omahoney.doc 15 Jan 1999
THADDEUS MAHONEY
Sentenced to seven years penal
servitude in the colonies on the 11th July 1832 in
Thaddeus (Dennison) MAHONEY was
the son of Jeremiah MAHONEY, a stonecutter, and Mary DENNISON.[1]
He was born about 1819 in Killarney,
Also living in the same street were a John MAHONEY and John MAHONEY junior. All three families were occupying separate houses and yards valued around a pound for rates purposes, so may have been all related, however there were thirty different families of MAHONEY in Killarney, so it was a common surname. This lane still exists but has been renamed as Hillard’s Lane.[3]
Thaddeus, showing independence at
an early age, was soon found in
His 4 ft, 3 and 3/4 inches in height, brown hair and light grey eyes, his sallow complexion and a skin much disfigured by smallpox would have made him little different from the many other street urchins of Dublin. It is thought that he roamed these streets like a true to life lad of Fagin’s gang, picking pockets and pilfering anything loose. What made this little Roman Catholic boy a little different was that he was CAUGHT picking pockets. He was most probably a victim of the courts trying to clean up the streets and ease the social pressure by transporting the unemployment problems.
Thaddeus was taken on board the “
Five torturous months later,
after a voyage half way around the world, on the 5th February 1833, he was
being unloaded from the "
The convicts were directed from
the ship to various receiving depots. Thaddeus went with several others to
Carter's Barracks in Sydney. Convict Number 33-287-113, Thaddeus Mahoney, had
arrived in
Thaddeus completed his
transportation time in
He appears in the Mouritz version
of the "Port Phillip Directory" as Thomas Mahoney, carter, of
He is not located in
Jane was the sixteen year old
daughter of John STAFFORD, a weaver and Margaret BURKE. She had been born in
Church Hill, Letterkenny in
Jane had arrived on the “Lady Kennaway”, one of the ‘bride ships’ designed to bring working class girls of good repute to help equalise the imbalance of males and females in the early colonies. Two girls, Jane Stafford aged 14 and Dora Stafford aged 16 from Donegal, arrived together as immigrants, sponsored by their mother, arriving on the “Lady Kennaway” on the 11th September 1848.[9] (See Lady Kennaway details below)
Jane's mother Margaret STAFFORD
(nee Bourke) died of Bronchitis in
Jane's name doesn't appear so it is most likely that Jane is "John" wrongly heard by the officer who was registering the death. This is quite a plausible mistake because Jane and John sound quite similar in an unfamiliar accent.
The Mahoney -
Thaddeus and Jane had the very large family that we have come to expect of these early pioneers, especially the Irish Catholic fraternity. Their children were:
1. Mary Jane Mahoney born c1853 (#7158)
2. Jeremiah Patrick Mahoney born c1855 in
3. Lilly Ann (Lillian Marie) Mahoney b.1856 (#3650) Melbourne.
4. Dora Mahoney born 9th January 1858 Melbourne.
5. Margaret Mahoney born 12th February 1860
(#474) North
6. Catherine Mahoney born 1862 (#3533)
7. Theobald Dennison Mahoney born 7th August 1863 (#21670) at 30 Queensbury
Street,
8. Ruth Mahoney born 1866 (#3559) North
9. John Mahoney born 1868 (#4118) North
10. Eliza Mahoney
born, c1873 died 12th June 1880
They were mainly born around the
North Melbourne /
1. Mary Jane Mahoney, a 24 year old domestic of
2. Jeremiah Patrick O'Mahoney, a 25 year old
painter of
3. Lillie Marie O'Mahoney, a 22 year old
dressmaker of Canning Street, Carlton and daughter of Theodore and Jane
O'Mahoney (nee Stafford), married on 10th August 1879 at Moor Street, Fitzroy
to Archibald Charles FRANKLIN, a 26 year old draper of Emerald Hill.[15]
Lillie Maree had 4 children to Archibald Charles Franklin,
and one child from her second marriage of about 1888 to Henry MANN. She died on
3rd December 1930 at
4. Dorah O'Mahoney, a 21 year old servant of St Kilda, and daughter to Thadeus O'Mahoney, ironmonger, and Jane Stafford, married on 11th May 1881 at St Mary's Roman Catholic Church in St Kilda to Patrick FITZGERALD, a widower with 5 children, who was a 36 year old hotel keeper of St Kilda.[17]
5. Margaret O’Mahoney, a 21 year old servant of
Fitzroy, and the daughter to Thaddeus O'Mahony,
dealer, and Jane Stafford, married on the 20th August 1881 at the Registration
of Marriage Office, Gore Street, Fitzroy to James Bond MERRICK, a 21 year old
potter of Richmond.[18]
James MERRICK was the son of Charles Barnes MERRICK,
a convict into
There is a Mrs Jane Mahony
located as a dressmaker in
8. Ruth O'Mahoney, a 20 year old young lady of South Melbourne, and daughter of Thaddeus Dennison O'Mahoney, dealer, and Jane Stafford, married on 10th May 1886 in St Peter's and St Paul's Church of South Melbourne, to James Percy BURNS, a 26 year old labourer of South Melbourne.[20]
9. John Dennis O’Mahoney, a 21 year old
labourer of
The religious affiliation within the family is apparently not polarised strongly in any direction. Mary Jane and Margaret used the Registry Office, Jeremiah and Lillie married with Free Church of England Rites, John was married by a Methodist minister, and Dorah and Ruth married in Catholic Churches.
Thaddeus arrived in
Family folk lore has it that he
was at the Eureka Stockade, and it is realistic that he was there. His second
child is born around 1855 in
From Post Office Directories of
Melbourne Thaddeus Mahoney was a storekeeper and hardware dealer of
Thaddeus was aged just 59 years
when he died at
Both were buried together in the
Roman Catholic Section of R/C I 391 in
Jane had left a family of nine living children and most married just before or just after her death. The pair of Thaddeus and Jane left a large family of descendants who have married into many of the other families of Carlton and North Melbourne. Their families are detailed in the family tree file – MAHONEY2
Some of the descendents of
Thaddeus and Jane were footballers, and played for
Thaddeus and Jane were my great great grandparents, with my descent through Margaret, who
married James MERRICK, a potter of
Ken Stewart January 1999
Descendant of Convicts Membership # 312 (through Thaddeus)
Port Phillip Pioneers Membership # 712 (through Thaddeus and Jane)
a barque measuring 38 metres long, 9 metres wide and 5 metres deep, arrived with the following on the 9th December 1848.
People:- 191 female orphans - 25 free settlers and 40 crew. Total 256 souls
Cargo:- 306 casks of beer - 12 hogsheads of beer - 55 cases of wine - 10 hogsheads of brandy- 12 quarter casks of brandy - 10 hogsheads of rum - 9 trunks of merchandise - 5 cases of merchandise - 11 cases of printing material - 7 hogsheads of tinware - 1 case of tinware - 18 crates of earthenware - and 4 cases of books.
Vitals:- water and food for 95 days
Clothes for 256 people.
The orphans were well catered for. The wonder of it was they all arrived in a healthy condition.
from an article in Port Phillip Pioneers Newsletter No 136 - by Laurie Thompson
These are the chronicles of the chief surgeon, George Imlay,
of His Majesties Ship (Convict) "
"A party of the 27th Regiment was embarked on the
"
-... August, stormy weather and contrary winds, to put into Plymouth Sound, so that we did not arrive at Kingston till 7th September.
Nothing worthy of remark occurred during this part of the
voyage except that several of the soldiers were attacked by bowel complaints
soon after leaving Deptford. The cholera was still raging in
On the 11th of September we embarked 152 convicts and 8 free settlers and put to sea immediately to prevent communication between the prisoners and their friends, thinking by so doing to lessen the chance of infection.
Owing to strong contrary winds it was five days before we reached Cork. Most of the convicts, although apparently in a high state of health, suffered severely from sea sickness, after which about 50 of them were attacked with diarrhoea generally, accompanied with spasms in the abdomen; and seven who had neglected to apply for advice, when suffering from looseness, were sured with cholera, the symptoms and treatment of which will be seen by referring to the journal.
The germs of the disease must in all probability have been in their constitutions previous to their leaving the hulks and the disease coincident to sea sickness rendered their systems susceptible to its baneful influence.
From the circumstance of no case having occurred later than seven days after our departure from Kingston, I am inclined to think that the disease did not propagate itself on board. In fact, every precaution was taken to prevent infection. Those afflicted with the disease were removed to the hospital, bag and baggage. All their clothes were thrown into boiling water and afterwards immersed in a solution of Chlorine of Lime. The hospital and prison were kept clean, dry and well ventilated. The bedding and every article of clothing worn by the patients during the disease were destroyed after which the hospital and utensils were well washed with soap and hot water and then sprinkled with a solution of Chloride of Lime. The seven convalescents we had in the hospital after being well washed and newly clothed were removed to the "Surprise" hulk.
We sailed from
The disease as usual put on various shapes, but the men who had been formerly subject to organic complaints suffered most severely. One man, after removal of the scorbutic symptoms was afflicted with ascites which soon yielded to the usual remedies, but he never acquired strength afterward and died the day before we gained the land.
I have the honour to be Sir, your most obedient humble servant,
George Imlay, Surgeon."
NOTES
-----
The techniques used in isolating a contagious disease used by the Surgeon George Imlay in this 1832 voyage would not be faulted in today's society. Only modern chemicals have improved the chances of decontamination.
George Imlay settled in N.S.W. with his brothers and they were responsible for the opening up of a large part of the South Coast of NSW.
[1] from Thaddeus O’Mahony’s Death Certificate (#11.373/1879 Vic.)
[2]
[3] A book on Killarney names only two old lanes on the East side of Main Street, New Market and Duckett
when going northwards. Griffiths Valuation confirms they existed then. Today they are New Market and
Hilliards Lane in that order, and all the lanes are heritage listed.
[4] Surgeon’s Report. “
[5] Convict Records.
[6] Certificate of Freedon #39/1409 dated 26 Aug 1839
[7] Original Marriage Certificate still held by Alice SMOUT gg/dau of Thaddeus and Jane.
[8] Jane O’Mahoney’s Death Certificate (#1249/1884 Vic.)
[9] Passenger List of the “Lady Kennaway” 11 Sep 1848
[10] Margaret Stafford’s Death Certificate (#443/1882 Vic.)
[11] Margaret O’Mahoney’s Birth Certificate (#474/1860 Vic.)
[12] Theobald Dennison Mahony’s Birth Certificate (#619/1863 Vic.) from Alice SMOUT
[13] Original Marriage Certificate still held by Alice SMOUT g/dau of John and Mary Jane Howell.
[14] Jeremiah Patrick O’Mahony’s Marriage Certificate (#827/1879 Vic.) from Alice SMOUT
[15] Lillie Maree O’Mahony’s Marriage Certificate (#820/1879 Vic.) from Alice SMOUT
[16] Lillie Marree Mann’s Death Certificate (#1383/1930 Vic.) from Alice SMOUT
[17] Dorah O’Mahony’s Marriage Certificate (#486/1881 Vic.) from Alice SMOUT
[18] Margaret O’Mahoney’s Marriage Certificate (#323/1881 Vic.)
[19] Thaddeus Mahony’s Death Certificate (#967/1924 Vic.) from Alice SMOUT
[20] Ruth Omahony’s Marriage Certificate (#857/1886 Vic.) from Alice SMOUT
[21] John O’Mahoney’s Marriage Certificate (#165/1889 Vic.) sent by Alice SMOUT
[22] Letter from Alice SMOUT, gg/dau of Thaddeus and Jane, 14 Mar 1991.
[23] Thaddeus O’Mahony’s Death Certificate (#11.373/1879 Vic.)
[24] Jane O’Mahoney’s Death Certificate (#1249/1884 Vic.)
[25] Cemetery Records obtained from Springvale Crematorium by Heather Honey for me.