Birth

Enlistment Information

Military Service

Embarkation Information

Military Awards

Death

Biographical Notes

William Casey was born on 7 October 1886 at Balfour, the eldest son of Patrick and Ellen (née Cronin) Casey. His father died on 12 January 1897, aged 40 years, and was buried at Lumsden Cemetery. “Another of our most respected settler died last week. Mr P. Casey, of Balfour, a man who was truly and worthily respected by all who knew him. He suffered long, and bore his illness with great patience. He leaves a widow and a young family to mourn their loss.” [Otago Witness. 21 January 1897.] Their youngest child was not two years old. Ellen married William Groves in 1899. William was educated at Balfour School, where he was placed first in the primer class and received an attendance certificate in 1892. He was awarded prizes again in 1893 and 1895. William served his time in the blacksmithing trade, initially at Gore then at Mataura Island. Subsequently he worked at Kakanui, Timaru and Loburn, North Canterbury. William married Alice Mary Duthie on 2 June 1913 at Wyndham. Their daughter Eileen Jane Casey was born in December 1913 at Maheno. In 1914, both William Casey, blacksmith, and Patrick Casey, labourer, were residing on Sophia Street, Timaru. Little Clarence Patrick Casey who was born in November 1915 at Temuka, died of gastro enteritis on 6 March 1916 at 3 months and was buried at Linwood Cemetery, Christchurch. William Casey and Patrick Casey, both of Loburn, registered in the Kaiapoi group in mid-July 1916. William went on to enlist on 20 September 1916 at Trentham, as did Patrick. A blacksmith at Loburn, he nominated his wife as next-of-kin – Mrs A. M. Casey, Wyndham, Southland. Alice had been at Loburn when she was nominated by William’s brother Daniel in 1915. Brothers William and Dan Casey had excelled at long-distance running, hurdling and wrestling at Wyndham in January 1913. William Casey who excelled as a long-distance runner, had distinguished himself at the Athletic Union’s championship meeting at Timaru. He won two races at the 1916 Christmas Day sports at Balfour while home on final leave.

Lance Corporal W. Casey and Rifleman P. Casey embarked for Plymouth, England, per the “Waitemata” on 19 January 1917, both with the New Zealand Rifle Brigade. A second daughter – Williamena Patricia Casey - was born to William and Alice on 4 June 1917. He was reported wounded in October 1917. William Casey arrived back in New Zealand on 25 May 1919, per the “Tofua”. He was discharged on 26 June 1919, on the termination of his period of engagement, and awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. William and Alice settled at Balfour where he resumed his blacksmithing. A third daughter – Isobel Hall Casey – was born on 16 December 1924.

William Casey – dearly beloved husband of Alice Mary Casey, and son of Helen and the late Patrick Casey, of Balfour - died of heart trouble on 20 June 1928 at Wyndham, aged 41 years, and was buried in the Wyndham Cemetery. The funeral left the residence of his brother-in-law Robert Winter who had married Alice’s sister. Robert Winter’s brother Thomas Winter who served in World War One was associated with Timaru, Robert being called up. Some years later Alice Mary Casey married John Henry McMath. She died on 10 January 1982 at Gore, aged 88 years, and was buried at Wyndham with William. “There passed away at Wyndham on Wednesday, Mr. William Casey, a member of an early and much respected Southland family, the deceased being the eldest son of Mrs and the late Patrick Casey, of Balfour, Waimea Plains. As a youth the subject of this notice service his apprenticeship to the blacksmithing trade under the tuition of the late Mr. Samuel Collett, of Gore, and gained the reputation of being a first-class smith and farrier. He subsequently worked for a term of seven years with Mr James Dunlop, general smith, Mataura Island, and it was during those years that he developed as one of the foremost long distance runners in the province, with an unsullied reputation for clean sports. About fourteen years ago he married Miss Alice Duthie, a sister of Messrs Duthie Bros. (Pine Bush) and Mrs Robert Winter (Wyndham). In his later days he resided at Glenham as an employee of Mr Joseph Allison, general smith (Wyndham), dividing his working hours between the main establishment at. Wyndham and the branch smithy at Glenham. He had enjoyed good health all his life until about a week ago, when in pursuit of his employment he started work at the main shop about eight o’clock, apparently with nothing to complain about, but some two hours later he became suddenly ill, and on receiving advice from Dr. Baird, it was ascertained that the deceased was suffering from pulmonary trouble, and being unable to proceed home to Glenham, accepted the hospitality of Mr and Mrs Robert Winter, Florence street, near relatives. The unfortunate man’s health despite careful medical attention and devoted nursing, gradually became worse and he passed away to the long sleep on Wednesday morning at the age of 41 years. The widow and her three children, aged respectively 13, 11, and 3 years, mourn the loss of an affectionate husband and father and the whole community’s sympathy will be extended to them in their great loss. Messrs Daniel and Michael Casey (Balfour) are brothers of deceased, as well as Edward [Timothy] Casey (Lyttelton) and Patrick [sic] Casey (Kingston Crossing), and Mrs Robert Winter is a sister. The funeral which took place yesterday afternoon, from the home of Mr and Mrs Robert Winter, was well attended and was evident proof of the esteem and respect of the deceased in the district.” [Southland Times. 23 June 1928.]

William’s brother, Patrick Casey, was killed in action in Belgium in October 1917, at which time both William and Daniel were in France. Daniel Casey, also a blacksmith, served in World War I. James Smith Daly, a son of Deborah Casey and nephew of William, Daniel and Patrick, served in World War Two. Timothy Casey, the third son of Patrick and Ellen, was drawn in the ballot in June 1918. Having started his working life as a blacksmith, he was then a railway employee at Lyttelton, married with two children. His son, Patrick William Casey, served in World War Two. Michael Casey, a farmer of Balfour, who was drawn in a World War Two ballot in 1941, may have been the youngest son of Patrick and Ellen Casey. Michael died in 1977 and was buried at Mosgiel with his nephew William Patrick Condon, the son of Mary Casey, alongside Mary and Thomas Condon. Mrs Ellen Groves (formerly Casey) died on 22 August 1929 and was buried with her husband Patrick at Lumsden.

Sources

Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database [17 June 2024]; NZ BDM Indexes (Department of Internal Affairs) [14 June 2020]; Wyndham Cemetery headstone transcription [17 June 2024]; Wyndham Cemetery burial record [17 June 2024]; School Admission indexes [17 June 2024]; Southland Times, 28 December 1892, 28 December 1893, 27 December 1895, 11 January 1913, 21, 22 & 23 June 1928, Otago Witness, 21 January 1897, Press, 22 July 1916, Mataura Ensign, 31 October 1917 (Papers Past) [16 & 17 June 2024]; NZ Electoral Rolls [13 June 2020; 17 June 2024]

External Links

• Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph record
• Military personnel file

Related Documents

No documents available. 

Researched and Written by

Teresa Scott, SC Genealogy Society

Currently Assigned to

Not assigned.