Who was Patrick Dunlea?

[Greenhornet_au]

LOL digging up at the local oval tonight we met someone like Megssy.

Got the local history and some good references to sites, from research she has done on local families. :Y:

Kato is well balanced and has not led a sheltered life as any child of ours, we are realists, she will be right Megssy.

 

[MegsyB007]

But James was a businessman, and quite a successful one in his lifetime, as a merchant living in Melbourne.

I also saw an article in the Argus that said hed been nominated for the Williamstown Council, but I couldnt find anything else on that to see if he accepted it.

James died at Shandon, his home, on 28th Oct 1894 at age 63. His wife Margaret died in February 1916.

I found his probate documents, and his wife and children were listed as his only next of kin.

And I find it hard to believe that he didnt have a Last Will and Testament either!

This is after the pages and pages of accounting was finished, including all the store trading records. He bought a lot of grog and tobacco, and chocolate from Cadbury Bros, among a lot of other things such as candles, soap, perfume, salmon and oilskin wear.

And the final tally was...

Real estate to the value of 3,024? How much was that mansion worth?

But not a bad total worth, really. 18,778 was a lot of money in 1894! Its a lot of money today, to a lot of people, but who knows what the equivalent would be in todays currency? I dont know, and Im not too fussed about finding that out. Lets just say its a lot and move on! Putting it into perspective, his widow could afford to buy six mansions!

I did read that there was an estate auction that sold off his businesses that fetched a good sum, so Margaret sold his businesses after he died.

I know James and Margaret are buried at St Kilda Cemetery, where, co-incidentally, so are some of my ancestors. Unfortunately, there are no pictures online to see his grave, but when I was reading the information on the St Kilda Cemetery website, it mentioned a tour scheduled for August 25th that is the tour of the Early Merchants of the Colony, and thats our James! Im wondering if hes included in the tour.

Anyway, thats James story, or what Ive found so far. But while I was doing a broad search of just Dunlea, I came across one line of information that made me say, Oh no And thats the lead in to the next instalment that Ill post tomorrow night. Stay tuned.

 

[Greenhornet_au]

Ooooh......

I can hardly wait.

 

[Gpx5000]

Great story Megsy.

It reminded me of when I used to dive a wreck from the 1800's, she was taking gold miners back to England with all their worth. It's called The Royal Charter , it was the fastest, most luxurious iron hulled steam clipper, with a 200hp steam engine for when there was no wind, she could do Liverpool to Port Phillip Bay in 59 days.

452 people perished when she crashed into rocks on October 29th 1859, during a storm, which later became known as The Royal Charter storm.

There's a book about it called The Golden Wreck, I think it's by Brian McNamara from memory. This is another great story.

Those were certainly the days when things went pear shaped it usually affected a lot of people.

Cheers

 

[Gpx5000]

The Golden Wreck is written by Alexander McKee, my memory isn't as good as it used to be

 

[MegsyB007]

Did you find anything on the wreck Gpx5000?
That would be a very cool expedition!

Cheers,
Megsy

 

[Gpx5000]

Yes, a mother of pearl button with a brass rim, a silver fork and a bottle of what we believed was champagne, with the cork still in situ, I'll dig the button out, as i kept that, the other items were handed to the seawatch centre because they had a display of items recovered from the wreck.

 

[Greenhornet_au]

Gpx5000 did you actually get to detect the wreck ?

 

[Gpx5000]

I did, I bought a Fisher 1280x underwater detector, but it was an iron hulled ship, and an expedition in the '80s used explosives to gain access under the wreck, so there was bits of iron hull everywhere.
The things we found were by way of airlift, using a compressor to pump air down to the nozzle and comes up via a big tube which causes a venturi effect and sucks the sand away, we got down to the coal bunker
The stuff we recovered was well and truly wedged in the rocks.
Here's the button:

 

[BigWave]

A Ripping Yarn mate.
Can't wait till the "Oh no..." installment.

 

[user 14190]

My Great-Great Grandfather was shipped out here by order of someone in England, arrived in 1827, he was listed as a "Pearl Button Maker" from Birmingham. :Y: :Y: :Y:

Graham

 

[MegsyB007]

OK, here's the next installment...

Oh no

While I was doing a broad search of just Dunlea, I found another J. Dunlea - John Dunlea - and a search of the baptism records in County Cork, revealed that he was, in fact, James and Patricks brother.

John was born in 1833 and sailed to Australia on the Salem from Liverpool, arriving on 7th August 1858, nearly four years after James arrived in December 1854.
John was 25 years old when he arrived in Melbourne, and theres not a lot of information on what he did when he arrived.

But then the next piece of information I found about John, made my heart sink and say oh no when I saw it was listed in the Register of Mining Accidents in Victoria. I opened it and saw just this one line

That W.Y.H.S. is the source of the information, which in this case is the Woady Yaloak Historical Society.

I hadnt heard of Pitfield before, so I did some investigating to see if that was the mines name, but it wasnt the mine. Its actually an area about 50kms south east of Ballarat. It was the southern-most point of the goldfields on the Woady Yaloak Creek. There was a mine there called The Try Again Mine in a spot called Hells Kitchen, because it was at the bottom of a deep gully, and it looked well named...

 

[MegsyB007]

The Mine

But thats not where John was mining. I searched around and discovered it was a mine called The Cape Clear Mine.

Cape Clear is about 14kms along the Pitfield-Scarsdale Road, from where John was living in Scarsdale at the time.

I found this small piece about the Cape Clear Mine in the Mining Surveyors Report from 1864-65, that covered the general area of mining around there.

The Cape Clear Mine was started by a couple of Irishmen, who named it after the southern-most point of Ireland, thats called Cape Clear.

Now I dont know if John was one of those Irishmen who started the mine, but I know he worked there, and one of the witnesses said hed known John for four months. But I dont know if that meant hed only been there for four months, or John had only been there for four months. I cant work that out, unless I can place him somewhere else beforehand, which I havent been able to do.

 

[MegsyB007]

The Inquest

With a bit more searching, I found this I wasnt really sure if I wanted to read it, but curiosity got the better of me.

The Witnesses statements say

The Examination of Henry Blair at Cape Clear, taken on oath this tenth day of October AD 1864 at Cape Clear, before the undersigned, a Coroner in the said district. The Deponent, Henry Blair, on his oath, saith as follows: I am a miner and live at Cape Clear. I am at present working in the Cape Clear Mine. I have known the deceased John Dunlea, about four months. On Saturday 8th instant (meaning October), the deceased, myself, David Pyne and a foreigner went to work our shift at the mine at one oclock in the afternoon. We drilled two holes, charged them with powder, and fired them all off safe. The shaft is about 137 feet deep. We descended the shaft again. Near seven oclock we had drilled three holes and charged them. We sent Pyne and the foreigner up in the bucket, deceased and I remained to light the fuse to fire the shots. I got into the bucket and stuck two lighted candles to the chain of the bucket. We always do so as the shaft is not timbered about 30 feet from the bottom, and we require the lights to avoid the timber as we are drawn up, as there are the frame on one side and the centre timbers on the outer. After I put the candles on the chain, the deceased lighted the fuse with the lighted candle in his hand. He then got into the bucket and called Heave up. We had not got up as high as the timbers when our lights went out. Immediately afterwards, my head came against the timber. I called, Look out John, he said, Alright bud, its very awkward without lights. Immediately then, he caught the centre with his forehead and was drawn in a backward position from me. I caught hold of his oilskin (jacket) but it slipped out of my hand. I heard him fall on the bottom of the shaft. I called out to them above, John Dunleas off the bucket. I was heaved up a little, then lowered down a little. I was heaved up a little again and the shots went off two shots. I was heaved up to the surface then, and two men went below with me in the bucket. We found deceased lying in the bottom of the shaft. He said, Oh my arm. We lifted him into the bucket and Jerry, one of the men, went up to the surface with him. I never saw him again alive. The deceased and I were always on the best terms, most particularly so. By the jury, it would be safer to have lights hung near the centres, than have the candles on the chain. Signed, Henry Blair.

Yeah, no *****, mate! It would be great to see when youre 107 feet down a dark mine shaft heading towards some timber beams! Lights could be a good idea there And I have to wonder if they did get them in the end.

But the next witness statement said it happened a little bit differently...

Jeremiah Cremin said, I knew the deceased John Dunlea, he was a native of Cork, Ireland, 32 years of age (he was 31), not married. He has two brothers in this Colony. On Saturday morning, I break fasted in the company of the deceased, John Dunlea. He was then quite well. Nearly seven oclock in the evening I was at the claim, I saw Pyne and another man come up the Cape Clear shaft. Shortly afterwards the men below sang out, Heave up, the engine commenced to heave up. About immediately I heard a voice in the shaft say, Johns off the bucket. Shortly afterwards the bucket was hove to the surface. Henry Blair was alone in the bucket. He said John had fallen off the bucket. A light was got I got on, also Henry Blair and Robert Mitchell. We were lowered to below the timbers, when deceased called out, as he feared the bucket would come upon him. About ten or fifteen feet from the bottom, I got out and went down the tail and then steadied the bucket from him. He was sitting with his back against the passage. He told me to look out for his arm and leg he did not blame anyone for the accident. We got him into the bucket, I went up with him to the surface. He was put on a stretcher and taken to the Cape Clear Hotel. Doctor Foster was sent for he came within an hour and attended to deceased. I remained with deceased until his death about half past twelve Saturday night, the 8th instant (October). Signed, Jeremiah Cremin.

Righty oh Critically injured from a 30 foot fall to a solid rock floor and two explosions going off nearby take him to the pub!
I really, sincerely, hope that they gave him a good dose of Irish whiskey before he died. I really do

 

[MegsyB007]

The Doctors statement said

The Deponent, Thomas Foster, on his oath, saith as follows: I am a legally qualified medical practitioner and live at Springdellah. On Saturday night, the 8th instant, I was sent for to see the deceased, John Dunlea, at the Cape Clear Hotel. I found him laying on a stretcher, moaning as if in great pain. He was cold and almost pulse-less. I observed blood coming from his right arm near the shoulder. On examining the wound I found the bone of the arm projecting through it. I observed several small wounds on the same arm. The bones of the forearm and fingers were broken.
He complained of difficulty of breathing. I examined his chest and found his ribs broken and displaced. I then examined his left leg and found both bones broken. I immediately dressed his wounds, set the broken bones, applied heat to his extremities and gave him stimulants. He never rallied. I remained with him until twelve oclock. I was informed he died half an hour after I left. I am of opinion the cause of death arose from the great shock sustained to his nervous system arising from the injuries received. Signed, Thomas Foster.

Yeah, I dont think any treatment was going to work, Doc You should have just given him a bottle of whiskey, rather than put him through shocking pain trying to set his many broken bones, and let him die like an Irishman In a pub with a bottle of Irish whiskey under his belt, and feeling no pain.

Poor John. What a terrible way to die.

And Im not 100% sure - there may have been an earlier one than this - but I think it was possibly here at MacTaggarts Cape Clear Hotel, which is no longer there. Its been replaced by a brick Cape Clear Hotel now.

And just a little aside here They said they went to work at the mine on Saturday the 8th, and he died at half past midnight, so that made it Sunday the 9th that he died. Its got the wrong date on his death certificate that says he died on the 8th October 1864. Oops! Maybe the Doc had been hitting the whiskey he seems to have forgotten he had a critically wounded patient when he went home at midnight and just left him to die maybe he didnt know what day it was then

 

[MegsyB007]

There was no mention of this mining accident or his death in the local papers, that I could find. Just this one pathetic notice in the Melbourne Argus that got his name wrong! And Springdallah is not Ballarat either its 50kms away!

That is so horrible, to put a notice in a paper like that one, of someone's tragic death! And get their name wrong!

Next I discovered Johns grave is at Scarsdale Cemetery, where he lived at the time of his death, and when I saw the photo, I made a vow, that I am going to Scarsdale as soon as I can arrange it without freezing to death.

Because it looks like this And no, it wont look like that after Ive gone to pay my respects to John Dunlea

But this is what I was saying earlier. Compare this one to Patricks grave this one is only six years older, and its almost illegible - whereas Patricks headstone is very clear to read, and shiny white clean.

OK, yes, Patricks grave has a crazy tree growing out of his head, which Johns one doesnt, but at least you can read its Patricks crazy grave if you look around behind the crazy tree trunk

But now we know his story, it does seem to suit Patrick. Well he did admit that he was insane and drowned himself by diving head first into a water tank. Which is kind of crazy, youve got to agree And they did say in the article that he was of an eccentric disposition which, lets face it, is just a nice way of saying he was crazy as a barrel full of monkeys with one banana thrown in So the crazy grave actually suits him down to the ground (if youll pardon the pun!).

But John deserves better than this He travelled half way around the world for a grand adventure, and six years later he was dead from shocking injuries, because someone didnt put lights in a dark mine shaft, and with only this sad neglected grave left to show for it. His sad story and this sad grave, hurts my heart.

 

[MegsyB007]

But moving on, the business end of his estate was next, and big brother James stepped up, because like Patrick, John died intestate too meaning, with no written Last Will and Testament. Although this was the first time, since John died six years before Patrick. So I did a search and came up with this

Where James made out an interesting affidavit that made me say, Wait - what?! And this story suddenly got a lot more involved

It said: I, James Dunlea of the City of Melbourne in the Colony of Victoria, merchant, make oath and say; 1. That John Dunlea, late of Spring Gully Scarsdale in the Colony of Victoria, miner, deceased, departed this life on the eighth day of October in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty four. (So now hes got the wrong date too!). 2. That he left Bartholomew Dunlea, his eldest brother and person entitled to the administration of the property of the said deceased next of kin him surviving, but who is resident in the County of Cork in that portion of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, called Ireland. (Could they make it any more convoluted?!) 3. That he also left me, his elder brother, resident in the Colony of Victoria, and the following younger brothers and sisters and next of kin him surviving. (Wait - what?!) That is to say; Denis Dunlea, Edmund Dunlea, Margaret Forrest (Wife of John Forrest), Hannah Dunlea, Michael Dunlea, and Ellen Dunlea, all of County Cork in Ireland aforesaid, and Patrick Dunlea of Dunolly in the Colony of Victoria aforesaid. (Holy shmoly! There are ten of them!). 4. That the said John Dunlea had at the time of his death, personal property in the said Colony not exceeding in value six hundred pounds, and that I am the eldest brother resident in the said Colony of Victoria, and am one of the next of kin of the said John Dunlea deceased, and the person residing in the said Colony entitled to the administration thereof. 5. That I will well and truly collect and administer the property of the said John Dunlea, so far as the same will extend, and the law bind me to do so. 6. That I will exhibit a full and true inventory of all his property together with a true account of the administration thereof, as I may be required by the Rules of this Honourable Court. Signed, James Dunlea.

So in a nutshell, he said their oldest brother Bartholomew cant administer it because he lives in Ireland and James will do it because hes here in Australia, and hell divide up the 600 Pounds between the nine siblings! (After he pays the court and legal costs, of course and then theres the funeral and headstone to handle too.) So basically, Id say they got stuff all, and he went through all that for nothing!

But it did tell me 155 years later, that they had seven extra siblings! So yay Thanks James! Just when I thought I was nearly finished :/

 

[MegsyB007]

Ten kids their mother was obviously a saint, is all I can say! Johanna Hurly married Edmond Dunlea, then obviously kept the local priest very busy over the following years, baptising their brood of ten kids! Thats a cricket team, for goodness sake!

But Ive decided to not follow the Irish siblings stories, because Irish records from back then are not as good as ours here, so theres not a lot to find online. And I suspect they were simple country folk who lived on a farm and there really isnt anything to find about their life stories.

If the three brothers hadnt come to Australia, I doubt there would have been anything to find about them if theyd stayed in Ireland.
And I wish John and Patrick had done that, now I know their sad stories.

So did I work out why I felt this research had to be done? Not really. Perhaps it was just Patricks spirit nudging me to tell his story. I dont know. But Im leaving the story here for now, until I can add more after my visit to John, and perhaps to see James too. Who knows he may be laid to rest right next to one of my ancestors who I know are in that same cemetery.

In Memory of

James Dunlea
1831 1894

John Dunlea
1833 1864

Patrick Dunlea
1841 1870

Natives of Co. Cork, Ireland
- Not Forgotten -

 

[user 5263]

Well done, thank you for your efforts, a good and interesting read.

May I add, many years ago I was going through Rookwood Cemetery to find a great grandfather's grave and I came across a gravestone from the late 1800's of a baby with the inscription "Little Possum" it still stays with me these many years later.

Things just come across pathway sometimes.

 

[Dignit]

Megzy
Im sure the brothers are pleased youve told their story; unfortunately so typical of the extreme hardships faced by the miners of their time.
RIP the Dunlea brothers, not forgotten.