Ralph Joyce (abt. 1797 - abt. 1867)

Born about 1797 in Castlefinn, County Donegal, Ireland

Husband of Mary (Middleton) Joyce — married 1817 in St Johnston County Donegal

Descendants

Died about 18 Nov 1867 at about age 70 in Winton, Victoria, Australia

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Biography

Ralph was born about 1797 and Mary Middleton born 1793, married St Johnston Co. Donegal, with 4 of their children, William, 36, Thomas 23, Sarah 28 and Eliza 26 and their 12 year old Grandson and newphew, John McMonigle, departed from Ireland, probably from either Londonderry or Belfast and crossed the Irish Sea to Liverpool to ready themselves for their impending journey to Australia on the ship called Castilian (N. 35067) which was built at Dorchester, New Brunswick, Canada, and sailed 18th of June, 1856 . It was registered exactly one month later from the Port of Saint John, New Brunswick (Volume 139, No. 34, 1856. The Castilian left Liverpool on the 11 March 1857 and arrived in Melbourne on the 10 June 1857.^[1]

1.Ralph Joyce - Labourer - Born Donegal - Church of England - 60 yo -Going with friends to Summerhill - Could not read or write

2.Mary (b.Middleton) Joyce- - Born Donegal - Church of England - 64 yo -Going with friends to Summerhill - Could not read or write

3.Thomas Joyce - Labourer - Born Donegal - Church of England - 23 yo -Going with friends to Somerton - Could read and write

4.William Joyce - Labourer - Born Donegal - Church of England - 36 yo -Going with friends to Somerton - Could not read

5.Eliza Joyce - Gen Servant - Born Donegal - Church of England - 26 yo -Going with brother to Burnfield - Could not read or write

6.Saray Joyce - Gen Servant - Born Donegal - Catholic - 28 yo -Going with brother to Burnfield - Could not read or write

7.John McMonigle -Born Donegal - Church of England - 12yo - Nephew - Could read and write

It is Presumed that Robert Joyce, the second youngest son of Ralph and Mary, may have travelled to Australia as a steerage passenger, and to date, his arrival has not been found within shipping lists for Victoria, with shipping lists for other states not extensively consulted.

Free passage was afforded to all single women going as Domestic Servants, and to all Farm Labourers and their families provided they had not more than two children aged under 12 years old.

Single Males Labourers could also secure free passage.

Destination:- Summerhill - Somerton

Ralph Joyce and Mary (B:Middleton) Joyce nominated their destination as "Summerhill".

The Summerhill that Ralph and Mary had mentioned on their shipping documents was (and still is) at Somerton (Where William and Thomas Joyce had shown they also intended to go) and situated on the Northern reaches of Melbourne, some 14 miles away: a considerable journey in a horse and drawn cart, in the middle of Winter, as they were soon to find.

It was by accident that Carolyn Joyce (who wrote the book of Joyce Co. Donegal to Winton) discovered the identity of Summerhill. She had been to Canberra to visit her son at the Defence Force Academy. Deep in thought as she travelled along the Hume Highway in Somerton, nearing Melbourne, she looked up to suddenly see a street sign "Summerhill Road". She had never thought that the place mentioned on the shipping documents could possibly exist. In the next few days she visited the Lalor Library, where she learnt about the homestead called "Summerhill". Her search continued from there and included correspondence with the "National Trust etc and finally contact with the new owners of the property, Nubrik. The property had been surveyed by the Trust, but there was little they could do to further preserve this beautiful home.

Summerhill and Somerton have come to the most curious and common link with many families who settled in Winton in those early days. It is not known whether the Wilsons, the original owners of the property, assisted those from the North of Ireland to migrate, or whether they just made work available to them upon their subsequent arrival. Either way, it appears that they may have played no small part in the decision of many to come to this country. It is more than probable, from all indications, that the Wilsons had come from the same area as the Joyces, and with Wilson being of similar age to William Joyce, perhaps the friends had all planned to reunite in Australia with their families.

(Most of the families that came across to spend time at Summerhill, did not appear to have stayed there for more than a couple of years, moving on to take up land holdings at Winton etc. But the incidence of knowledge of this historic homestead by those related to the pioneers of Winton, shows overwhelmingly that Summerhill was significant to them, in their progression and ultimate survival through those early years.

In those early days, Summerhill, in it's infancy, was an area of pastoral land of 3,000 acres with a homestead, built and owned by Dr Thomas Wilson and his wife. Thomas Wilson, was born 1816 in Longford, Ireland, the son of Robert (a farmer) and Ellen Allen Wilson. Thomas Married Margaret Lourey (born in Co Donegal) in 1837, and established Summerhill sometime around 1848, having arrived in Australia around 1841. It is known that by 1844, their fourth child was born Campbellfield area, whilst their ninth child drowned on the Summerhill property in 1862. Dr Wilson had received a Doctor of Medicine Degree from Glasgow University, but did not apply to practise Medicine in Australia until 1883, age 61, whilst then living at his property 'Drumearn', in Princess Street Kew.

Interestingly, "Drumearn' is the name of a town within the Parish of Taughboyne, in Co. Donegal, closely neighbouring Carrickmore, Cananacaw and Creaghadoos.

1. ↑ Public Records Office of Victoria - Immigration - Search Terms: Castilian - Filter: Waugh

   Age	Book	Month	Page	Ship	Year	Name
   64	11	JUN	390	CASTILIAN	1857	JOYCE, MARY
   60	11	JUN	390	CASTILIAN	1857	JOYCE, RALPH
   36	11	JUN	395	CASTILIAN	1857	JOYCE, WILLIAM
   29	11	JUN	398	CASTILIAN	1857	JOYCE, MARY A
   28	11	JUN	398	CASTILIAN	1857	JOYCE, SARAH
   26	11	JUN	398	CASTILIAN	1857	JOYCE, ELIZA
   23	11	JUN	395	CASTILIAN	1857	JOYCE, THOMAS
   12	11	JUN	395	CASTILIAN	1857	MCMONIGLE, JOHN

• Shipping documents (assisted Bounty Immigrants to Port Phillip 1839-1871-Book 11) reproduced show the details of the Joyce family.------

Documentation found - New Brunswick Museum archives - Museum Nouveau _Brunswick

Sources

•  : Book Co. Donegal to Winton

Bib ID 2541404 Format BookBook Author Joyce, Carolyn Jennifer

Description Nunawading, Vic. : Carolyn Joyce, 2001 xii, 272 p. : ill., maps, ports., facsims., geneal. tables ; 30 cm. ISBN 0646410296 (paperback) Notes "The story of Ralph Joyce and Mary Middleton who left Co. Donegal, Ireland in 1857, and settled in Winton, Victoria, with six of their eight children, William, Mary, Sarah, Eliza, Robert & Thomas and their grandson, John McMonigle."

Includes index.

Bibliography: p. 243.

ANL's copies are no.s 163 and 195 in a limited edition of 200 numbered copies.