This couple are my great-great grandparents, both born in Ireland and emigrating to Victoria during the 1860s.Unfortunately, there are no known photographs of Nicholas and Bridget that have survived in this branch of the family tree...perhaps this blog will locate one that has been treasured down the generations in another line.
Bridget McGrath, according to her marriage certificate, was the daughter of farmer John McGrath and his wife Susannah Lappan. The following marriage record was located in the parish records of DONAGHMORE, County Tyrone:
MARRIAGE: November 4, 1840.
Parish of Donaghmore, Tyrone.
John McGrath, bachelor, married Susannah Lappan of Clonavaddy.
Witnesses: Patrick Lappan
Patrick Daily.
Donaghmore and Clonavaddy are both villages in the parish of Donaghmore, County Tyrone.Donaghmore is located about 5 km north-west of Dungannan, and situated on the River Torrent( long known as the "Torrent Flow").It has always been a mainly Catholic village, and today (2010) has a population of between 900 and 1000 people.
Not much at all is known of Bridget McGrath, and only marginally more has been discovered about her husband Nicholas.According to her death certificate, Bridget had been in Victoria for 40 years prior to her death in 1907, which puts her year of arrival as c. 1867, the year in which she married Nicholas on the Gippsland goldfields.
There are no records of a Bridget McGrath arriving in Victoria via assisted passage in c. 1866-67...just three who arrived in 1863- 18 year old Bridget McGrath on board the 'Caduceus' in July 1863; 20 year old Bridget on the 'Gresham' in December 1863 and 18 year old Bridget on the 'Ivanhoe' in February 1863.
When we look at unassisted shipping records, there are several contenders for a possible Bridget McGrath...22 year old Bridget arriving on the 'Shalimar' in September 1866; 18 year old Bridget on the 'Royal Standard' in December 1866 and 18 year old Bridget on the 'Wennington' in September 1865.
All of these Bridget McGraths were from Ireland, with no county specified on the index lists that I was consulting.
As opposed to Bridget McGrath's uncertain time of arrival in Australia, we are certain of Nicholas Sheridan's...he was a passenger on board the ship 'Hope'which arrived in Melbourne on Friday, June 19, 1863. A shipping report from The Argus on June 20 stated that the 'Hope' left Liverpool on March 8th and crossed the Equator on the 19th day from Tuskar. "The Hope brings a large number of bounty immigrants.She is in first rate order and reflects credit on her commander and his officers."
After his arrival in Melbourne, Nicholas headed for the gold fields, and was still a gold miner four years later when he married 21 year old Bridget McGrath from County Tyrone.As mentioned, Bridget was the daughter of farmer John McGrath and his wife Susannah Lappan, and she and Nicholas were married at Stringer’s Creek, Gippsland, on March 3, 1867. Bridget’s occupation was ‘Lady’, and Nicholas stated that he was a ‘Digger’.
One obituary dedicated to Nicholas Sheridan from 1904 stated the following about his gold mining activities: “Soon after landing in Victoria he went to Walhalla where he worked in the Long Tunnel Mine, and on the Spring Creek rush. Getting tired of Walhalla, he moved to Carisbrook where he met the future partner of his life, and where all but one of their large family was born. Giving up mining in 1874, he entered the Government service as a permanent officer of the railway department.”
Another obituary provided the following information:
“ After working in the Long Tunnel gold mine and in the Spring Creek rush for 15 months, he shifted to Carisbrook. At Woolbrook he christened a mine, of which he was one of the directors, ‘The Dan O’Connell’ mine. He relinquished mining in 1874 and joined the railway service there, whence he was transferred to this district as a ganger when the line was opened in the early eighties. Some six years ago he was transferred from here to Arcadia, where he remained two months and then retired on a pension, returning here to live. Some 18 months ago, while visiting Melbourne, he caught a cold, which developed into phthisis, to which he finally succumbed.”
Nicholas Sheridan died February 27, 1904, at his residence in Telford Street, Yarrawonga. Like so many of the Sheridan men of this time, he died of pulmonary tuberculosis. He was buried in the same grave as his son, John, who had died in 1900, and his granddaughter Margaret Sheridan who died soon after birth only 18 days before her grandfather.
Bridget McGrath Sheridan was cared for after the death of her husband by daughters Mary and Alice. She died on August 3, 1907, of connective nephritis and anaemia.
"OBITUARY: NICHOLAS SHERIDAN.
We regret to record the death of Mr. Nicholas Sheridan of Yarrawonga, who died at his residence in Telford Street last Saturday evening. Deceased was one of the oldest residents of the town, having come to Yarrawonga in the early 1880s, shortly after the opening of the railway line from Benalla.
Born in County Cavan, Ireland, sixty four years ago, he emigrated to Victoria in 1862. Soon after landing he went to Walhalla where he worked in the Long Tunnel Mine, and on the Spring Creek rush. Getting tired of Walhalla, he moved to Carisbrook, where he met the future partner of his life, and where all but one of their large family was born. Giving up mining in 1874, he entered the Government service as a permanent officer of the Railway department.
Having proved himself to be thoroughly reliable, and a man who could be depended upon, he was sent to this town a little more than twenty years ago. Mr. Sheridan shortly afterwards brought his family here, and made Yarrawonga his home ever since.
About six years ago he was removed by his department to Arcadia, but as he did not relish leaving Yarrawonga, where he owned a good deal of real estate, and where his family were comfortably settled, he resigned his appointment after two months further service and retired on a pension.
It was observed by many of his friends that he appeared to droop, and showed signs of being weary of life soon after giving up active work, but few thought that he was near his end until about eighteen months ago he caught a cold in Melbourne which settled upon his lungs. As time proceeded, his case became worse, and finally he succumbed to a general break up of the system.
Always a shrewd man of business, he preserved his intelligence to the last, and although he wasted almost to a skeleton before he died, he seemed to suffer very little pain, and passed away quite quietly while talking to one of his sons.
He leaves a widow and a large family of sons and daughters to mourn his death. We are glad to say they are all well provided for, and highly respected throughout the district.
last Monday afternoon his remains were escorted to their final resting place in the Yarrawonga Cemetery by a large number of friends and relations. The last sad offices at the grave side were performed by the Rev. father Mahony, and the funeral arrangements were conducted by Mr. S.T. Bowles."
-From the 'Yarrawonga Mercury and Southern Riverina Advertiser', Thursday, march 3, 1904.
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