Annie (Brice) Holmes (abt. 1854 - 1931)

Born about 1854 in Penola, South Australia, Australia

Wife of Emile Jacquelin — married 4 May 1879 in Mount Gambier, South Australia, Australia

Descendants

Died 9 Jun 1931 at about age 77 in Mount Gambier, South Australia, Australia

Biography

Annie (Brice) Holmes is an Indigenous Australian.

Advice to Indigenous Australians. This page may contain names and images of people who have died.

Annie Brice was a Boandik woman from Penola, born about 1849, daughter of William "Billy" Brice and Boandik/Pinejunga woman Nutunda.

A photograph of Annie Brice with a group of Boandik people and Christina Smith, is available here: State Library of South Australia Resource B 16564

According to her descendant, Joy Brooke:

Annie Brice, our relative, was born about 1849 in an Aboriginal camp just near Old Penola Station. Her mother, a Boandik woman from Berrin was traded during a murapina of local Aboriginal tribes, to a man from the Pinejunga tribe, who lived around Penola and the Bool Lagoon area. As was customary with the Boandik tribe, males took more than one wife, so Annie had a half sister Lucy and half brother Tommy. Annie’s father was an Englishman who worked on the property for Alexander Cameron at Old Penola Station. Annie spent her childhood alternating between the black camp and the station. She spoke her traditional Aboriginal language, Bunganditj, as well as English.^[1]

A book by Annie's descendant M. Jacquelin-Furr ^[2]has this additional information:

Annie's mother's name was Nutunda and she was of the Pinejunga tribe (sic). Annie's father was William "Billy" Brice. Billy and Nutunda had another child, Lucy. Nutunda afterwards had a Boandik husband and gave birth to his son, Tommy. Annie was baptised in 1856 and confirmed in the Roman Catholic Church in 1867, aged 18. Mary Mackillop was the niece of Alexander and Margaret Cameron and governess to their children. She included Annie in the lessons, teaching her to read and write. Annie had thirteen children and married twice, In Mount Gambier, she worked for Dr Whel as a domestic servant, a general servant at the Temperance Hotel and Boarding House, and for Christina Smith who ran the School for Aborigines. Ms Smith wrote a reference for Annie when she applied for a grant of land, but the application was not successful. Annie's daughter in law Florence Holmes is said to have recalled Annie as a tough, hard working woman. She expected all her children to work hard and attend church every Sunday. She was tall and very beautiful with a voice like an angel. Annie's aboriginality (sic) was not shared with the Holmes children.

In 1879 Annie married Emile Francois Jacquelin, a resident of Mt Gambier, formerly of Mauritius. They already had a daughter, Lucy, born in 1877 and after they were married had two more children, Emil Francis and Annie.

A story of Annie's life written for children by Aunty Michelle Jacquelin-Furr was published in 2018, title: "Growing up Strong in Boandik Country". In Ms Jacquelin-Furr's account, Annie's father was a freed convict from Van Diemen's Land who worked on the Cameron property, a sheep station. ^[3]

Annie was a student of Mary McKillop, now Saint Mary McKillop. Annie had a beautiful singing voice, inherited by her son, also called Emil Jacquelin.^[4]

Emile died in 1881, only two years after they married. In 1884, Annie gave birth to a daughter, Agnes, naming Daniel McAuley as the father. Agnes was called both Agnes Jacquelin and Agnes McAuley.

In 1894 Annie married George David Holmes. Children included John, born 1887, Ethel born 1888, Ada born 1891, George David born 1894 (died aged 27)

Annie Holmes passed away at Mt Gambier 9th June 1931

Sources

1. ↑ Bonnie Support Services Website - Yarning is a Powerful Medium
2. ↑ Annie's Mob:the story of the Brice/Holmes/Jacquelin Families (pub. 2017) by M. Jacquelin-Furr
3. ↑ Annie's Story - A Children's Book
4. ↑ ABC website - Lost Language of Boandik People

• South Australian BDMs courtesy of the South Australian Genealogy and Heraldry Society.
• Marriage One:

Emile JACQUELIN, bachelor aged 28yrs (born c. 1851) married Annie BRICE, spinster aged 25 (born c. 1854) on 4th May, 1879 at the residence of the groom, Mount Gambier. Groom's father: Emile Jacquelin; Bride's father, William Brice. Ref: District of Grey 119/552.

• Birth of daughter Agnes:

Agnes JACQUELIN/McAuley was born February 26 1885 to Annie Jacquelin nee Brice and Daniel MCAULEY at Mt Gambier. Ref: District of Grey 346/388.

• Marriage Two:

George HOLMES bachelor aged 36 yrs, married Annie JACQUELIN, widow, aged 45 yrs(sic) on 19th April 1894 at the Wesleyan Parsonage, Mount Gambier. Groom's father: John Holmes. Bride's father: William Brice. Ref: District of Grey 179/411

• Death :

Annie HOLMES, wife of George Holmes of Mount Gambier died aged 82 on 09 Jun 1931 at Mt Gambier. Ref: District of Grey 528/598