Patrick Gittings

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Memorial to those who died as a result of the Eureka Stockade located in the Eureka Stockade Memorial Gardens. Photography: Clare Gervasoni 2013.

Background

Gittings was born c1822 in Co. Kilkenny, Ireland, and sailed to Australia on the Mangerton in 1852.[1] His parents were Lawrence and Mary Gittens, farmer of Kilkenny, Ireland. Patrick Gittings was best man at the wedding of Bridget Hynes (Nolan) and Thomas Hynes.[2]

Goldfields Involvement, 1854

Gittings came to the stockade from Creswick. He was killed at the Eureka Stockade on 3 December 1854 from gunshot wounds, aged 32 years. He possibly died in a cart while being transported to Geelong. Gittings was buried at Geelong, although there is no official record of his burial. [3]

Family

Patrick Gittings was the son of Lawrence and Mary Gittings.[4]

In The News

The Men Who Fell at Eureka.
The list of killed and wounded at Eureka has never been complete, for many who escaped wounded died afterwards, ana some of the dead were taken away by their friends. The diggers' casualties as prepared by Peter Lalor, were as follows, from which it will be be seen that the majority who fell were Irishmen:— Killed — John Hynes and John Diamond, of County Clare; Patrick Gittens, Thomas O'Neil, and — Mullins, of County Kilkenny; Samuel Green, England; [John Robertson], Scotland; [[Edward Thoneman],] Prussia; John Hafele, Wurtemburg, Germany; George Donaghy, County Donegal; Edward Quin, County Cavan; Thomas Quinlan, Goulburn, N.S.W.; a digger on Eureka known as "Happy Jack;" and two others whose names were unknown. Died of their wounds — Lieutenant Ross, Canada; William Clifton, Somersetshire; Thaddeus Moore, County Clare; James Brown, Newry, Ireland; Robert Julien, Nova Scotia; Edward McGlyn, Ireland; two men whose surnames were Crowe and Fenton; and another quite unknown. Twelve men who were wounded are known to have recovered. Of the attacking force, three privates were killed in the assault, and Captain Wise and another private died of their, wounds.[5]
TO THE EDITOR OF THE ARGUS. - Sir-I think that any person knowing Mr. Oddie would know he would not exaggerate about the Eureka Stockade. I wish to inform Mr. Sadlier I am the person who conveyed the bodies of Gittens and O'Neill to Ballarat Cemetery on that memorable 3rd of December, 1854, and on the body of one of those there were 10 wounds. I will let the public of the present day judge for themselves whether that was butchery or not.
Yours. &c., . M. BOLGER.[6]

See also

Ballaarat Old Cemetery

James Oddie

Further Reading

Corfield, J.,Wickham, D., & Gervasoni, C. The Eureka Encyclopaedia, Ballarat Heritage Services, 2004.


References

  1. Wickham, D., Gervasoni, C. & Phillipson, W., Eureka Research Directory, Ballarat Heritage Services, 1999.
  2. The Star, 10 December 1996.
  3. Wickham, D., Gervasoni, C. & Phillipson, W., Eureka Research Directory, Ballarat Heritage Services, 1999.
  4. https://www.geni.com/people/Patrick-Gittins/6000000043556795513, accessed 08 April 2017.
  5. Advocate, 8 July 1899.
  6. The Argus, 20 September 1913.

External links