Samuel Byrnes (1826 - 1917)

Born 13 May 1826 in Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia

Ancestors

Husband of Eliza (Lewis) Byrnes — married 24 Mar 1846 (to 1854) in Windsor, New South Wales, Australia

Husband of Elizabeth (Gorman) Byrnes — married 7 Mar 1854 (to 18 Dec 1910) in Windsor, New South Wales, Australia

Husband of Ann Ellen (Shore) Byrnes — married 20 Mar 1913 (to 4 Sep 1917) in Penrith, New South Wales, Australia

Descendants

Died 4 Sep 1917 at age 91 in Cambridge Park, New South Wales, Australia

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Raine Weightman [send private message] and Rebecca Coombes [send private message]

Biography

Samuel Byrnes was born in the Colony of New South Wales (1788-1900)

Samuel was born in 1826. He passed away in 1917. Samuel married Eliza Lewis in 1846,^[1] Eliza Gorman in 1854,^[2] and Ellen Nicholas in 1913.^[3]

Obituary

Nepean Times (Penrith, NSW), Sat 15 Sep 1917, Page 2
DEATH OF A PIONEER
We regret to have to record the death, at his late residence, Cambridge park, on Tuesday if last week, of Mr Samuel Byrnes, one of the oldest and more notable of the older generation of residents of the Nepean District, whose death, in fact, at the patriarchal age of 89 years and 4 months, removes another of that fast vanishing brand of early pioneers of the far distant past from the arena of mundane life and endeavour. The late Mr Byrnes was a native of Parramatta, the year of his birth being 1828, and, in recalling the memories of his famous old natal town in the twenties, Mr Byrnes was want to cant over again the quaint lines of a poet of the older epoch, viz.

I'm thinking again of the Annual Regatta,
And Rickitty Dick O, and old Billy blue,
And the trips by the Emu to see Parramatta,
Where we pulled the ripe plums off the trees as they grew;
And the orange groves running right down to the water,
Where the boatman were calling so jaunty and free-
The tide's on the ebb, and the wind's in right quarter,
And now is your time if you're bound for the quay.

Mr Byrnes attended the Primary School at Parramatta in his early boyhood, and came to Castlereagh with his parents in his twelfth year. His youthful contemporaries of that early epoch of the thirties and forties were of that grand sturdy type of settlers of the primary industries of the Penrith and Castlereagh districts, and included such men as the late Messrs, Joseph Single, "Toby" Ryan (ex MLA), John Colless, John Jackson, Wm Wright, Robert Robertson (deceased) and Messrs. T O Smith (ex MLA Nepean), M Long (ex Mayor of Penrith), Thos Field and others who are yet though approaching the patriarchal gate of age, very much alive.

Mr Byrnes' early farm at Castlereagh (Mt Pleasant), is now occupied by Mr Purcell, and is one of the best holding in that favoured patrimony of production. In the years prior to the coming of the railway, Mr Byrnes, like his neighbours, carted his hay, cereals, and general farm products to the Sydney markets per the newly formed Sydney Road (which was then, like the curate's proverbial egg "good and bad in patches"), doing the journey frequently in a day, getting to "Paddy's market", Sydney, about dusk, after starting from home (Castlereagh) at 3 or 4 o'clock in the morning. The conditions of those times precluded the generation of any such "luxurious" idea amongst the farmers or other sections, as a "strike" or other such disturbance, and even the application of the 8-hour day was an unknown as it is in the firing line of the present day.

On the breaking out of the great western goldfields, the late Mr Byrnes entered in to the adventurous and profitable business of carrying between the metropolis and the digging. He conveyed, per horse teams, supplies of provisions, timber and other building materials merchandise &c., to the outback centres, returning with wool and country produce to Sydney. During the period he was now and again "interviewed" by one or other of the bushranging gangs then "doing business" under the ban of the law, and alike, regardless of the convention and rights of society to its own property; but by exercise of his native tact and optimistic outlook, Mr Byrnes generally contrived to escape "victimisation" by Messieurs the Bushrangers.

Deceased was a first class judge of horses, of any type, an infallible judge, in fact, and his judgement was often solicited by neighbours and acquaintances in purchasing either draughts or hacks, or ponies. Mr Byrnes was of a genial, jocular disposition, and his golden maxim was never to meet trouble half way, or to permit difficulties to daunt one's spirit, or cloud his hopes. In later years Mr Byrnes had been residing at Cambridge Park, and almost up to the last took a lively interest in affairs.

Deceased had married three times, his first wife being Miss Elizabeth Lewis, of Castlereagh, of which marriage there were four children, of whom two survive, viz Mr James Byrnes, Richmond Road and Mrs H Sheens, Castlereagh. Of Mr Byrnes' second marriage, viz to Miss Eliza Gorman, of Castlereagh (deceased), the following survive: Messers H Byrnes, Station Street Penrith; William, Sydney; Percy, Henry Street Penrith; and Mesdames Pullman (Lemongrove), E Hollier (Newton, Sydney), and J Kirkness (Seven Hills). Mr Byrnes is also survived by his third wife.

The interment was in the Methodist Cemetery, Kingswood on Thursday afternoon, 6th September, Rev J Tarn officiating, assisted by Ensign Evans, Salvation Army. The two favourite hymns of the deceased - "Rock of Ages" and "Sweet Bye and Bye", were sung at the graveside. The funeral arrangements were conducted by Mrs J Price and Son.^[4]

Samuel's remains are buried in the Methodist Section of Penrith General Cemetery.^[5]

Sources

1. ↑ NSW BDM Marriage1 Nbr: 63/1846 V184663 84. Location: Wesleyan Methodist, Windsor NSW.
2. ↑ NSW BDM Marriage2 Nbr: 476/1854. Location: Wesleyan Methodist, Windsor NSW.
3. ↑ NSW BDM Marriage3 Nbr: 2756/1913. Location: Penrith, NSW
4. ↑ Obituary: Nepean Times (Penrith, NSW), Sat 15 Sep 1917, Page 2, DEATH OF A PIONEER; online at https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/86143536
5. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #163782368

• Unsourced family tree handed down to Raine Weightman.

See also: https://australianroyalty.net.au/individual.php?pid=I82270&ged=purnellmccord.ged