Bridget Delia Oates nee Broderick – Ancestry.com
The following photograph is of the headstone and grave of Bridget Delia Oates, who was the beloved wife of Richard Knight Oates, born in County Clare Ireland on 28 Jan 1873. She died at Kalgoorlie on the 17th Sep 1909 aged 37 years. This photograph was taken just after the headstone, ledger, and grave fencing were erected on the 8th July 1910. It was commissioned by Delia’s husband, Mr. Richard Oates. Richard and Bridget married in Menzies WA in 1900. They had two children: Charles Broderick ‘Brod’ OATES born 1901 and Henry John ‘Harry’ Oates in 1904.
Grave of Bridget Delia Oates Kalgoorlie Cemetery 1910
The photograph was taken perhaps to send to her family far away in Ireland. It was not uncommon in those days to take photographs of graves and sometimes that of the deceased as well. The St John of God Hospital where she died was only recently demolished, it stood behind the St Mary’s Primary school in Kalgoorlie where the school car park is now located.
From the Kalgoorlie Miner Saturday 18th Sept 1909
FUNERAL NOTICES. The Friends of Mr. RICHARD Knight OATES, of Kookynie, are respectfully invited to follow the remains of his late dearly beloved wife (Bridget Delia) to the Roman Catholic portion of the Kalgoorlie Cemetery. The funeral will leave St. John of God Hospital at 5 o’clock This Day (Saturday), September 18th. A. & J. Kyle, Undertakers, Cassidy st. Tel. 23.
RICHARD Knight OATES – Ancestry.com
The following photograph was taken in April 2015, just short of 105 years from when it was erected. As you will see the headstone is undamaged and the railings are intact. Sadly though all the nine ‘Immortelles‘ are now gone. The headstone is tilting slightly to the right. We are fortunate in Kalgoorlie in that we have little vandalism compared to more urban areas and the ground here is very solid. Another feature of the Kalgoorlie and Boulder Cemeteries is a large number of immortelles still surviving. Many have broken glass but some are still intact after more than 100yrs.
Bridget Delia OATES ,Kalgoorlie Cemetery 2015
The following details have been provided by John Pritchard one of our volunteer researchers:-
I eventually found the church baptism record of Bridget Delia Oates nee Broderick. It records 28/01/1873 as her baptism/birth date which was done at a place called Pollaghanumera in the parish of Killanena in County Clare. This does not fit in with the age on her headstone but it wasn’t uncommon for young females to take a few years off their ages when they got to Australia possibly to attract a younger partner.
Bridget’s father, John Broderick born in 1842 passed away on 15 Apr 1883 when she was about 10 years old. Her Mother Bridget remarried under her maiden name Moloney to a McNamara on 10 Feb 1891.
Richard was to remarry in Northam WA in 1910 to Mar Jane ‘Min’ CULLEN and they had a further nine children.
Oates and Co Produce merchants Kookynie WA
Moya Sharp
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Interested in your article on Bridget Delia Oates (wife of Richard Oates ? Brooklyn Ireland) – no relation to my ancestors born Cornwall several of whom are buried in Kal cemetery in the Methodist section.
Keep up the good work.
Ed Oates
Dear Ed.Bridgets husband Richard Knight Oates was my gdad and did come from Cornwell.He came from a long line of miners i traced back to the 1600s.He remarried and owned many of the famous pubs in the goldfields and had a very large family.His youngest boy Keith [my dad] died last year at 94.
Delia was the 1st wife of my Grandfather Richard Knight Oates. I was pleased to see her grave site as I never knew it was there. Some of my family still live on the Goldfields.
Bridget (nee Broderick) Oates is my Great Grandmother. Bridget’s birth on the 28 Jan 1873 is recorded in the Irish civil records for the District of Tulla, in the Union of Tulla, Co Clare. Bridget’s parents were John and Bridget (nee Moloney) Broderick.
Also buried in the same plot is Olive Oates (born 30 Sep 1919, buried 21 Nov 1919), daughter of my Great Grandfather Richard Knight Oates and his second wife Mary Jane Cullen.
Hi Rick May I ad this info to the story on the blog?
Hi Moya, Please add this information to the blog.
Hi Rick May I add this info to the story on the blog?