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The McCarthy family
Johanna McCARTHY (IRWIN / KIRWIN)
Johanna McCARTHY (nee IRWIN), and her family, along with 260 other fellow bounty immigrants, arrived in Sydney, aboard the China on 20 December 1839. Johanna was a widow, her husband William[1] McCARTHY had died in Ireland sometime
between 1835 and 1839.[2]
Johanna was 42 years of age at the time of her emigration from Ireland (placing her birth date at around 1797), and had brought her family with her on the ship to a new life in Australia; her daughter Julia, 16 (b abt. Jun 1823); and her three younger sons, William 11 years (b 1828); John 9 years (b 1830); and Michael 5 years (b abt 1833/34).
Other arrival information records Johanna as a Dairywoman, the daughter of James IRWIN[3] (a farmer) and his wife Mary IRWIN (nee unknown); her
religion is given as Roman Catholic.
All were natives of Tipperary, Ireland.
We do not know when Johanna arrived in the Monaro District of NSW, where she lived, or what she did as an occupation whilst there, although she may well have found employment in her previous occupation as a dairywoman on one of the stations or squatters runs in the area.
We have been unable to find any evidence that Johanna McCARTHY ever remarried.
Johanna died of Dropsy on September 3, 1865 at Gegedzerick, Berridale, near Cooma, in the Monaro District of NSW; she was 68 years old and is buried at Gegedzerick Cemetery.
Julia McCARTHY
Julia’s occupation was recorded in the China ships indent on arrival as; a child’s maid, aged 16 years, in the company of her mother Johanna McCARTHY.
Within six months of having arrived in the country, on 19 May 1840, at around 17 years of age, Julia McCARTHY married James LYNCH (aged 32) at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Sydney.
Shortly after their marriage, Julia and her new husband settled in the Monaro district of NSW.
Her mother and brothers also settled there. There is confirmation of their residence in the district, contained mainly in the NSW State BMD records, Electoral Rolls, Census Reports, and various records at St Patrick’s (Catholic) Church Cooma, St Raphael’s (Catholic) Church at Queanbeyan, and St Mary’s (Anglican) Church Berridale.
We have a record of Julia as a witness to her younger brother John’s marriage to Catherine CULLEN on May 2, 1852 at Queanbeyan, NSW; some 12 years after her own marriage.
The Death Certificate of James LYNCH (d May 24, 1863) lists the undertaker as John McCARTHY. This was very likely Julia’s younger brother John, who would have been about 36 years at that time.
Census information indicates that the descendants of James and Julia LYNCH were becoming quite extensive, even in 1891 when the census was taken, and some of their offspring were on properties of their own, as were two Julia’s brothers, John and Michael McCARTHY (now married with children of their own).
After the death of her husband James LYNCH on 24 May 1863, Julia LYNCH (nee McCARTHY), at the age of 48 years married William DELANEY[4] (aged 40) on May 23, 1871 at St Patrick’s Church, Cooma; Fr Daniel KELLY officiating.
Witnesses were Bryan LYNCH (Julia’s eldest son) and Mary LYNCH (probably Bryan’s wife Mary Ann (nee STOPP). Julia’s youngest child John LYNCH was now 10 years of age.
William DELANEY died in Liverpool, NSW in 1899[5].
Julia DELANEY (McCARTHY/LYNCH) died on March 19, 1892 at the Canadian Hotel in Fitzroy Street, Dubbo NSW. The informant for Julia’s death was her daughter, Johanna HANLEY, living at Lismore, NSW. It appears Johanna did not know who her grandmother was, as it was not recorded at the time of Julia’s death. She apparently knew her grandfathers name, which is shown
as William in the records.
William McCARTHY
William McCARTHY married Ann LECOUNT on April 23, 1881 in the Monaro district, probably at St Patrick’s Church, Cooma NSW.
Witnesses at the wedding were recorded as Bryan BROGAN and Johanna HANLEY. We do not know who Bryan BROGAN is. Johanna HANLEY was most likely Johanna LYNCH (about 37 years old), William McCARTHY’s niece being the daughter of his sister Julia McCARTHY / LYNCH, and wife of John HANLEY; it is possible that she is John’s mother Johanna HANLEY, but she would have been about 89 years old, and unlikely to be the witness.
William McCARTHY’s occupation is listed as Selector, and residence as Billyrumbuck (Monaro District). Ann is also recorded as being a selector.
So far as we know William and Ann had no children, William was 53 years old and Ann 42, when they were married.
Ann had previously been married to Peter[6] BYRNE, and had 9 children by him between 1858 and 1875.
Children of Ann LECOUNT and Peter BYRNE
Michael John (1858 ~); Joseph M (1858 ~); James C (1859 ~); Mary A (1861 ~) m 1881 Frederick TOWNSEND; Richard (1863 ~) m bef 1883 UNKNOWN; Peter (1867 – 1916); Robert (1869 ~); Ellen (1872 ~); and Charles (1875 – 1875).
John McCARTHY
John McCARTHY was married on 2 May 1852 at Queanbeyan, NSW to Catherine CULLEN[7], daughter of Thomas CULLEN and Bridget LEAHY. Catherine was born abt. 1839 and was from County Ginn, Ireland.
The Reverend R WALSH married them in the presence of witnesses Jeremiah FLYNN and Julia LYNCH (groom’s sister).
Children of John McCARTHY and Catherine CULLEN
John (1) b 1851, Monaro District, NSW d unknown, presumably in infancy
Johanna b June 3, 1853, Frying Pan, Monaro, NSW d 1920 at Ryde, NSW
m1 May 19, 1874, St Patrick’s Cooma, NSW (8 children)
JOHNSON, Charles - son of James JOHNSON & Rosanna DOWNEY
b Oct 04, 1874, Frying Pan, Monaro, NSW d Jul 10, 1886, Dry Plain, Monaro
m2 Feb 28, 1889, St Patrick’s Cooma, NSW (4 children)
SHEPHERD, Joseph George - son of Samuel SHEPHERD & Margaret BURK
b abt 1855, Campbelltown, NSW d Jun 09, 1932, Eastwood, NSW
Bridget
b May 29, 1855 in Monaro District, NSW d 1927, Mosman, NSW
m Jul 01, 1878, St Patrick’s Cooma, NSW (8 children)
DICKENS, Joseph – son of Joseph DICKENS & Agnes BRYCE
b abt 1850, Sydney, NSW d 1921, Bega, NSW
William (1) b 1857, Cooma, NSW d 1857, Cooma, NSW
John (2)[8]
b 1858, Gegedzerick, NSW d Feb 12, 1916, Cootralantra, NSW
m1 Oct 14 1888, St Patrick’s Cooma, NSW (2 children)
KELLAHAN[9], Susan – dau of Michael KELLAHAN & Mary BURKE
b abt 1865, Queanbeyan, NSW d Aug 18, 1891, Frying Pan, NSW
m2 abt 1899 (4 children)
ROWE, Catherine – dau of Edward ROWE & Sarah McHUGH
b 1865, Bombala, NSW d Nov 5, 1950, Cooma, NSW
Catherine b abt 1860, Gegedzerick, NSW
d 1942 at Tumbarumba, NSW
m Apr 23, 1885, St Mary’s, Adaminaby, NSW (7 children)
POWER, William Morgan – son of Edward POWER & Mary CHALKER
b abt 1863, Adaminaby, NSW d Jul 21, 1947, Tumut, NSW
William (2) b 1862 d abt 1864
James b Sept 25, 1865
d 1925, Gladesville, NSW
(unmarried)
Michael b Aug 19, 1870, at Gegedzerick, NSW d 1895, Cooma, NSW
m Jul 21, 1892, St Patrick’s, Cooma, NSW (3 children)
SCHAEFFER[10], Whilemina Maisie
dau of Joseph SCHAEFFER & Maria EMMERY
b May, 1870, Adaminaby, NSW d unknown[CCL1]
Ann Julia b May 20, 1873, at Gegedzerick, NSW d 1876, Cooma? NSW
John McCARTHY reportedly died at Cootralantra in the Monaro District in 1875 (aged 45), and his wife Catherine McCARTHY (nee CULLEN) reportedly died in 1879 in Newtown (Sydney), NSW. We do not know where they are buried.
Michael McCARTHY
Michael McCARTHY was married on Sep 23, 1857 to Mary Ann RYAN, daughter of James RYAN and Mary, at the residence of Mr Alexander MONTAGUE[11] in Cooma.
Michael McCARTHY died on Oct 10, 1903 at Reeve’s Point, near Cooma, NSW and is buried at Mittagang Cemetery, Cooma, NSW.
Mary McCARTHY (nee RYAN) died on Oct 20, 1922 in Albert Street Cooma (presumably at her home), and is also buried at Mittagang Cemetery Cooma, NSW.
Children of Michael McCARTHY and Mary Ann RYAN
Bridget (unconfirmed) b 1857, Armidale, NSW d unknown
Johanna b 1859, Monaro District, NSW d 1887, Wollongong, NSW
m Apr 12, 1877, St Patrick’s, Cooma, NSW (5 children)
PATTERSON, John (Jnr), son of John (Snr) PATTERSON and Margaret TODD
b 1848, Cabramatta, NSW d 1919, Wollongong, NSW
Honora (Nora) b abt 1861, Gegedzerick, NSW
d unknown
m Apr 30, 1883, St Patrick’s, Cooma, NSW (12 children)
FAHEY, John, son of Timothy FAHEY and Mary Ann WHELAN
b abt 1852, Nimmitabel, NSW d 1909, Cooma, NSW
William (Henry?) b Apr 27, 1863, Gunagra,[12] NSW
d unknown
m May 15, 1886, St Patrick’s, Cooma, NSW (6 children)
FRAZER, Florence, dau of Roderick FRAZER and Maryanne RYALL
b Aug 30, 1862, Frying Pan, NSW d Jun 11, 1901, Murrumbucca, NSW
James Patrick abt 1865, Monaro District, NSW d unknown
Sarah b 1867, Monaro District, NSW d unknown
Elizabeth A (unconfirmed) b 1867, Sydney, NSW d unknown
John b 1868, Bombala, NSW d unknown
Michael
b 1870, Reeve’s Point, NSW d Aug 23, 1962, Cooma, NSW
m Mar 28, 1894, St Patrick’s, Cooma, NSW (5 children)
ENGELMANN, Maria, dau of Martin ENGELMANN and Elizabeth CULLEN
b Jan 14, 1874, Numeralla River, NSW d Feb 25, 1950, Cooma, NSW
Mary Jane b 1873, Bombala, NSW
d unknown date, Corrimal, NSW
m abt 1900, Corrimal, NSW (2 children known)
STAPLETON, William (parents unknown)
b 1868, Beechworth, Vic d Sep 6, 1953, Corrimal, NSW
Julia Margaret b May 30, 1875, Faithful’s Flat, NSW d 1894, Cooma, NSW
Thomas Henry b Aug 1, 1877, Faithful’s Creek, NSW d unknown
Alice May b Jan 29, 1881, Reeve’s Point, NSW d unknown
Edward Francis b Jan 19, 1884, Reeve’s Point, NSW d unknown
Catherine Amelia b Jul 12, 1886, Reeve’s Point, NSW d Jun 8, 1920, Cooma, NSW
m Jan 27, 1909, St Patrick’s Cooma, NSW (7 children)
BAILEY, Frederick William, son of George BAILEY and Ellen ROSTRON
b 1885, Cooma, NSW d abt 1920, Cooma, NSW
[1] Also referred to as; James; John (by his wife Johanna); William (by his children) in various official records. NSW Death Registration No. 1892/4903, of his daughter Julia DELANEY (LYNCH / McCARTHY) refers to him as William, and his being a farmer
[2] Date and cause unknown
[3] Irwin or Kirwan or Erwin: spelling varies on different official documents; ERWIN is shown on the Immigration Records as her fathers name; KIRWAN is recorded on the church records for her son Michael’s wedding at St Patrick’s Cooma, NSW, September 23, 1857
[4] Son of Edward DELANEY and Ellen COLLINS
[5] There is also a record of a William DELANY (note spelling with no “E”) who died suddenly on Mar 2, 1915 in Cooma, NSW, possibly of a heart attack; we do not believe that this was our William DELANEY. This second William had two brothers, John (d Feb 26, 1920) and Denis (d Mar 18, 1927), both also died suddenly, cause unknown; all three were the sons of James DELANY and Johanna DELANY (nee UNKNOWN)
[6] Or James, there are conflicting records of his name being either Peter or James; perhaps it was both – James Peter, or Peter James
[7] Catherine CULLEN (or CALLAN) is probably a sister (?) of Elizabeth (Eliza) CULLEN who married Martin ENGLEMANN. Elizabeth and Martin's daughter Maria ENGLEMANN married Michael (John?) McCARTHY, son of Michael McCARTHY (Catherine CULLEN's husband, John McCARTHY's brother) and Mary RYAN.
[8] Obit Notice – Monaro Mercury? – 1919 (Date unknown) – “John McCarthy of Cootralantra aged 57 years. Born Gegedzerick and resided all his life in the district. His father was in the employ of Brook Brothers and lived for some years at Kiah Lake, afterwards taking up land at Cootralantra. He died in 1875. John was twice married, his first wife being the daughter of the late Michael Kellahan of Dry plain. She died 19 years ago (1891). They had two sons John & Edward”. (Note – this should be John and Herbert)
[9] Susan died shortly after giving birth to her second child – Obit Notice – Monaro Mercury – Sat Aug 22, 1891 – Mrs John McCARTHY died at her residence Frying Pan near Dry Plain on Tuesday (Aug 18th), she had given birth on Wednesday last week. Aged 26 she leaves a husband and two young children, funeral held on Thursday Cooma Cemetery
[10] or SCHAFFER
[11] Alexander MONTAGUE owned a station property at Green Hills, and was involved in a court case with one Alexander GRAHAM. He had contact with both the LYNCH and McCARTHY families
[12] Gunningrah, NSW, Monaro District
Monaro
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