Sketch by Kahlil Gibran
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…..But you should also be proud that your mothers and fathers came from a land upon which God laid his gracious hand and raised his messengers. – Khalil Gibran I believe in you (1926)
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Khalil Gibran, the writer, artist and poet, was born on 6 January 1883, to a Maronite Catholic family in Bcharre in Mount Lebanon. Gilbran was related to my grandparents through marriage, Eva and Jacob Fahkrey (Coory), also Maronite Catholics, who emigrated from Bcharre in 1897.
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Photos of Bcharre
Lebanese Settlers Reunion, Dunedin, NZ 2011
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I was recently asked to complete a survey on what I thought of the service and resources at Victoria’s Immigration Museum. During research for my book, I found that my Lebanese Grandparents, Jacob and Eva Fahkrey (Coory) left Bcharre, Lebanon for their final destination in New Zealand in 1897, but I couldn’t find any reference anywhere in New Zealand to the name of the steam ship they voyaged in. I knew that the the ship left Port Said in 1897 but that is all. I found the information in shipping lists at the museum after a couple of days searching, and what a thrill that was. One of the staff helped me to locate the relevant lists and my scrutiny began. She also explained that because my grandparents were unassisted immigrants, that is they paid for their own berths in steerage class, there would be scant information about them apart from their names and ages. Steerage class means they were ‘between decks’ and married couples slept in two tiered bunks in one large ‘room’, with women on one side and men on the other. Very basic! The entry I found was brief: Mr & Mrs Facri [sic] 25 yrs and 15 yrs respectively. The German SS Australien stopped on route at Port Adelaide and they later disembarked at Melbourne to learn English for one year before setting out for their final destination in New Zealand.
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The Journey by Steam
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Source: State Library of Victoria
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The first iron-hulled steam ships made the journey to Australia in 1852. However, these early steamers, known as auxiliaries, still carried a full set of sails, as their inefficient engines and the lack of coaling ports en route to Australia prevented the use of the new steam technology over long distances.
Whilst speed was not initially improved by the introduction of steam, comfort and strength were. The change from traditional wooden hulled ships to iron hulls enabled steamships to be larger and stronger, with much greater space below the decks.
In the 1860s the more efficient compound steam engine, in which steam was expanded in successive cylinders, was introduced. This enabled ships to make the voyage to Australia entirely under steam power. However, it wasn’t until the 1880s after the introduction of a government mail subsidy, that steam ships became profitable and began to carry the majority of immigrants. Less reliant on wind, they travelled at a constant speed and provided power for electric lighting, refrigeration and ventilation. Grand saloons were able to be provided for first class passengers, and small cabins instead of sleeping berths were provided in steerage class.
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For more information and stories about the Coory family, click on links below:
Photos: Catholic Schools, churches, orphanages
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All photos, text, © copyright to author Anne Frandi-Coory
Eva & Jacob Fahkrey (Coory) Author Anne Frandi-Coory's paternal grandparents. They left Bcharre, Lebanon 1897
A Book Gift Suggestion for Mums for Christmas
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Eleishah Khunna El Khouri Fahkrey Family Tree:
1-Eleishah Khunna El Khouri FAHKREY b. 1789, Bcharre Mt Lebanon, d. , Bcharre Mt Lebanon
+Unknown
2-Habib Eleishah El Khouri FAHKREY b. 1820, Bcharre Mt Lebanon, d. 1910, Bcharre Mt Lebanon
+Hunni (Annie) FAHKREY b. , Lebanon
3-Jacob Habib El Khouri Eleishah FAHKREY (COORY) b. 18 Aug 1872, Bcharre Mt Lebanon, d. 3 Jun 1956, 67
Carroll St Dunedin
+Eva Arida FAHKREY (COORY) b. 10 May 1882, Bcharre Lebanon, m. Apr 1897, Bcharre Mt Lebanon, d. 21
Nov 1980, Dunedin Public Hospital Dunedin
4-Elizabeth Jacob Coory MANSOOR b. 1898, Dunedin, d. 1970, Wellington
+Joseph MANSOOR m. 1915, Dunedin (Folio 6566)
5-Wilford Anthony MANSOOR b. 1920
5-Phillip John MANSOOR b. 1924
5-Madeline MANSOOR b. 1916, Dunedin
5-Joan (Jewel) Mansoor MILICICH b. 1927, Dunedin
5-Frederick Joseph MANSOOR b. 1917
5-Dennis Michael MANSOOR b. 1925
5-Joseph Michael MANSOOR b. 1921
5-Richard (Dick) Michael MANSOOR
4-Amelia COORY b. 1900, Dunedin, d. 10 Oct 1917, Dunedin
4-Joseph Jacob Habib Eleishah COORY b. 21 May 1902, Dunedin, d. 16 Dec 1974, Dunedin
+Doreen Marie FRANDI b. 27 Sep 1920, Watford Hertfordshire UK, m. 7 Nov 1945, ChCh, d. 6 May
1995, Wgtn
5-Anne Marie Frandi-Coory REVILL b. 20 Apr 1948, Hilljack Dunedin
4-Michael Patrick COORY b. 1904, Walker St Dunedin, d. 1995, Dunedin
+Harriet (Topsy) Stokes Maxted COORY d. 1990, Dunedin
5-Yvonne COORY b. 1940, Dunedin, d. 1995, Dunedin
4-Phillip George COORY b. 1906, Walker St Dunedin, d. 18 Sep 1987, Dunedin
+Flora Rosa Vassalo Benjamin COORY b. , Malta, m. 1939, Wellington, d. Aug 2010, Wellington
5-Vas COORY b. 19 Sep 1939, Wellington
+Doreen Marie FRANDI b. 27 Sep 1920, Watford Hertfordshire UK, d. 6 May 1995, Wgtn
5-Kevin Joseph COORY b. 5 Aug 1945, Christchurch
4-Neghia (Georgina) Coory DALE b. 1908, Dunedin, d. 1995, Dunedin
+Thomas Alexander DALE d. 1985, Dunedin
5-Beverley DALE
4-Frederick (Fred) COORY b. 1911, Dunedin, d. 2002
+Edna Huband COORY d. 1995
5-Phillip COORY b. 1944, Waimate
5-Pamela Ann COORY b. 1945, Waimate
5-Lynette Marie COORY b. Dunedin, 1948
5-Francis Jacob COORY b. 1949
5-Raelene COORY
5-Paul COORY b. 1960, d. 1967
4-Annie Coory COCKBURN b. 1912, Dunedin, d. 8 Feb 2003, Dunedin Hospice
+George Alexander COCKBURN m. 1937, Dunedin, d. 11 Apr 1972, Dunedin
5-Alan COCKBURN b. 1938, Dunedin
5-John COCKBURN b. 1943, Dunedin
5-Garry COCKBURN b. 1943, Dunedin
5-Ann-Marie COCKBURN b. 31 Jul 1953, Dunedin
4-Henry Michael COORY b. 1914, Dunedin, d. 30 Apr 1993, Dunedin
+Joyce Helena COORY d. 1996, Wellington
5-Henry Reginald Jacob COORY b. 1949, New Plymouth
5-Wendy Matilda COORY b. 1951, Wellington
5-Stephen Michael COORY b. 1953, Wellington, d. 18 Jul 1988
5-Gael COORY b. 1955, Wellington
5-Jeffrey COORY b. 1956, Wellington
5-Christopher COORY b. 1958, Wellington
5-Joy COORY b. 1959, Wellington
4-Maria COORY b. 1916, Dunedin
4-Pearl Coory CONEYBEAR b. 1918, Dunedin
+Colin CONEYBEAR
5-Pauline CONEYBEAR
5-Colleen CONEYBEAR
5-John CONEYBEAR
5-David CONEYBEAR
4-Francis John COORY b. 1920, Dunedin
+Lois Fairweather COORY
5-Peter COORY b. , Dunedin
5-Christopher COORY b. , Dunedin
5-Louise Catherine COORY b. , Dunedin
+Doreen Marie FRANDI b. 27 Sep 1920, Watford Hertfordshire UK, d. 6 May 1995, Wgtn
5-Anthony Mervyn COORY b. 21 Oct 1949, Wellington
3-Joseph Habib FAHKREY (COORY) b. 1879, Mt Lebanon, d. 7 Jan 1974, Sacred Heart Home Andersons Bay
+Fuhda (Elizabeth) Hunnah COORY b. 1887, Mt Lebanon, m. 1909, d. 7 Mar 1920, Dunedin
4-John COORY b. 1905, d. 1971
4-Mary (Watfa) Coory MORRIS b. 1910
4-Alma Coory BETRO b. 21 Sep 1911, Dunedin, d. 9 Oct 2011
+Les BETRO b. 1905, Broken Hill Australia, m. 16 Dec 1937, Broken Hill Australia, d. 24 Aug 1964,
Dunedin
5-Martin BETRO b. 1 Nov 1938, Broken Hill Australia, d. Jul 2009, Sydney
5-Patricia Betro BELLAMY b. 4 Jul 1940, Wellington
5-Joseph (Joe) BETRO b. 5 May 1942, Dunedin, d. 17 Mar 2008, Dunedin
5-Denis BETRO b. 31 Dec 1949, Dunedin
5-Gerard BETRO b. 5 Jul 1953, Dunedin
4-Alexander COORY b. 1914
4-Michael COORY b. 1916
3-Hanifa COORY
3-Zarify COORY
3-Barbara COORY
3-Maria COORY
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- Gina with Alma Coory Betro in Dunedin
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My daughter Gina and I visited Alma Betro at an aged care home in 2009. Alma is my father’s first cousin.
I always will remember Alma for her kindness to me and my father when I was a lost little girl.
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Jacob & Eva with Amelia L & Elizabeth R. Phillip on Jacob's knee, Eva holding Neghia. Seated L & R; Patrick & Joseph
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Jacob & Eva with their six sons
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Eva with her five daughters (Amelia deceased)
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Amelia Coory died at 17yrs from tuberculosis.
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Eva Arida Coory's mother in Bcharre
Habib Eleishah Fahkrey, Jacob's father in Bcharre
Hi, can you email me privately please, I have some names and dates I can add/fill in for you – Eva and Jacob are my great-grandparents. Kindest regards, Debbie Blair
Sorry to take so long to reply Debbie, I am presently with my daughter and grandson in Cromwell escaping the Christchurch earthquake. I will contact you shortly via my private email.
Hi I am curious about your family tree-as you can see I am a coneybear, my dad was john franklin son of savery f and grandson of colonel john f. any connection?-thanks, kim
Hi Kim
I am sorry I don’t know anyone else in the Coneybear family tree. Good luck with your search.
Anne.
Hello Anne
I have just come across your website by accident. I am the son of Alexander Coory who is still alive, and I live in Tauranga. I too have a Coory family history. Maybe we can fill some gaps.
Kindest regards,
David.
That would be good, and I could send you a finished copy of the tree. Your grandparents and cousins also feature in my book.
I LOVE your website. I’m of two worlds, too, in this case 1/2 Lebanese and 1/2 Irish. The Lebanese side arrived in the USA from Lebanon in 1892.
The photo of Amelia Coory looks so very much like one of my cousins (who is 1/2 Lebanese and 1/2 Italian). Similarly to Amelia, my sitoo’s brother Peter died of “exposure” in the 1890s. He was perhaps 10 years old. In the USA at least, there was a terrible depression (the “Panic of 1892″) that led to widespread unemployment. In my great-grandparents’ case, they couldn’t get work have to live outside in a lean-to in the winter- it probably led to my grandmother’s brother’s death.
I see you have a Kahlil Gibran – inspired drawing at the top of your page; interestingly enough, there are Gibrans in my family’s old parish.
Hi David, good to hear your story. Kahlil Gibran was born in my grandparents’ village in Bcharre and moved to USA when the Catholic Maronite minority were suffering persecution by muslims. We are related to his family through marriage. If your family came from Bcharre there is a good chance there will be a family connection because my grandfather’s sisters emigrated to the US. Lebanese/Irish combination would make for a volatile mix as does Lebanese/Italian, I would say?
Hi! Thank you so much for the reply.
Yes! Irish-Lebanese is a volatile mix! My Irish mother could be very much the unstoppable force where my Lebanese dad was the immovable object. When she got excited, it was like a tornado was set loose in our living room- and that Tornado came up against the Mt. Everest that was my dad!
My family isn’t from Bcharre. It’s from a very similar town not that far away to the west- a town called Ehden.
I hesitated- strongly- on telling you about Ehden as Bcharre and Ehden are two very similar towns – Maronite Catholic and set in the mountains- photos of both towns make them even look similar- but they historically are two rival towns as well. I suspect you’ve heard in your life how Italian towns are rivals- very similar thing.
Both Ehden and Bcharre are *very* ancient towns. Both rightfully can boast an ancient heritage- with ancient buildings and such. Bcharre, if I remember right, boasts the oldest cedars in existence (and among many things, of course being the birthplace of Kahlil Gibran)..while Ehden, for example, hosts Horsh Ehden, a very ancient nature preserve, and also the oldest Maronite church in the world.
Now, the reaction of many old Bcharre people on hearing from someone from Ehden is usually something like, “Ehden! Those people are NO GOOD.” Which goes back to the book, “The Arab Mind” and the author’s conclusion that there’s really not much middle ground between liking and dislike in the Middle East.
I hope (!) that my telling you I’m from Ehden (really Zghorta, which is its mirror town – Zghorta in the winter and Ehden in the summer) doesn’t give you a bad vibe!
I was a bit like your mum when I was younger-very fiery, not sure many people understood me. But I didn’t inherit the ethnocentricity that my grandparents brought with them from Lebanon because I spent my formative years in an orphanage. My mother bacame mentally ill (not surprisingly) and dad’s family didn’t want me because my mother was Italian. However, I love the Lebanese people and the Italian people and consider myself blessed, and I am proud, because of the wonderful positive traits I and my children have inherited. Writing ‘Ishtar?’ helped me to see that. So, David, the fact you are Lebanese is fantastic!
Hi David, I don’t know if you have read my post yet under ‘Lebanese Connections’ but if you click on link below you will see that young Lebanese just want to be ‘Lebanese’ and not specify what sect, which is a great thing for the future.
http://frandi.wordpress.com/2010/09/01/lebanon-pity-the-nation/
Hello Anne
I’m related by marriage to Jacob and Eva’s son Michael Patrick. My gg grandfather was the uncle of Michael’s wife Hettie.
I have used Jacob’s diary, published on the Cedars of Lebanon website (http://www.cedarsoflebanon.org.nz/pages/15-4/Jacob-Habib-Coory) as one of the sources for names dates for the family tree I am working on.
I notice that you have some different dates (e.g. Jacob’s year of birth, Eva’s year of birth, the month of their marriage). Can you disclose the sources of your information?
Thanks very much in advance, Susan
How lovely to hear from you Susan. Uncle Mick (Michael Patrick) was a darling and I loved Auntie Topsie (as we called Hettie) also Yvonne who was very special. I write about them in my book. I did 15 years research re Jacob and Eva Coory using museum and library records. I talk about this further in the history section of my book. I found the dates in Jacob’s diary didn’t tally with official records. We believe the translation from Aramaic into English was problematic. Would love to know about Dean, Grant & Miriam. Uncle Mick adored them. Kind regards Anne
I forgot to mention that Michael Patrick’s second cousin lives here in Melbourne and she helped with dates etc as well. Her grandfather Joseph and Jacob were brothers and came out from Lebanon about the same time.