin John who is in turn father to Stephen and Michael Capelin who have developed this website. Lawrence was more than likely given the name Lorenzo at birth given as all four of his siblings were christened with traditional names.
Below is a time line, in some detail, which traces the family journey from Veneto/Friuli, Italy, to New Italy, Australia.
Names
Lorenzo lived under two names - Perin and Capelin. This was only discovered in 2001 when his marriage certificate from 1881 was sourced. He married in Sydney at St Mary's Cathedral as Peri (sic) and this was subsequently verified after accessing shipping records which identified him arriving in Sydney under that name. Every other entry including his naturalisation in 1902 has him using the name Capelin. Extensive research by Antonio Perin in Italy has established the Perin family tree which extends back over two hundred years. In recent years direct contact has been made with descendants of Lorenzo's brothers. The family still lives in the Treviso province. Members of the extended family confirm that they identify themselves as both Perin and Capelin (Capeƚìn in the Trevigiano, Venetian dialect).
It is common practice in Italy for family branches to be identified by a nickname (sopranome) to differentiate them from others in the village or district with the same name. This sopranome might be chosen because of a physical attribute such as a big nose or big feet or a profession eg 'il muratore' - the bricklayers or masons (similar to the Smiths, Bakers etc in English). After many years of use this became the regular family name by which the group were referred to. In this case capelin means 'cap' or 'little hat' (spelt capeƚìn in the Venetian dialect/cappellino in Italian). This family would have spoken a Trevigiano/Venetian dialect. The Venetian pronounciation of Capeƚìn - where the ƚ is pronounced as an aspirated sound between "L" and "E". Venetian is regarded as a distinct language and is characterized by the absence of the "i" or "o" as a final vowel on many words. In addition the Italian language pronounces every letter as opposed to blends so Capelin would be pronounced phonetically Cap-el-in with equal emphasis on each syllable.
Perin, on the other hand is the formal name of the family - verified by a family tree which has been uncovered which includes Jacobo (Giacomo) Perin (Lorenzo's father) and uses this name over a century or more. (Note: the letter J does not appear in the Italian language unless it is the spelling of a foreign work eg the Spanish, Jose. Thus Giacomo is more likely the name of Lorenzo's father than Jacomo or Jacobo).
We have identified Lorenzo and his children as living in the province of Veneto but in fact the modern border between Veneto and Friuli lies literally a few hundred metres to the west of Ghirano and Brugnera. A marriage entry (Lorenzo and Caterina) and a birth entry for Marietta (Maria Lucia) (both sourced in Italy) identifies Lorenzo and the children as born in Ghirano (Ghiràn in Venetian spelling).
A note about spelling: Some names have changed their spelling between Italy and Australia. for example Caterina became Catterina; Domenico became Dominic; Cescon became Thescon. Where possible I have used the original Italian spelling which might not be consistent with Australian records.
Around the late 1870s, times were hard for peasant families in the northern areas of Italy. This area north of Venice had been, until 1866, part of the Kingdom of Lombardy and Venezia ruled by the Austrians as part of their extensive empire. The region of Veneto stretched from the coastal plains of the south,to the mountains, the Dolomites, of the north. This higher land and was dry, gravelly and porous. It was harsh rural farmland. The peasants lived simply and most often either owned very small family plots or worked as tenant farmers on land owned by landlords who had little regard for the well-being of those who worked their fields. Lorenzo and his wife Caterina and their two children, Domenico and Marietta, eked out an existence in the area around Brugnera. Orsago, Albina, Codogna, Ghirano, Cimetta and Fontanelle are all birthplaces of various members of the extended family mentioned in death and marriage certificates. These are all within close proximity of each other in what is now the province of Treviso.
At this stage the birthplaces of Lorenzo (Girran on his death certificate - the Venetian/Italian spelling being Ghiran/Ghirano) and Caterina (nee Cescon - birthplace Fontanelle), children Domenico and Marietta (Maria Lucia) and Lorenzo's second wife, Maria Tome (nee Lucon - birthplace Cimetta), are based on the best information available.. We also know that Caterina bore three children who died in infancy (Giovanni 1870, Teresa !872, Anna 1874). The information in these pages is based on information as stated on death or marriage certificates, as remembered by surviving family members and informed by visits to Italy to follow clues. Lorenzo also had two brothers who remained in Italy - Fedele (1840-1927) and Pietro (1841-?) (ref "Famiglie Perin del Mondo” written by Antonio Perin). He may also have had sister(s) unrecorded by Antonio Perin presumably due to the fact that the males were easier to trace.
1879
At some point around 1879, the peasants (contadini) of this area were introduced to a utopian scheme promoted by a Frenchman (the Marquis de Rays) by one or two of their countrymen, most likely Giuseppe Martinuzzi, Vincenzo Nardi and Girolamo or Giovanni Tome. de Rays' scheme promised these desperate families an island paradise in the South Pacific where they would be free to prosper in the well ordered and Christian colony of La Nouvelle France. His scheme was well promoted with brochures and images and though Lorenzo and Caterina were illiterate their children may have had basic education (primary schooling became universally available after unification in 1866). To these poor peasants this must have seemed very attractive. Unfortunately the scheme was little but a crazy dream with none of the promised infrastructure or benefits of colonization ever delivered. de Rays was a frustrated member of the aristocracy who had fallen on hard times but dreamed of being famous and powerful. He was so deluded that he named himself King Charles I, monarch of this new colony — which he never visited or saw in any form other than on a map. He had unofficially annexed the eastern half of New Guinea including the islands of New Britain, New Ireland and Bougainville. Presumably he regarded these Pacific Islands as a case of vacant possession. Not a completely ridiculous concept given that the French had established a penal colony in New Caledonia and the British had colonised land in the Pacific including Australia, New Zealand and had a presence in the New Hebrides. Interestingly de Rays' original colony was planned for Shark Bay on the north west coast of Western Australia but on becoming aware of his plans the British government made it clear that the territory belonged to them.
Despite the fact that this scheme was nothing but a charade, the Marquis dispatched four boatloads of colonists and associated members of his entourage to the Pacific over the period 1879 to 1882. The third of these, the steam and sail barquentine vessel, the India, travelled via the Suez Canal, which had opened in 1869. The India sailed via Port Said (Egypt), Aden, Sri Lanka (Point Galle in what was then known as Colombo), Singapore and finally to Port Breton on the island of New Ireland in New Guinea. Port Breton was formerly Port Praslin — de Rays appears to have named the bay in celebration of his birthplace in western France - Britanny).
Conditions were so unbearable and the death rate so high, that after a number of months the expedition members demanded to be removed from Port Breton and taken to Australia. This they achieved, but not without first being forced into Noumea, the capital of New Caledonia for supplies and repairs. In Noumea, at the time a French penal colony, Lorenzo's wife Caterina, heavily pregnant and having survived the most challenging nine months of her life, died in childbirth in March 1881. The survivors were desperate and petitioned the Colonial Secretary and Premier of New South Wales, Sir Henry Parkes, for leave to enter Australia as what we would call refugees. The request was granted and they were finally allowed to travel to Sydney in April 1881 on the James Paterson, a ship sent from Australia for the express purpose of transporting them. The India was sold by the French authorities to cover the costs of their contribution to this rescue mission.
Thus Lorenzo made landfall in Australia with his two children. He soon remarried. Maria Tome's (nee Lucon) whose husband, Giovanni, had died on the voyage between Port Breton and Noumea in February 1881, brought three children to the marriage - Giacomo/John, Teresa and Annetta. Lorenzo and Maria, both widowed, joined forces to begin life as a blended family. Five more children were born over the following ten year period. The first two, Natale (1882) and Lorenzo/Lawrence (1884), were born in Thornleigh/Pennant Hills in Sydney where the family was sent as domestic labour after arrival (though neither boys were registered at birth). The other three were born in the Woodburn area of northern NSW where the family had joined other expedition members to form a community which became known as New Italy.
The second of these Australian born children was Lorenzo/Lawrence, or Larry as be became known in the Australian vernacular, who is father to Kevin John who is in turn father to Stephen and Michael Capelin who have developed this website. Lawrence was more than likely given the name Lorenzo at birth given as all four of his siblings were christened with traditional names.
Below is a time line, in some detail, which traces the family journey from Veneto/Friuli, Italy, to New Italy, Australia.
Names
Lorenzo lived under two names - Perin and Capelin. This was only discovered in 2001 when his marriage certificate from 1881 was sourced. He married in Sydney at St Mary's Cathedral as Peri (sic) and this was subsequently verified after accessing shipping records which identified him arriving in Sydney under that name. Every other entry including his naturalisation in 1902 has him using the name Capelin. Extensive research by Antonio Perin in Italy has established the Perin family tree which extends back over two hundred years. In recent years direct contact has been made with descendants of Lorenzo's brothers. The family still lives in the Treviso province. Members of the extended family confirm that they identify themselves as both Perin and Capelin (Capeƚìn in the Trevigiano, Venetian dialect).
It is common practice in Italy for family branches to be identified by a nickname (sopranome) to differentiate them from others in the village or district with the same name. This sopranome might be chosen because of a physical attribute such as a big nose or big feet or a profession eg 'il muratore' - the bricklayers or masons (similar to the Smiths, Bakers etc in English). After many years of use this became the regular family name by which the group were referred to. In this case capelin means 'cap' or 'little hat' (spelt capeƚìn in the Venetian dialect/cappellino in Italian). This family would have spoken a Trevigiano/Venetian dialect. The Venetian pronounciation of Capeƚìn - where the ƚ is pronounced as an aspirated sound between "L" and "E". Venetian is regarded as a distinct language and is characterized by the absence of the "i" or "o" as a final vowel on many words. In addition the Italian language pronounces every letter as opposed to blends so Capelin would be pronounced phonetically Cap-el-in with equal emphasis on each syllable.
Perin, on the other hand is the formal name of the family - verified by a family tree which has been uncovered which includes Jacobo (Giacomo) Perin (Lorenzo's father) and uses this name over a century or more. (Note: the letter J does not appear in the Italian language unless it is the spelling of a foreign work eg the Spanish, Jose. Thus Giacomo is more likely the name of Lorenzo's father than Jacomo or Jacobo).
We have identified Lorenzo and his children as living in the province of Veneto but in fact the modern border between Veneto and Friuli lies literally a few hundred metres to the west of Ghirano and Brugnera. A marriage entry (Lorenzo and Caterina) and a birth entry for Marietta (Maria Lucia) (both sourced in Italy) identifies Lorenzo and the children as born in Ghirano (Ghiràn in Venetian spelling).
The Journey to Australia
THE BEGINNING
The Capelin family can be traced back to the early 1800s and earlier through the Perin family line to the 1650s. We have referred to the story behind the Perin and Capelin family names. Further research is needed to obtain definitive certification, but the fact that all the key players who made the voyage to Australia appear to have been born within kilometres of each other is strong evidence that this area, approximately 30 - 50 kilometres north of Venice was the centre of their lives.
This was a part of Italy where literacy levels were very low and oral traditions of story-telling and naming were more important than paperwork. Of the 300 Italians who joined the expedition to the Pacific few were literate. Most of the 40 families who made up the group would have been known to each other.
Family Beginnings
1810 Giacomo (Jacobo on Lorenzo death certificate) Perin (Capelin) - born Cavolano, Veneto, Italy. Later married Teresa Cattai.
1837 (27.10.1837) Lorenzo Perin (Capelin) - born in Brugnera (the parish of Girran on death cert; Venetian spelling - Ghiràn); Son of Giacomo Perin/Capelin and Teresa Cattai.
Marriage 1. Caterina Cescon – 1863 at Fontanelle (ref: marriage certificate. Source: Parrocchia di Fontanelle) - 2 children (see Caterina Cescon);
Marriage 2. Maria Lucon – 1881 in Australia - 5 children (see Maria Lucon)
1842 (05.02.1842) Caterina Cescon Place of birth, Fontanelle based on place of marriage to Lorenzo Perin.
Married Lorenzo Perin/Capelin (1863). (ref: marriage certificate. Source: Parrocchia di Fontanelle). Two children Maria Lucia (Marietta) b 12/10/1867, Domenico, b1872). Died in childbirth, Noumea - 19.03.1881 (spelt Maria Cappellini on listing of deaths in Noumea).
1845/46 Maria Lucon born in Cimetta, Treviso, Italy.
Marriage 1. Giovanni Tomé- 3 children (John/Giacomo 1870, Teresa 1872, Anna/Annetta 1874) - lived in Orsago with the Tome extended family;
Marriage 2. Lorenzo Perin/Capelin - 5 children (Natale/Nathaniel 1882/83 - no birth cert, Lorenzo/Lawrence, 1883/84 - no birth cert, Maria 1886, Giovanni/John 1889, Caterina/Catherine 1890)
1863 Lorenzo Perin (Capelin) married Caterina Cescon (Thescon on Lorenzo's death certificate) at Fontanelle 18 November 1863
1867 (12.10.1867) Maria/Marietta Lucia Perin (detta/also Capelin) born the parish of Ghiràn, Brugnera District, Italy
1872 Domenico (Dominic in Australia) Perin (detta/also Capelin). Born Codogna (from death certificate - compare with sister above born parish of Ghiràn, Brugnera?)
The Capelin family can be traced back to the early 1800s and earlier through the Perin family line to the 1650s. We have referred to the story behind the Perin and Capelin family names. Further research is needed to obtain definitive certification, but the fact that all the key players who made the voyage to Australia appear to have been born within kilometres of each other is strong evidence that this area, approximately 30 - 50 kilometres north of Venice was the centre of their lives.
This was a part of Italy where literacy levels were very low and oral traditions of story-telling and naming were more important than paperwork. Of the 300 Italians who joined the expedition to the Pacific few were literate. Most of the 40 families who made up the group would have been known to each other.
Family Beginnings
1810 Giacomo (Jacobo on Lorenzo death certificate) Perin (Capelin) - born Cavolano, Veneto, Italy. Later married Teresa Cattai.
1837 (27.10.1837) Lorenzo Perin (Capelin) - born in Brugnera (the parish of Girran on death cert; Venetian spelling - Ghiràn); Son of Giacomo Perin/Capelin and Teresa Cattai.
Marriage 1. Caterina Cescon – 1863 at Fontanelle (ref: marriage certificate. Source: Parrocchia di Fontanelle) - 2 children (see Caterina Cescon);
Marriage 2. Maria Lucon – 1881 in Australia - 5 children (see Maria Lucon)
1842 (05.02.1842) Caterina Cescon Place of birth, Fontanelle based on place of marriage to Lorenzo Perin.
Married Lorenzo Perin/Capelin (1863). (ref: marriage certificate. Source: Parrocchia di Fontanelle). Two children Maria Lucia (Marietta) b 12/10/1867, Domenico, b1872). Died in childbirth, Noumea - 19.03.1881 (spelt Maria Cappellini on listing of deaths in Noumea).
1845/46 Maria Lucon born in Cimetta, Treviso, Italy.
Marriage 1. Giovanni Tomé- 3 children (John/Giacomo 1870, Teresa 1872, Anna/Annetta 1874) - lived in Orsago with the Tome extended family;
Marriage 2. Lorenzo Perin/Capelin - 5 children (Natale/Nathaniel 1882/83 - no birth cert, Lorenzo/Lawrence, 1883/84 - no birth cert, Maria 1886, Giovanni/John 1889, Caterina/Catherine 1890)
1863 Lorenzo Perin (Capelin) married Caterina Cescon (Thescon on Lorenzo's death certificate) at Fontanelle 18 November 1863
1867 (12.10.1867) Maria/Marietta Lucia Perin (detta/also Capelin) born the parish of Ghiràn, Brugnera District, Italy
1872 Domenico (Dominic in Australia) Perin (detta/also Capelin). Born Codogna (from death certificate - compare with sister above born parish of Ghiràn, Brugnera?)
Veneto region North Italy
THE EMERGENCE OF A UNITED ITALY
The Veneto Region of Italy in the late 19th Century was in turmoil. Austria (Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia 1797 – 1866) had ceded Venetia to the Kingdom of Italy in 1866 following a war between Prussia and Austria and the intervention of France between the Italian State and the warring parties. Previous to this Venetia had been a proudly independent state for almost 1400 years. The language was not Italian but a significantly different dialect, Venice was one of the most powerful states in the Mediterranean; Veneto was the last but one region to join the new Italian State. Rome and the papal states were the last to join. Following the unification, the Piedmont Province (north-west Italy, based on Turin) dominated government, imposed a regime of high taxes and the raising of a large army which forced many peasant families into poverty and many were dispossessed of their land. In addition the years 1878/79 were years of low rainfall and poor harvests. Many millions of Italians emigrated in the period 1860 to 1900 to Northern Europe, North and South America, and a smaller number to Australia.
Chronology of Italy
400AD-1797 Republic of Venetia
1861 Victor Emmanuel II declared King of Italy
1866 Venetia (previously ruled by Austria - Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia 1797 – 1866) ceded to the Kingdom of Italy
1873, 29 June. Alpago earthquake, Belluno (in the adjacent region), Veneto, Italy. 6.3 magnitude quake; almost 100 deaths.
1878 - King Victor Emmanuel II dies
The Veneto Region of Italy in the late 19th Century was in turmoil. Austria (Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia 1797 – 1866) had ceded Venetia to the Kingdom of Italy in 1866 following a war between Prussia and Austria and the intervention of France between the Italian State and the warring parties. Previous to this Venetia had been a proudly independent state for almost 1400 years. The language was not Italian but a significantly different dialect, Venice was one of the most powerful states in the Mediterranean; Veneto was the last but one region to join the new Italian State. Rome and the papal states were the last to join. Following the unification, the Piedmont Province (north-west Italy, based on Turin) dominated government, imposed a regime of high taxes and the raising of a large army which forced many peasant families into poverty and many were dispossessed of their land. In addition the years 1878/79 were years of low rainfall and poor harvests. Many millions of Italians emigrated in the period 1860 to 1900 to Northern Europe, North and South America, and a smaller number to Australia.
Chronology of Italy
400AD-1797 Republic of Venetia
1861 Victor Emmanuel II declared King of Italy
1866 Venetia (previously ruled by Austria - Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia 1797 – 1866) ceded to the Kingdom of Italy
1873, 29 June. Alpago earthquake, Belluno (in the adjacent region), Veneto, Italy. 6.3 magnitude quake; almost 100 deaths.
1878 - King Victor Emmanuel II dies
VENETO TO BARCELONA
It's hard to imagine the decision making process which Lorenzo, his family and 250 other Italians faced in choosing to forsake their homeland and choose the unknown. Historian Bill Metcalf calls them Utopians. Perhaps they were in the first instance. Perhaps all desperate people escaping poverty are utopian in that they are seeking a better life.
The next section, Veneto to Barcelona, is based on probable timeframes for travel.
1879 Lorenzo introduced to Marquis de Rays "Nouvelle France" scheme by Guiseppe Martinuzzi
1880 – January. Lorenzo, Caterina, Domenico, Marietta prepare to leave Veneto.
1880 – February/March. Travel to Marseille France by road and rail - rail links across Italy and into France had been completed by this time. (An alternative theory has them travelling from Genova to Marseille by boat)
1880 – April. Travel Marseille to Barcelona by boat.
1880 – May/June. Nouvelle France expeditioners based in Barcelona
1880 – Passports withheld by Italian authorities; finally issued along with warnings from Italian and French Governments against the scheme
It's hard to imagine the decision making process which Lorenzo, his family and 250 other Italians faced in choosing to forsake their homeland and choose the unknown. Historian Bill Metcalf calls them Utopians. Perhaps they were in the first instance. Perhaps all desperate people escaping poverty are utopian in that they are seeking a better life.
The next section, Veneto to Barcelona, is based on probable timeframes for travel.
1879 Lorenzo introduced to Marquis de Rays "Nouvelle France" scheme by Guiseppe Martinuzzi
1880 – January. Lorenzo, Caterina, Domenico, Marietta prepare to leave Veneto.
1880 – February/March. Travel to Marseille France by road and rail - rail links across Italy and into France had been completed by this time. (An alternative theory has them travelling from Genova to Marseille by boat)
1880 – April. Travel Marseille to Barcelona by boat.
1880 – May/June. Nouvelle France expeditioners based in Barcelona
1880 – Passports withheld by Italian authorities; finally issued along with warnings from Italian and French Governments against the scheme
BARCELONA TO NEW IRELAND
Caterina would have been pregnant through much of this voyage. That, combined with a shipload of inexperienced sea travellers travelling in steerage class conditions with inadequate supplies conjures up images of horror. Many of the children and a small number of adults died on this leg of the journey which extended over a period of three months (100 days).
1880, July 7. 317 Expeditioners depart Barcelona on SS India (885 tons sail and steam barquentine) under the leadership of Commandante Provost and Capitano Leroy.
1880 July to October – travel via Port Said (Egypt), Suez Canal, Port Aden (then a British Colony, now Yemen), Port Galle (Ceylon) and Singapore
1880, 14 October. SS India arrives at Port Breton, New Ireland, New Guinea where they find the Genil and Captain Rabardy and the remnants of his crew
1880, December. ‘Genil’ (sister-ship to the India) departs Port Breton to seek supplies in Sydney.
1881 January. Giovanni Tome (husband of Maria) dies en route between Port Breton and Noumea.
Caterina would have been pregnant through much of this voyage. That, combined with a shipload of inexperienced sea travellers travelling in steerage class conditions with inadequate supplies conjures up images of horror. Many of the children and a small number of adults died on this leg of the journey which extended over a period of three months (100 days).
1880, July 7. 317 Expeditioners depart Barcelona on SS India (885 tons sail and steam barquentine) under the leadership of Commandante Provost and Capitano Leroy.
1880 July to October – travel via Port Said (Egypt), Suez Canal, Port Aden (then a British Colony, now Yemen), Port Galle (Ceylon) and Singapore
1880, 14 October. SS India arrives at Port Breton, New Ireland, New Guinea where they find the Genil and Captain Rabardy and the remnants of his crew
1880, December. ‘Genil’ (sister-ship to the India) departs Port Breton to seek supplies in Sydney.
1881 January. Giovanni Tome (husband of Maria) dies en route between Port Breton and Noumea.
,PORT BRETON TO SYDNEY VIA NOUMEA
So harsh were the conditions on New Ireland that, after four months, the leaders of the expedition demanded to be evacuated from the island. In the first instance a ship, the Genil, was dispatched to Sydney to seek supplies but when it had not returned after the promised fifty days the survivors forced the ship's captain Capitano Leroy, and his crew to abandon Port Breton and set out for Sydney.
1881, 20 February SS India commandeered by expeditioners departs Port Breton for Sydney. Forced to change course to Noumea because of engine trouble and to re-supply.
1881, 12 March. India arrives in Noumea.
1881, 18 March. Expeditioners petition Sir Henry Parkes (Premier & Colonial Secretary of NSW) and Lord Loftus (Governor of the Colony of NSW) for permission to enter Australia.
1881, 19 March. Caterina Cappellini (sic) dies in Noumea in childbirth.
1881, 2 April. SS James Patterson departs Noumea (French colonial penal colony). Lorenzo listed as Lovenro Capelini (and wife??) No children listed. No listing of Maria Tome and children.
1881, 7 April. SS James Patterson arrives in Sydney. Lorenzo disembarks as Lorenzo Perin (sic) and children Domenico (age 8) and Maria (age 13) both listed as Perin. Maria Tome (age 32) and three children listed. Giacomo (12), Teresa (9), Anna (7).
1881, 20 April. Notice issued to allow expeditioners to settle in the colony of NSW.
So harsh were the conditions on New Ireland that, after four months, the leaders of the expedition demanded to be evacuated from the island. In the first instance a ship, the Genil, was dispatched to Sydney to seek supplies but when it had not returned after the promised fifty days the survivors forced the ship's captain Capitano Leroy, and his crew to abandon Port Breton and set out for Sydney.
1881, 20 February SS India commandeered by expeditioners departs Port Breton for Sydney. Forced to change course to Noumea because of engine trouble and to re-supply.
1881, 12 March. India arrives in Noumea.
1881, 18 March. Expeditioners petition Sir Henry Parkes (Premier & Colonial Secretary of NSW) and Lord Loftus (Governor of the Colony of NSW) for permission to enter Australia.
1881, 19 March. Caterina Cappellini (sic) dies in Noumea in childbirth.
1881, 2 April. SS James Patterson departs Noumea (French colonial penal colony). Lorenzo listed as Lovenro Capelini (and wife??) No children listed. No listing of Maria Tome and children.
1881, 7 April. SS James Patterson arrives in Sydney. Lorenzo disembarks as Lorenzo Perin (sic) and children Domenico (age 8) and Maria (age 13) both listed as Perin. Maria Tome (age 32) and three children listed. Giacomo (12), Teresa (9), Anna (7).
1881, 20 April. Notice issued to allow expeditioners to settle in the colony of NSW.
Lorenzo and Maria circa 1885
LORENZO AND FAMILY IN SYDNEY
1881, 7 April. Lorenzo and children, Dominic (as spelt in Australia) and Marietta, disembarked in Sydney under the name Perin.
1881, 21 April. Lorenzo marries Maria Tome (nee Lucon) as Lorenzo Peri (sic) at St Mary’s Cathedral Sydney (33 days after Caterina had died in Noumea). Witnesses are Giuseppe Martinuzzi and wife Luigia Capeline (sic). Luigia was clearly related to Lorenzo but whether sister or cousin has not been clarified at this stage.
1881, April. Lorenzo, Maria and their now five children move to Thornleigh (Pennant Hills), Sydney. Occupation listed as “generally useful”. Payment is 26 pounds for the family annually. Employment is with William Mosely/Moseley (Source: Hire Agreement 1881, NSW State records). (Mosely may have been in partnership with William Paling, Mayor of Petersham at the time though Palings country house in the Pennant Hills was not built until 1886 - Pomona House is 250m south of Paling St. He was a musician and entrepreneur, the founder of Palings music.)
1882 Nathaniel/Natale (Natale is the name of Maria Lucon's father) born Thornleigh (Pennant Hills), Sydney. Lorenzo and Maria’s first born in Australia (no birth certificate).
1884, 15 July. Lawrence/Lorenzo Capelin born Thornleigh (Pennant Hills), Sydney (no birth certificate).
1885, 12 January. Marietta, age 18, eldest daughter of Lorenzo and Caterina marries the widow, Giovanni Spinaze (his second marriage; first to Maria Mellare in Italy) at Paramatta NSW. Witness is Teresa Ciardelli (Martinuzzi) - daughter of Luigia Capeline and Guisippe Martinuzzi.
1881, 7 April. Lorenzo and children, Dominic (as spelt in Australia) and Marietta, disembarked in Sydney under the name Perin.
1881, 21 April. Lorenzo marries Maria Tome (nee Lucon) as Lorenzo Peri (sic) at St Mary’s Cathedral Sydney (33 days after Caterina had died in Noumea). Witnesses are Giuseppe Martinuzzi and wife Luigia Capeline (sic). Luigia was clearly related to Lorenzo but whether sister or cousin has not been clarified at this stage.
1881, April. Lorenzo, Maria and their now five children move to Thornleigh (Pennant Hills), Sydney. Occupation listed as “generally useful”. Payment is 26 pounds for the family annually. Employment is with William Mosely/Moseley (Source: Hire Agreement 1881, NSW State records). (Mosely may have been in partnership with William Paling, Mayor of Petersham at the time though Palings country house in the Pennant Hills was not built until 1886 - Pomona House is 250m south of Paling St. He was a musician and entrepreneur, the founder of Palings music.)
1882 Nathaniel/Natale (Natale is the name of Maria Lucon's father) born Thornleigh (Pennant Hills), Sydney. Lorenzo and Maria’s first born in Australia (no birth certificate).
1884, 15 July. Lawrence/Lorenzo Capelin born Thornleigh (Pennant Hills), Sydney (no birth certificate).
1885, 12 January. Marietta, age 18, eldest daughter of Lorenzo and Caterina marries the widow, Giovanni Spinaze (his second marriage; first to Maria Mellare in Italy) at Paramatta NSW. Witness is Teresa Ciardelli (Martinuzzi) - daughter of Luigia Capeline and Guisippe Martinuzzi.
LORENZO AND FAMILY MOVE TO NORTHERN NSW
Soon after their arrival the NSW Government insisted that the Italian refugees be dispersed to discourage them from forming an enclave. Despite this, a group of expeditioners identified land in the Northern Rivers District of NSW which was cheap and available. It was land that other settlers had deemed infertile and unsuitable for farming. Word spread and over a five year period a significant number of families gathered and took up land in the area they named and is still known as New Italy. Bill Metcalf sees this as evidence of the Utopian dreams of the settlers to create a new society in this new land. On the other hand this may simply be evidence of the strong and close bonds within this group of adventurers.
1885/6 Lorenzo (sometimes using the name Lawrence) and family move to New Italy.
1886, 2 November. Maria Capelin born at New Italy NSW (Source:birth certificate).
1888. Lorenzo takes up a selection of 95 acres at Swan Bay. (Portion no. 4, County of Richmond, Parish of Double Duke - deposit 9 pounds 10 shillings and 6 pence) (Source: Grafton Land Board; – Clarence and Richmond Examiner/New England Advertiser 8 Sept 1888, page 8)
1896-99? Dominic Capelin and Giocomo (John) Tome, step brothers, take up 140 acres at New Italy
1889, 24 January John/Giovanni Capelin born New Italy. (Source: birth certificate)
1890, 29 July Catherine/Caterina (Kate) Capelin born New Italy.
1900, 6 September Domenico naturalized under the name Capelin.
1902, 1 August Lorenzo naturalized as Lorenzo Capelin
1903. Dominic Capelin, proprieter of Rest rooms, Clunes. (NSW Electoral roll 1903/04. Rouse District, Lismore)
Top. Nathaniel, Lawrence, Maria.
Bottom. Nat and Cis Kilcoyne
Lawrence Capelin in Sydney
At some point, at the turn of the century, two Italian boys, aged in their early twenties, chose to reside in Sydney and began a fruit and vegetable business. By 1906, their sister Maria had joined them and, by all accounts, theirs was a thriving business with institutional clients including a major Sydney hospital. Anecdotal stories have them earning 10,000 pounds per annum at the height of their prosperity. The business was based in Norton Street Leichhardt, now known as "Little Italy". There they met two local Irish girls (sisters) and, with money in their pockets and the Kilcoyne girls well connected in Sydney social circles one can only assume that times were good.
1906 Lawrence (Lorenzo) and siblings Nathaniel/Nalale, and Maria and Kate/Caterina in Sydney - cnr of Paramatta Road and Norton St Leichhardt (Fruit and Vegetable Business - source – letter from Joseph Spinaze to Maria Capelin, his future wife; photo of the four siblings in Sydney)
1909, 15 September Nathaniel/Nat/Natale Capelin marries Mary Anne (Cis) Kilcoyne at St Fiacres' Capuchin Church, 98 Catherine St, Leichhardt.
1913 Nat Capelin Fruiterer and Greengrocer registered at 289 Paramatta Rd Leichhardt (source Telephone Directory).
1913 ‘Capelin Bros’ listed as a business at South Woodburn (possibly Larry and John).
1913, 28 August. Lawrence Capelin marries Ellen Kilcoyne at St Fiacres' Capuchin Church, Catherine St, Leichhardt.
At some point, at the turn of the century, two Italian boys, aged in their early twenties, chose to reside in Sydney and began a fruit and vegetable business. By 1906, their sister Maria had joined them and, by all accounts, theirs was a thriving business with institutional clients including a major Sydney hospital. Anecdotal stories have them earning 10,000 pounds per annum at the height of their prosperity. The business was based in Norton Street Leichhardt, now known as "Little Italy". There they met two local Irish girls (sisters) and, with money in their pockets and the Kilcoyne girls well connected in Sydney social circles one can only assume that times were good.
1906 Lawrence (Lorenzo) and siblings Nathaniel/Nalale, and Maria and Kate/Caterina in Sydney - cnr of Paramatta Road and Norton St Leichhardt (Fruit and Vegetable Business - source – letter from Joseph Spinaze to Maria Capelin, his future wife; photo of the four siblings in Sydney)
1909, 15 September Nathaniel/Nat/Natale Capelin marries Mary Anne (Cis) Kilcoyne at St Fiacres' Capuchin Church, 98 Catherine St, Leichhardt.
1913 Nat Capelin Fruiterer and Greengrocer registered at 289 Paramatta Rd Leichhardt (source Telephone Directory).
1913 ‘Capelin Bros’ listed as a business at South Woodburn (possibly Larry and John).
1913, 28 August. Lawrence Capelin marries Ellen Kilcoyne at St Fiacres' Capuchin Church, Catherine St, Leichhardt.
Kilgeever, Co. Mayo, Ireland.
THE IRISH CONNECTION.
Two of Lorenzo's sons (Lawrence and Nathaniel) married two sisters of Irish descent. They married in the same church a few years apart in Leichhardt, Sydney. The Capelin boys had a fruit and vege business in Norton Street, Leichhardt. The girls fell for the handsome boys whose business was flourishing. The story, sadly, did not continue as happily as it began.
There is a strong Irish Italian story among many of Italian descendants. The Irish Capelin line begins here.
1855 Thomas Kilcoyne born Co Mayo Ireland (Parish of Kilgeever, Townland - Knockeen tbc).
1878,10 November Thomas Kilcoyne arrived Australia aboard the Pericles, age 24, unaccompanied. (Source: Assisted Migrant Passenger List 1828-1896)
1862, 23 September Mary Ann Flanaghan born Swords, Dublin, Ireland.
1877 Mary Ann Flanaghan arrives Australia aboard the Kapunda accompanied by parents, Joseph Flanagan and Bridget Grealy and sister Ellen. (Source: Assisted Immigrants Index, 1939-1896)
1881, 2 January. Thomas Kilcoyne marries Mary Ann Flanaghan in Young NSW
1882 Mary Ann (Cissy) Kilcoyne, born Leichhardt, NSW
1886, January 5. Ellen Kilcoyne born 15 Macauley Street Leichhardt, Sydney, NSW
Two of Lorenzo's sons (Lawrence and Nathaniel) married two sisters of Irish descent. They married in the same church a few years apart in Leichhardt, Sydney. The Capelin boys had a fruit and vege business in Norton Street, Leichhardt. The girls fell for the handsome boys whose business was flourishing. The story, sadly, did not continue as happily as it began.
There is a strong Irish Italian story among many of Italian descendants. The Irish Capelin line begins here.
1855 Thomas Kilcoyne born Co Mayo Ireland (Parish of Kilgeever, Townland - Knockeen tbc).
1878,10 November Thomas Kilcoyne arrived Australia aboard the Pericles, age 24, unaccompanied. (Source: Assisted Migrant Passenger List 1828-1896)
1862, 23 September Mary Ann Flanaghan born Swords, Dublin, Ireland.
1877 Mary Ann Flanaghan arrives Australia aboard the Kapunda accompanied by parents, Joseph Flanagan and Bridget Grealy and sister Ellen. (Source: Assisted Immigrants Index, 1939-1896)
1881, 2 January. Thomas Kilcoyne marries Mary Ann Flanaghan in Young NSW
1882 Mary Ann (Cissy) Kilcoyne, born Leichhardt, NSW
1886, January 5. Ellen Kilcoyne born 15 Macauley Street Leichhardt, Sydney, NSW
Lawrence Capelin and Ellen Kilcoyne
28 August 1913
Lawrence (Larry) Capelin - a potted life.
Lawrence (Larry) was born in Sydney (Thornleigh on his death certificate. No birth certificate to date), the second son of Lorenzo Capelin and Maria (Lucon) who, herself, had brought three children to the marriage. He was one of a blended family of ten children.
Some details of his life are sketchy. He was raised in the Woodburn/New Italy district and, by his early twenties, was a successful young fruit and vegetable merchant with his brother in Sydney (early 1900s). He and Nat, his brother, married two Irish sisters four years apart in the same church in Leichhardt, Sydney.
Ellen Kilcoyne had been born in Leichhardt Sydney and was a city girl.
For some reason, perhaps the declining health of his father, perhaps a longing to return to his area of birth, Larry and Ellen moved to Woodburn (Short Street), after their marriage in 1913. He and Ellen had two children in these first years - Esma (1914), and Lawrence (1917). During the war years this young Italian ran a very successful bakery in Woodburn but at the end of the war was issued with an ultimatum - hand over your business to one of the young returning soldiers or get run out of town.
The next phase of his life is unclear. Two more children were born immediately (Nat, 1920. and Kevin, 1921) bringing the family to four children. At this point it appears Ellen returned to Sydney leaving Esma, Lawrence and Nat behind with their father. This may have been connected to the ill-health of her mother (Mary Ann Flanaghan died 1923) or the messy divorce of her sister, Cis, from Nat (Larry's brother). The divorce was quite high profile and involved the adopted son (AHG Ridout) and family of future steel magnate family, the Lysaghts.
The sequence of births suggests that if Larry was also in Sydney during this period he was not reconciled with Ellen. Larry acquired land and a house at Wandella Rd, Sutherland (May, 1920). He is listed as a baker of Haberfield (near Leichhardt) on the purchase documents. A month later Larry purchased a sizable portion of cane and cropping land at Wardell on the Pimlico Road (8 June, 1920). The story goes that he came back to Woodburn, got on the grog with the local real estate agent and paid well above the real value for a parcel of land which it would emerge he was ill-equipped to run. Sugar prices were soaring and stayed high until the 1929/30 when the price crashed.
The next child (Cyril) was born in Woodburn in 1926. The Sutherland property was sold to his step sister Anna (Netta) Tome in 1928. Ellen returned or was sent back to Wardell and family life resumed on the Pimlico Road outside Wardell. In 1928 the final child, Rita, was born and the family continued to reside in the same house until Larry's death in 1964, Ellen predeceased him by 13 years (1951). It appears that in the same year, six months before Ellen's death, Larry sold the Wardell property but retained the block on which the home stood and retired from farming. By all accounts life was hard, Ellen never really accepted the life of a farmer's wife and Larry worked hard, drank a little too much, cultivated a prodigious vegetable garden and made his own salami. He was a harsh father to his sons. In particular he refused to allow his son Nat to "go under the knife' to rectify a hernia which the boy suffered at 14. It was only as a seventy year old that Nat finally had this treated in what was a pretty simple operation. Nat, in the meantime, had suffered a series of breakdowns, perhaps related to this. Ellen, it is said, was not enamoured of things Italian and refused to have it spoken in the home, thus breaking any continuing language connection with the original expeditioners.
Lawrence (Larry) died in Brisbane, spending his last months at the Moolabar Street home of his son Kevin. He died in hospital where he continued to smoke his roll-your-own cigarettes until the day he died, smoking them through his tracheotomy tube, created as part of treatment for throat cancer.
Lawrence (Larry) was born in Sydney (Thornleigh on his death certificate. No birth certificate to date), the second son of Lorenzo Capelin and Maria (Lucon) who, herself, had brought three children to the marriage. He was one of a blended family of ten children.
Some details of his life are sketchy. He was raised in the Woodburn/New Italy district and, by his early twenties, was a successful young fruit and vegetable merchant with his brother in Sydney (early 1900s). He and Nat, his brother, married two Irish sisters four years apart in the same church in Leichhardt, Sydney.
Ellen Kilcoyne had been born in Leichhardt Sydney and was a city girl.
For some reason, perhaps the declining health of his father, perhaps a longing to return to his area of birth, Larry and Ellen moved to Woodburn (Short Street), after their marriage in 1913. He and Ellen had two children in these first years - Esma (1914), and Lawrence (1917). During the war years this young Italian ran a very successful bakery in Woodburn but at the end of the war was issued with an ultimatum - hand over your business to one of the young returning soldiers or get run out of town.
The next phase of his life is unclear. Two more children were born immediately (Nat, 1920. and Kevin, 1921) bringing the family to four children. At this point it appears Ellen returned to Sydney leaving Esma, Lawrence and Nat behind with their father. This may have been connected to the ill-health of her mother (Mary Ann Flanaghan died 1923) or the messy divorce of her sister, Cis, from Nat (Larry's brother). The divorce was quite high profile and involved the adopted son (AHG Ridout) and family of future steel magnate family, the Lysaghts.
The sequence of births suggests that if Larry was also in Sydney during this period he was not reconciled with Ellen. Larry acquired land and a house at Wandella Rd, Sutherland (May, 1920). He is listed as a baker of Haberfield (near Leichhardt) on the purchase documents. A month later Larry purchased a sizable portion of cane and cropping land at Wardell on the Pimlico Road (8 June, 1920). The story goes that he came back to Woodburn, got on the grog with the local real estate agent and paid well above the real value for a parcel of land which it would emerge he was ill-equipped to run. Sugar prices were soaring and stayed high until the 1929/30 when the price crashed.
The next child (Cyril) was born in Woodburn in 1926. The Sutherland property was sold to his step sister Anna (Netta) Tome in 1928. Ellen returned or was sent back to Wardell and family life resumed on the Pimlico Road outside Wardell. In 1928 the final child, Rita, was born and the family continued to reside in the same house until Larry's death in 1964, Ellen predeceased him by 13 years (1951). It appears that in the same year, six months before Ellen's death, Larry sold the Wardell property but retained the block on which the home stood and retired from farming. By all accounts life was hard, Ellen never really accepted the life of a farmer's wife and Larry worked hard, drank a little too much, cultivated a prodigious vegetable garden and made his own salami. He was a harsh father to his sons. In particular he refused to allow his son Nat to "go under the knife' to rectify a hernia which the boy suffered at 14. It was only as a seventy year old that Nat finally had this treated in what was a pretty simple operation. Nat, in the meantime, had suffered a series of breakdowns, perhaps related to this. Ellen, it is said, was not enamoured of things Italian and refused to have it spoken in the home, thus breaking any continuing language connection with the original expeditioners.
Lawrence (Larry) died in Brisbane, spending his last months at the Moolabar Street home of his son Kevin. He died in hospital where he continued to smoke his roll-your-own cigarettes until the day he died, smoking them through his tracheotomy tube, created as part of treatment for throat cancer.
Top. Lawrence, Ellen and family.
Below. Capelin siblings (c 1981)
Lawrence and Ellen Capelin in the Northern Rivers District of NSW
The Capelin descendant family of Lorenzo via Lawrence (Larry) have had a continuing connection with the Woodburn/Wardell district. Esma married a local dairy farmer (Herb Gahan) and raised six children. Cyril married a local girl (Stella Monti) but moved to Woollongong where he raised three children. and Rita married Raymond (Paddy) Powell (connected to New Italy though his mother who was a Bazzo) and raised three sons in Alstonville. Kevin married Eileen Hill and lived in Brisbane for sixty years raising two sons. Neither Nat nor Lawrence had children. Two and three generations on from Lorenzo the ties to the northern rivers district of NSW remain strong.
1913 Lawrence and Ellen move to Woodburn
1914, 19 June. Esma Marie Capelin born South Woodburn, NSW. First child of Lawrence Capelin and Ellen Kilcoyne.
1915, 7 December. Lorenzo Capelin dies, Woodburn, NSW. Buried Roman Catholic Cemetery South Woodburn. Extract from Lorenzo’s deceased estate (Executor - Natale (Nat) Capelin).
“ ….. my said father possessed the sum of sixty pounds in cash at the time of his death and also an old horse and sulky, the total value of which would not be more than twenty pounds…… the total value of his farm assets (for cultivating grapes) was not more than ten pounds. His furniture was not worth more than five pounds.”
The value of his land - comprising 95 acres 1 rood in the Parish of Doubleduke, County of Richmond AND 44 acres in the Parish of Donaldson was assessed at 75 pounds. Total assets: 160 pounds. (approx $12,000 in 2014 dollars - based on CPI Index increases)
1915-18 Lawrence Capelin works as baker in Woodburn
1917, 29 June. Lawrence Thomas Capelin born South Woodburn, NSW
1920 Lawrence (Sen) acquires 1012 Pimlico Road Wardell, NSW (cane and pineapple farm).
1920, 23 April. Nathaniel Joseph Capelin born South Woodburn , NSW
1921, 20 July. Kevin John Capelin born Woodburn, NSW
1922 Nathaniel Capelin and Mary Ann (Cis) Capelin (nee Kilcoyne) divorce, Sydney
1923 Mary Flanaghan dies Sydney
1922-25 Ellen in Sydney with children staying with Kilcoyne family? Larry purchases property at Sutherland, Sydney.
1926, 14 October. Cyril Keith Capelin born Woodburn
1928, 28 April. Rita Kathleen Capelin born Woodburn
1929 Thomas Kilcoyne dies Sydney, NSW. Buried at Rookwood Cemetery (Mortuary 2, Area 2, Grave 1091)
1945, 23 September. Maria Capelin (Tome nee Lucon) dies Lismore age 99. Buried Lismore NSW
1946, 6 November. Domenico (Dominic) Capelin dies Lismore NSW
1950 Nathaniel/Natale Capelin (brother to Lawrence) dies Sydney
1951, 7 August, Ellen Kilcoyne dies Woodburn NSW. Buried Wardell NSW
1964, 16 October. Lawrence Capelin dies Brisbane, QLD. Buried at Wardell, NSW
1985, 6 December. Lawrence Thomas Capelin dies Sydney
1997, 20 October. Esma Gahan (nee Capelin) dies Lismore NSW. Buried Wardell Cemetery.
1999, 16 February. Nathaniel Capelin dies Narrabri, NSW
2007, 5 May. Kevin Capelin dies Brisbane Qld. Buried Mt Gravatt Cemetery.
2012, 17 January. Cyril Capelin dies Wollongong, NSW. Buried Wardell Cemetery NSW
2012, 30 September. Rita Powell (nee Capelin) dies Lismore, NSW. Buried Alstonville Cemetery
The Capelin descendant family of Lorenzo via Lawrence (Larry) have had a continuing connection with the Woodburn/Wardell district. Esma married a local dairy farmer (Herb Gahan) and raised six children. Cyril married a local girl (Stella Monti) but moved to Woollongong where he raised three children. and Rita married Raymond (Paddy) Powell (connected to New Italy though his mother who was a Bazzo) and raised three sons in Alstonville. Kevin married Eileen Hill and lived in Brisbane for sixty years raising two sons. Neither Nat nor Lawrence had children. Two and three generations on from Lorenzo the ties to the northern rivers district of NSW remain strong.
1913 Lawrence and Ellen move to Woodburn
1914, 19 June. Esma Marie Capelin born South Woodburn, NSW. First child of Lawrence Capelin and Ellen Kilcoyne.
1915, 7 December. Lorenzo Capelin dies, Woodburn, NSW. Buried Roman Catholic Cemetery South Woodburn. Extract from Lorenzo’s deceased estate (Executor - Natale (Nat) Capelin).
“ ….. my said father possessed the sum of sixty pounds in cash at the time of his death and also an old horse and sulky, the total value of which would not be more than twenty pounds…… the total value of his farm assets (for cultivating grapes) was not more than ten pounds. His furniture was not worth more than five pounds.”
The value of his land - comprising 95 acres 1 rood in the Parish of Doubleduke, County of Richmond AND 44 acres in the Parish of Donaldson was assessed at 75 pounds. Total assets: 160 pounds. (approx $12,000 in 2014 dollars - based on CPI Index increases)
1915-18 Lawrence Capelin works as baker in Woodburn
1917, 29 June. Lawrence Thomas Capelin born South Woodburn, NSW
1920 Lawrence (Sen) acquires 1012 Pimlico Road Wardell, NSW (cane and pineapple farm).
1920, 23 April. Nathaniel Joseph Capelin born South Woodburn , NSW
1921, 20 July. Kevin John Capelin born Woodburn, NSW
1922 Nathaniel Capelin and Mary Ann (Cis) Capelin (nee Kilcoyne) divorce, Sydney
1923 Mary Flanaghan dies Sydney
1922-25 Ellen in Sydney with children staying with Kilcoyne family? Larry purchases property at Sutherland, Sydney.
1926, 14 October. Cyril Keith Capelin born Woodburn
1928, 28 April. Rita Kathleen Capelin born Woodburn
1929 Thomas Kilcoyne dies Sydney, NSW. Buried at Rookwood Cemetery (Mortuary 2, Area 2, Grave 1091)
1945, 23 September. Maria Capelin (Tome nee Lucon) dies Lismore age 99. Buried Lismore NSW
1946, 6 November. Domenico (Dominic) Capelin dies Lismore NSW
1950 Nathaniel/Natale Capelin (brother to Lawrence) dies Sydney
1951, 7 August, Ellen Kilcoyne dies Woodburn NSW. Buried Wardell NSW
1964, 16 October. Lawrence Capelin dies Brisbane, QLD. Buried at Wardell, NSW
1985, 6 December. Lawrence Thomas Capelin dies Sydney
1997, 20 October. Esma Gahan (nee Capelin) dies Lismore NSW. Buried Wardell Cemetery.
1999, 16 February. Nathaniel Capelin dies Narrabri, NSW
2007, 5 May. Kevin Capelin dies Brisbane Qld. Buried Mt Gravatt Cemetery.
2012, 17 January. Cyril Capelin dies Wollongong, NSW. Buried Wardell Cemetery NSW
2012, 30 September. Rita Powell (nee Capelin) dies Lismore, NSW. Buried Alstonville Cemetery