Patrick Godfrey (c.1800-1840) and Rose Byrne (1805-after 1849)
Our Great Great Great Grandparents
Patrick Godfrey was probably born between 1795 and 1800 in County Carlow. Rose Byrne was born in Carlow on 14 October 1805, the daughter of John Byrne and his wife Judith1.
Patrick and Rose probably married in Carlow around 1820. I have verified five of their children – Patrick, Anne, Sarah, Mary and Elizabeth – but they may have had as many as eight children:
- Patrick (c.1821-1882) – born in Carlow Town about 1821, he was convicted of larceny at Kilkenny on 29 October 1844 and sentenced to transportation for seven years. He was initially imprisoned at Smithfield, Dublin before being transferred to London for transportation. He left London on the convict ship Ratcliffe on 19 May 1845, arriving at Hobart Town on 30 August 1845. He was granted a ticket-of-leave in April 1849, but according to one researcher this was revoked when he failed to turn up for muster. Having served out his sentence Patrick went to Sydney, where he married Mary Jane Southern on 25 October 1852. They had ten children: Elizabeth, Roseanne (1853-1935), William (b.1855), Thomas (1858-1924), Sarah Ann (1859-1949), Alice Mary (1861-1949), Mary Jane (b.1867), Patrick (1870-1926), Martin (1874-1946) and Edward (1876-1924). In 1879 Patrick had a run-in with the law at Murrumburrah, being charged with “stabbing James O’Neil, with a pocket knife”, for which he was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment at Yass gaol. On 28 January 1882 at Barwang station near Harden, Patrick committed suicide by taking strychnine. His wife was reported as saying “…he had often threatened to take poison because he was tired of his life”2.
- Anne (1822-1908) – born in County Carlow on 19 August 1821, she came to New South Wales aboard the Champion in 1840. She married Thomas Griffin (c.1806-1853) in 1844 at Camden and they had at least five children born at Goulburn: Elizabeth (b.1845), William (b.1847), Thomas (b.1848), Sarah Jane (b.1850) and Henry (b.1852). At the time of the marriage, Thomas was a convict serving life for sheep stealing. He had been tried, convicted and sentenced at Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire on 27 July 1829 and transported in 1830 aboard the Adrian. He was granted a Ticket of Leave on 20 November 1838 and was a conditional pardon in 1845. His death in 1853 was found by Coroners’ Inquest to have been a suicide. In 1855, two years after Thomas’ death, Anne married William Paterson at Jamberoo, New South Wales and they had three children: Robert (1856-1915), Andrew (1857-1941) and Mary (1858-1860). Anne died at Nowra, New South Wales.
- Sarah (1824-1856) – born in County Carlow, she came to New South Wales aboard the Champion in 1840. She married Martin Quigley in Sydney in 1841 and they had nine children: Sarah Jane (1842-1921), Anne (1844-1906), Bridget (b.1847), Eliza (b.1848), Rosanna (b.1850), William (b.1851), Harriet Winnifred (b.1854), Martin (1854-1934) and Emily (b.1856). Sarah died at Bombala, New South Wales in 1856, possibly from complications during or after the birth of Emily Quigley.
- Martin (b.1827) – born in 18 March 1827 at Palatine, about 6½ kilometers east of Carlow Town3.
- William (b.1829) – born on 19 May 1829 in Carlow Town4.
- Mary (1831-1912) – born in Carlow Town on 26 January 1831, she came to New South Wales aboard the Lismoyne in 1849. She married Michael Doyle in Sydney in 1852 and they had seven children, details for six of whom have been found: Mary (b.1855), Sarah (b.1859), James (b.1860), Hannah (b.1861), Mary (b.1869), Alphonso (b.1871). Mary died at Parramatta.
- Elizabeth (1833-1920) (our ancestor)
- Bridget (b.1836) – born on 19 May 1836 at Quarrey, County Carlow5.
Patrick is known to have died before 1840, and if he conceived a child in 1836 he must have died between 1835 and 1840. Rose was still alive in 1849. She may or may not have been an inmate of the Carlow Workhouse, but in any case is presumed to have been very poor as she was unable to support her daughters Mary and Elizabeth, who were both inmates of the workhouse before their removal to New South Wales.
1 Borris Parish Carlow Ireland, Vol.1, Page 314, Entry No.3872. Copied from printed copy at Carlow Town Library & Study Centre Carlow Ireland, July 2013 by Veronica Coote.
2 The Monaro Mercury, and Cooma and Bombala Advertiser, Wednesday 8 February 1882, p.3.
3 Tinryland Parish Co. Carlow Ireland, page 123, Baptisms printed 25 Oct 2002 by Veronica Coote. I have not been able to independently verify these details but have no reason to doubt them.
4 No evidence has been cited, but the detail provided by Veronica Coote suggests that evidence was found by her. I have not been able to independently verify these details but have no reason to doubt them.
5 Baptism in the Carlow Cathedral Parish Baptisms Co. Carlow Ireland. Cited by Veronica Coote. I have not been able to independently verify these details but have no reason to doubt them.
Back to Godfrey / Kerrison page