Dennis Valentine (1822-1897)

Dennis was was a local bricklayer in Bunbury in 1885. Very limited information exists in the historical record on Dennis, whose name is also alternatively spelled Denis. He was born in 1822 at Manchester in England (reference). In 1869 he married Mary Neal in Bunbury (reference). In the South Western Times article ‘Recollections of Bunbury’ Denis is remembered as a principal bricklayer of the Bunbury area (reference). According to the 1894-1895 Post Office Directory he was living in Arthur Street (reference). Dennis had a daughter, Katherine, who married John Donovan and was a prominent Bunbury midwife (reference). His daughter was married in a ‘little church’ that he helped to build (reference). By 1948 this church was being used by the Sisters as a dormitory (reference). He also had another daughter named Mary Ann.

Dennis’ attempted suicide in 1892 was covered in all the major colonial newspapers (reference). At this point in his life he was considered elderly (reference). On 8 February 1897 he passed away at 75 years old and is buried in the Bunbury Pioneer Cemetery which is now in the sand dunes along the Back Beach (reference; reference).