William Connell (1836 - 1910)

Born 1836 in Summerhill, Meath, Ireland

Husband of Ann Graham — married 15 Nov 1858 in Castlemaine, Victoria, Australia

Descendants

Died 2 Dec 1910 at about age 74 in Prahran, Victoria, Australia

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Mark Connell [send private message]

Biography

William was born sometime around Aug 1836 in the village of Summerhill. He was baptised at the Summerhill Catholic Church on 4 Sep 1836 with the godparents being James & Befs Kiernan. ^[1] He was the third of seven children to Patt Connell and Anne Kiernan.

In late May 1857, at the age of 20 years, he said goodbye to his parents for the last time, traveled to Dublin and crossed to Liverpool. ^[2]He left Liverpool for Australia on Saturday 13 Jun, 1857 aboard the Ellen Stuart along with 387 other passengers.^[3]

The Ellen Stuart arrived at its destination in Port Phillip Bay, Victoria on 7 Sep 1857 after a journey of 86 days. ^[4]He arrived in a town that had been founded only 20 years before but was expanding rapidly following the discovery of gold at several locations across Victoria. His initial employment was as a Groom working for Mr Henry Medland at South Brighton.^[5]

William joined the new Victoria Police Force on 15 Mar 1858 and was identified with Victoria Police Registration No. 241. On his registration papers he was recorded as being 5 foot 9 1/2 inches in height, eye colour blue, hair colour dark brown with fresh/Irish complexion and general appearance intelligent. ^[6] "Life was no sinecure for a Victoria policeman in the 19th century. He worked seven days a week with no rest days or public holidays. If he was moved he received no travel allowance. ... Nor could he marry without the say-so of the Chief Commissioner. His pay was little better than that of a labourer and he had no formal police training."^[7]

So at the age of 21 William was assigned to the Mt. Alexander Goldfields. He was based at The Camp which was the Former Gold Commissioner's Camp to the west of Barker's Creek and the town centre of Castlemaine (formerly the Trooper barracks before 1857). From November 1858, his Police Superintendent was Robert O'Hara Burke.^[8] A fellow Irishman, Burke remained in this role until June 1860 when he was appointed to lead the ill-fated Burke and Wills Expedition.^[9] Working for such an enthusiastic and charismatic leader must have made an lasting impression on William.

On 15 Nov 1858 he married Ann Graham from Queens (Laois) County at the newly built St Marys Catholic Church in Castlemaine. ^[10] The celebrant was Fr Patrick Smyth who four years before was heavily involved in pastoring to the disgruntled miners during the Eureka Rebellion^[11] and had hidden the wounded leader of the rebellion, Peter Fintan Lalor.^[12] Smyth was a plain-talking and proud Irishman. These early Irish influences in Australia might explain why on William's marriage Registration that he signed his name as "William O'Connell".^[13]

From 1859 to about 1863 Constable William Connell was based at The Camp, Castlemaine. ^[14]During that time several children are born. Patrick Edward Connell was born 24 Aug 1859^[15] and Annie Sarah Connell followed on 29 Nov 1860.^[16] William James Connell was born 7 Dec 1861^[17] but died as an infant 3 Mar 1862.^[18] He was buried at the Castlemaine Cemetery at Campbells Creek. One year later a second William James Connell was born 11 Mar 1863.^[19]

From about 1864 until 1868 William is based at the Taradale Police Station about 18 kilometers east of Castlemaine. Taradale has grown rapidly with the discovery of gold and the recent completion of the northern railway between Melbourne and Bendigo. Another two children are born here being Elizabeth Connell^[20] born in 1864 and James Joseph Connell born in 1867.^[21] It is while William was based in Taradale that he developed some skills at catching criminals in the act. At that time Victoria Police paid bonuses for meritorious policing and many reports are held in Public Records detailing William’s efforts at capturing felons. This would remain a feature of his policing throughout his career as later recorded in various Melbourne newspaper reports.

From about 1869 until 26 Jan 1874, William was In-Charge of Station at Campbells Creek Police Station.^[22] Two further children were born while he was based here being Frances Margaret Connell born in 1869 ^[23] and Rose Helena Connell born in 1872.^[24] In Jan 1874, 16 Chinese storekeepers from Campbells Creek wrote to the Chief Commissioner of Police in Melbourne. Their request read: “We the undersigned Chinese Storekeepers and residents of Campbells Creek, having ensured that Constable Connell who has been 5 years stationed here, is about to be promoted and removed from this district, desire to bear testimony to the untiring vigilance, impartiality, and courtesy displayed by him in the discharge of his duties. We regret to lose the services of so efficient a constable, but glad that it is for his advancement in rank, and we respectfully request your permission to present him with a gold watch and chain as an earnest form of our appreciation of his general worth.”^[25] William was promoted to Senior Constable 1 Feb 1874.^[26]

From about 1874 until 25 Feb 1878, William was In-Charge of Station at Blanket Flat Police Station. The town was renamed to Eganstown and was another Victorian town that expanded quickly with the discovery of gold and declined just as quickly as the surface gold became harder to find. William and Anne had one further child Thomas Connell born in 1976.^[27] Unfortunately, it was born with or developed a serious skin condition known as Ichthyosis.

With a reduction in police numbers at Eganstown, William was transferred to the Prahran Police Station in Melbourne where he was In-Charge of Sections from 1 Mar 1878 - 21 Feb 1886. Initially the Connell family lived at La Trobe St, Prahran quite close to the Alfred Hospital. Thomas died at the age of 2 years on the 19 May 1878 ^[28] and was buried at St Kilda Cemetery. Melbourne commercial directories show the family moved to 36 High St, Windsor until 1880 and then to 46 Bendigo St, Prahran from 1881 to 1886.^[29] On 26 Feb 1885 William purchased the property at 42 Bendigo Street, Prahran^[30] at age 49. A five-room weatherboard cottage stood on the property and it is believed that William later added two smaller cottages at the rear of the property, facing into York Street, for rental.^[31]

From 21 Feb 1886 until 10 Apr 1889, William was Senior Constable In-Charge of the St Kilda East Police Station (Alexandra Street) and from 10 Apr 1889 – 30 Jun 1894 was Senior Constable In-Charge of Balaclava Police Station (Camden Street). After a police career of more than 36 years, William retired and was discharged from the Victoria Police Force on the 30 Jun 1894 at the age of 57.

William continued to live at 42 Bendigo Street until his death on 2 Dec 1910.^[32] He was 74 years and was buried in the Connell family plot at Boroondara (Kew) Cemetery on 3 Dec 1910. ^[33]

Sources

1. ↑ Summerhill Catholic Parish Records - Baptism date shown as 4 Sep 1836
2. ↑ It's highly probable that he travelled with others from his Parish given there were 33 common family names between his ship's immigration passenger list and the 1855 Griffiths Valuation Survey for County Meath, Parish of Laracor. Twelve of these passengers were of a similar age to William. https://www.failteromhat.com/griffiths/meath/laracor.php
3. ↑ (1852-1923) Record Series Number (VPRS): 947
4. ↑ Ancestry Victoria, Australia Asissted and Unassisted Passenger Lists, 1839 - 1923, https://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=1635
5. ↑ Victoria Police Registration/Oath Papers, Victoria Police Museum and Historical Unit, copy held by the Profile Owner.
6. ↑ Victoria Police Registration/Oath Papers, Victoria Police Museum and Historical Unit, copy held by the Profile Owner.
7. ↑ 1853-2003, Victoria Police Australia: celebrating 150 years in the community; Introduction by Keith Dunstan.
8. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_O%27Hara_Burke
9. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burke_and_Wills_expedition
10. ↑ Victorian State BDM Registry, Reg. 3931/1858
11. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eureka_Rebellion
12. ↑ John Hetherington, Pillars of the Faith, 1966, Pg.43
13. ↑ Victorian State BDM Registry, Reg. 3931/1858
14. ↑ C.E.Glass, Castlemaine Directory andBook of General Information, Various Years, State Library Victoria LTG 058.9453 C27GL
15. ↑ Victorian State BDM Registry, Reg. 21055/1859
16. ↑ Victorian State BDM Registry, Reg. 4210/1861
17. ↑ Victorian State BDM Registry, Reg. 1208/1862
18. ↑ Victorian State BDM Registry, Reg. 886/1862
19. ↑ Victorian State BDM Registry, Reg. 6977/1863
20. ↑ Victorian State BDM Registry, Reg. 25222/1864
21. ↑ Victorian State BDM Registry, Reg. 18628/1867
22. ↑ Public Records Office Victoria, Victoria Police Muster Rolls, VPRS 55/P0, Units 1-23
23. ↑ Victorian State BDM Registry, Reg. 1327/1870
24. ↑ Victorian State BDM Registry, Reg. 22055/1872
25. ↑ Victorian Public Records Office VPRS 937/P/0000, Unit 110, Bag 1
26. ↑ Victoria Police Record of Conduct and Service, Victoria Police Museum and Historical Unit, copy held by the Profile Owner.
27. ↑ Victorian State BDM Registry, Reg. 2290/1876
28. ↑ Victorian State BDM Registry, Reg. 6452/1878
29. ↑ Wise's Victoria Post Office Directory, various years
30. ↑ Lands Victoria Title Vol.1662 Folio 361, copy held by Profile Manager
31. ↑ Public Records Office Victoria, VPRS 28/P/0003, Unit 492, Dsc1 136/566 - Will of Anne Connell
32. ↑ Victorian State BDM Registry, Reg. 14141/1910
33. ↑ Boroondarah Cemetery Records, http://www.kewcemetery.com.au/search/FindGrave.php