Back to The Sheridans...5. Mary Sheridan.

Above: The birth certificate of Mary Sheridan, fifth child and second daughter of Nicholas & Bridget Sheridan.

Mary Sheridan was born in Carisbrook, Victoria, on May 15, 1874, the fifth child and second daughter born to Irish parents Nicholas Sheridan and Bridget McGrath.Mary was born with a physical deformity in her left leg and hip, and her left leg was somewhat shorter than her right. This is obvious in the above photo of the Sheridan family in 1880, where father Nicholas is firmly holding onto 6 year old Mary's arm to support her.

Mary initially went to school in Carisbrook, most likely at the local St Francis Catholic School, although a public school also existed. When her family moved to Yarrawonga in the mid-1880s, Mary and her siblings attended the Sacred Heart Convent of Mercy School.
In the latter part of 1901, when she was 27 years old, Mary Sheridan fell pregnant, and on August 6, 1902,in Yarrawonga, she gave birth to a son named Michael Sheridan. One can only imagine the shock waves this would have sent through the strictly Catholic Sheridan family, and it is to Mary's credit that she kept the child and did not adopt him out.
Nicholas Sheridan died in 1904, and with her sister Alice, Mary cared for her mother Bridget until the latter's death in August 1907. Just months before her mother's death, Mary Sheridan fell pregnant again, and in the Women's Hospital in Carlton on January 12, 1908, she gave birth to her first daughter, Anastasia Sheridan.
As with her first illegitimate child, Michael Sheridan, no father was named on the baby's birth certificate, but six months after her birth Mary Sheridan married shearer Edward Joseph Hampton. The couple were married at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Yarrawonga, on 22 July, 1908, and the witnesses who signed their marriage certificate were Mary's siblings Patrick and Alice Sheridan. Edward was noted as being a 39 year old labourer, the son of farmer Samuel Hampton and Marion Wright. His wife Mary Sheridan was a "Lady", the 34 year old daughter of Nicholas Sheridan and Bridget McGrath, both deceased.
Mary and Edward had a family of five children, and on the birth certificate of each child Anastasia (who was usually known as 'Mary')was named as the eldest sibling. Michael, however,was never named as a sibling, even though he was raised as a Hampton and used that name all of his life.

Mary Sheridan's seven children were as follows:

1. MICHAEL SHERIDAN HAMPTON: b August 6, 1902, Yarrawonga. Died 1985, aged 82. Occupation was a water bailiff. Married at Alexandra in 1926 to Eileen Florence Whyte.
Children : Mary; Alfred James ( 1928-1990); Catherine; Lawrence; Wallace; Alfreda; Edna; Michael; Doris and Barry.

2. ANASTASIA SHERIDAN: b January 12, 1908, Carlton. Father not noted. Raised as a Hampton and acknowledged by Edward Hampton as his own child on other certificates. Was often known as ‘Mary’.
Married Michael Daniel McCarthy in Yarrawonga in 1927, and lived her life at Yarrawonga. In the electoral rolls, for some reason Anastasia and Michael were often shown at different addresses. For example:

1931: Anastasia McCarthy, Orr Street, Yarrawonga, Home duties

Michael Daniel McCarthy, Irvine Pde, Yarrawonga, labourer.

1936 and 1937 as above.

1942: May Anastasia, Telford Street, Yarrawonga, home duties

Michael Daniel McCarthy, Gilmore Street, Yarrawonga, labourer.


1949: May Anastasia, Telford Street, Yarrawonga, home duties.

Michael Daniel, Telford Street, labourer.


1954: May Anastasia McCarthy, Telford Street, Yarrawonga, home duties.

Kevin McCarthy, Telford Street, Yarrawonga, labourer

George Edward McCarthy, Telford Street, labourer.


Anastasia Hampton and Michael McCarthy had a large family of eleven children, born in Yarrawonga between about 1927 and c. 1949. They were:

George McCarthy: b c. 1927

Kevin McCarthy b c. 1929

Patricia McCarthy b c. 1930

Mary McCarthy b c. 1931

Michael McCarthy b c. 1934

Ronald McCarthy b c. 1938

Ellen McCarthy b c. 1939

Brian McCarthy b c. 1942

Keith McCarthy b c. 1944

Beverley McCarthy b c. 1946

Margaret McCarthy b c. 1949.

(These ages are only approximate and were taken from their mother’s death certificate)

Michael Daniel McCarthy, son of George William McCarthy and Ellen Cusack, died at Yarrawonga in 1951 aged 51. Anastasia was left widowed with children whose ages ranged from about 24 to 2 years.

Anastasia Sheridan Hampton McCarthy died at Yarrawonga on July 19, 1982, aged 74 years. She was buried in the Yarrawonga Cemetery.

3. MARY AGNES HAMPTON: b Nov 7, 1909, Yarrawonga. Confusingly, Mary Agnes Hampton was known as ‘Agnes’ or ‘Aggie’ rather than ‘Mary’, and her elder sister Anastasia usually went by the name ‘Mary’. Mary Agnes Hampton married Frederick George Lobb in 1931. He was born in Eaglehawk in 1903, the son of James Lobb and Eva Green. Frederick was one of eleven children, and both of his parents died when the younger children were still very young-James Lobb on July 4, 1912, and Eva Lobb on January 13, 1913. Their orphaned children ranged in age from twenty five to nine years.

The details on the marriage certificate of Aggie Hampton and Fred Lobb were as follows:

On August 22, 1931, at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Yarrawonga, Frederick George Lobb, bachelor, birthplace Eaglehawk, labourer aged 28 years, present and usual residence Yarrawonga, parents James Lobb, miner, and Eva Green MARRIED Mary Agnes Hampton, spinster,birthplace Yarrawonga, occupation home duties, present and usual residence Yarrawonga, 21 years old, daughter of Edward Hampton, labourer, and Mary Sheridan. Witnesses to the event were Aggie's sister, Anastacia (who signed the certificate "Mrs Mary Anastasia McCarthy") and her husband Michael Daniel Mccarthy.

Frederick Lobb, husband of Aggie Hampton, died in 1966, aged 62. It appears that he and Aggie may have separated if the electoral rolls are anything to go by...in 1942 Frederick appeared in Eaglehawk with his sister Myrtle, working as a miner, then in 1949 and 1954 he was at 129 Mason Street, Newport. Mary Agnes Lobb was living at Piper Street, Yarrawonga, in the electoral rolls of 1942, 1949 and 1954. I have no idea if Fred and Aggie had any children.

4. BRIDGET VERONICA HAMPTON: b August 16, 1912, Yarrawonga. Died March 19, 1913, aged 7 months, of marasmus ( failure to thrive)

5. MARION FRANCES HAMPTON: twin of Bridget. Died March 16, 1917, aged 4 years, of tubercular meningitis & intracranial pressure of three days duration.

6. ALICE TERESA HAMPTON: b 1913, Yarrawonga. Married William Thurley. Died of stomach cancer aged 40 in 1954, at Lynch Street, Yarrawonga. Her death certificate is confusing...where it states:”Issue in order of birth, the names and ages”, the registrar has written “Jean 17; Mary 16; Joan 11 and Margaret 4”. He has then written beside this information “In column 13 Jean 17 years, Mary 16 years should not appear.”Signed October 4, 1954”.

Alice Teresa Hampton Thurley lived in Piper Street, Yarrawonga.

7. EDWARD THOMAS HAMPTON: b April 4, 1918, Yarrawonga. Final child of Mary Sheridan and Edward Hampton. Married Laurel Wymms and had two sons, John Hampton and Edward Hampton. The family lived in Piper Street, Yarrawonga. Edward died on October 18, 2001. His wife Laurel died in 1982.

Mary Sheridan Hampton died February 11,1964, in Beechworth Hospital, aged 90(husband Edward had died in 1943, aged 74) Her children were named as Michael 64; Mary 56; Agnes 54; Bridget and Marion twins dec; Alice dec and Edward 45. Her nephew, Bill Marshall, wrote of his aunt: “ Poor Mary was very brave to raise a family, as she had a diseased hip which, through shortening that leg, caused her to walk with a very bad limp. However, this never caused her to lose her sense of humour.”


I have a real soft spot for my great-great Aunty Mary...she overcame many adversities during her life whilst remaining strong and seeing the bright side of bad situations. I have never seen a photo of her except for the Sheridan group photo when she was just a child. Hopefully one of her descendants may find this blog and provide a copy of a photograph of Mary.