Difference between revisions of "Patrick Sheedy"
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Shortly after the [[Eureka Stockade]] Patrick Sheedy was living near Killarney, spending his remaining years at 'Bird Hill', the family property named for his birthplace. Sheedy married Ellen O'Connell in 1855 at Warrnambool. Ellen was from Cappelaheen, County Clare, and was a relative of The Liberator). Patrick Sheedy initially laboured on farms of the famed Farnham Survey but soon himself became a Rutledge tenant. In 1874 Sheedy was offered the staggering sum of £1000 for his | Shortly after the [[Eureka Stockade]] Patrick Sheedy was living near Killarney, spending his remaining years at 'Bird Hill', the family property named for his birthplace. Sheedy married Ellen O'Connell in 1855 at Warrnambool. Ellen was from Cappelaheen, County Clare, and was a relative of The Liberator). Patrick Sheedy initially laboured on farms of the famed Farnham Survey but soon himself became a Rutledge tenant. In 1874 Sheedy was offered the staggering sum of £1000 for his | ||
entire crop of potatoes. Patrick and his wife raised thirteen children at Killarney: James (of Trentham), Bridget (Mrs John McLaughlan), Margaret (Mrs Jeremiah Gallagher), Patrick (1860-1865), John (died Deniliquin, NSW), Mary (Mrs Thomas Joyce), Ellen (Mrs Charles Kane), Martin (of Killarney), Michael (Melbpurne), Catherine (Mrs Hugh Carmody), Ann (Mrs Andrew Gallagher), Agnes (nm)and Elizabeth (Mrs Bernard Kane). The Sheedy boys played in the highly successful 'Golden Crown' Tower Hill football team.<ref>Email from J. Fawcett to C. Gervasoni, 28 November 2004.</ref> | entire crop of potatoes. Patrick and his wife raised thirteen children at Killarney: James (of Trentham), Bridget (Mrs John McLaughlan), Margaret (Mrs Jeremiah Gallagher), Patrick (1860-1865), John (died Deniliquin, NSW), Mary (Mrs Thomas Joyce), Ellen (Mrs Charles Kane), Martin (of Killarney), Michael (Melbpurne), Catherine (Mrs Hugh Carmody), Ann (Mrs Andrew Gallagher), Agnes (nm)and Elizabeth (Mrs Bernard Kane). The Sheedy boys played in the highly successful 'Golden Crown' Tower Hill football team.<ref>Email from J. Fawcett to C. Gervasoni, 28 November 2004.</ref> | ||
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| + | Patrick Sheedy had firm connections with the families of [[Michael O'Dea]], Lynch and Joyce families of the [[Tower Hill]] region. | ||
==See also== | ==See also== | ||
Revision as of 10:55, 29 March 2013
Contents
Background
Irish church records confirm that Patrick was born at Birdhill near Nenagh, County Tipperary, Ireland on the 3rd of December 1815. His father John Sheedy was a farmer, at nearby Oakhampton, and his mother was Mary Burke.[1]
In 1845 Patrick's physical description in convict records states that he had a sallow complexion, an oval head & visage and dark brown hair.He had no whiskers,had dark brown eyebrows, long thin nose, medium shape mouth and a double chin.[2]
Patrick had been transported to Hobart in 1845 aboard the Ratcliffe after attempting to ambush a party of soldiers at O' Brien's Bridge, near Newport, County Tipperary, Ireland. Sheedy was one of the notorious 'Whiteboys' of County Tipperary. Despite the increased security at Nenagh gaol at the time of Sheedy's arrest his cell mate managed to lower himself from his cell and escape the compound.[3]
Sheedy was sentenced to 14 years transportation with hard labour, which he served at Saltwater River after arriving at Hobart on 29 August 1845. He appeared a model prisoner for the first five years but was only biding his time for an opportunity to escape. In September 1850 Sheedy was given a pass to visit Richard Waycroft, the innkeeper who was also visited by John Mitchel immediately prior to his escape from Tasmania. This was followed by two visits to James Ross and then shortly after Sheedy absconded from Tasmania (a rewardfor his capture were still posted in the Gazette as late as 1857).[4]
Patrick Sheedy's rebel upbringing was consistent among the Sheedy families in Ireland; they were regularly involved with secret societies and insurrection. Irish church records confirm that Patrick was born at Birdhill near Nenagh on the 3rd of December 1815. His father John Sheedy was a farmer, at nearby Oakhampton, and his mother was Mary Burke. Whether to hide his convict background or his involvement as a Whiteboy Patrick's death certificate details are most irregular. The local Registrar who had lived near Sheedy for over thirty years recorded that Patrick was just 45 years of age instead of his real age of 70 year; his children's ages were altered so that he could appear a much younger man; incorrect parents were recorded; and his marriage, birthplace and burial details were all altered. But Sheedy was not the only rebel who lived in the Irish stronghold at Killarney whose history was deliberately covered.[5]
Patrick Sheedy died on the 26 December 1885, and buried in Tower Hill Cemetery.
Goldfields Involvement, 1854
Patrick Sheedy was arrested after the Eureka Stockade rebellion and brought before the Police Court along with Joseph Ellis, Pergo (a Spaniard) and Romeo (an Italian). Michael McAdam, a private in the 40th swore that he saw Sheedy taken 'convanient' to a tent 200 yards from the stockade, but Patrick Lynot (also a private in the 40th) swore that Sheedy came out of his tent about 500 yards from the stockade 'only to see what was happening'. An unconvincing account given that a full-scale battle had just taken place.[6]
Both Pergo and Romeo were discharged along with Patrick Sheedy but Joseph Ellis was remanded for further examination. Fortunate for Sheedy that police had little time for background checks on those arrested, as he was a convict absconder from Tasmania. [7]
Post 1854 Experiences
Shortly after the Eureka Stockade Patrick Sheedy was living near Killarney, spending his remaining years at 'Bird Hill', the family property named for his birthplace. Sheedy married Ellen O'Connell in 1855 at Warrnambool. Ellen was from Cappelaheen, County Clare, and was a relative of The Liberator). Patrick Sheedy initially laboured on farms of the famed Farnham Survey but soon himself became a Rutledge tenant. In 1874 Sheedy was offered the staggering sum of £1000 for his entire crop of potatoes. Patrick and his wife raised thirteen children at Killarney: James (of Trentham), Bridget (Mrs John McLaughlan), Margaret (Mrs Jeremiah Gallagher), Patrick (1860-1865), John (died Deniliquin, NSW), Mary (Mrs Thomas Joyce), Ellen (Mrs Charles Kane), Martin (of Killarney), Michael (Melbpurne), Catherine (Mrs Hugh Carmody), Ann (Mrs Andrew Gallagher), Agnes (nm)and Elizabeth (Mrs Bernard Kane). The Sheedy boys played in the highly successful 'Golden Crown' Tower Hill football team.[8]
Patrick Sheedy had firm connections with the families of Michael O'Dea, Lynch and Joyce families of the Tower Hill region.
See also
http://www.hotkey.net.au/~jwilliams4/patrick1.htm
Further Reading
Corfield, J.,Wickham, D., & Gervasoni, C. The Eureka Encyclopaedia, Ballarat Heritage Services, 2004.
References
- ↑ Email from J. Fawcett to C. Gervasoni, 28 November 2004.
- ↑ http://www.hotkey.net.au/~jwilliams4/patrick1.htm, viewed 29 March 2013.
- ↑ Email from J. Fawcett to C. Gervasoni, 28 November 2004.
- ↑ Email from J. Fawcett to C. Gervasoni, 28 November 2004.
- ↑ Email from J. Fawcett to C. Gervasoni, 28 November 2004.
- ↑ Email from J. Fawcett to C. Gervasoni, 28 November 2004.
- ↑ Email from J. Fawcett to C. Gervasoni, 28 November 2004.
- ↑ Email from J. Fawcett to C. Gervasoni, 28 November 2004.
