Dwyers: 19th Century coachbuilders

Posted on February 19, 2009 | Category: Science & Techno, family, photography

Does anyone in the great wide world know if multiple award-winning coachbuilder W. Dwyer of Sydney is
related to award winning coachbuilder John Dwyer of Castlebar, Co Mayo?
Both were working in the 19th, early 20th centuries. I believe the enterprise in Castlebar didn’t close till the mid-to-late- 1920s.

This is what the National Library of Australia has to say about

W. Dwyer (Coach Builder).
Descriptionhttp://app1.lib.unimelb.edu.au/cgi-bin/mua-search?tdetails=4471;imgdetails=4471
Joseph Bishop arrived in Melbourne during the goldrushes, ultimately establishing a coach building business at Beechworth, which was later transferred to Euroa. The family moved to Melbourne in the late 1880s, where one son became the proprietor of the trade journal ‘The Australasian Coachbuilder and Saddler’. The collection consists of family photographs and photographs used to illustrate ‘The Australasian Coachbuilder and Saddler’. Photograph shows a view of a 2 wheeled single horse sulky. Clearly displayed on a sign in the photo are the following details: “W. Dwyer, 144 King St Newtown. Tel 294 Newtown. Coach Builder Sydney Wollongong. First prizes Sydney 1898, 1900,01, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13. First Special & Champion Prizes. Taken all over New South Wales”. This photograph was most likely originally used as an illustration for ‘The Australasian Coachbuilder and Saddler’.
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Description: National Library of Australia Picture Australia

My question is, were they brothers? Or did they have a common ancestor in the 1798 hero Michael Dwyer, who was transported to Australia and is buried with his wife Mary Byrne in Sydney.

» Filed Under Science & Techno, family, photography

3 Responses to “Dwyers: 19th Century coachbuilders”

1. aisling Says:
   February 20th, 2009 at 2:03 pm

   Michael Dwyer the 1798 hero was born in the Glen of Imaal in 1772. remote glen, deep in the Wicklow Mountains no Mayo

2. Philip Says:
   February 20th, 2009 at 2:18 pm

   Thanks, Aisling. I should have mentioned that I knew Dwyer was from the Glen of Imaal. I know his political history quite well. But there is a story linking one of his descendents to Mayo, and this is what I’m interested in.

3. Philip Says:
   February 28th, 2009 at 1:41 pm

   For those who are interested, Michael Dwyer’s descendants are listed here
   http://www.geocities.com/dwyergenealogy/d1.htm