Mary (Shea) McConnell (abt. 1818 - 1876)

Born about 1818 in Kerry, Ireland

Wife of George McConnell — married 10 Sep 1837 in Sydney, NSW, Australia

Descendants

Died 16 Mar 1876 at about age 58 in Goulburn, NSW, Australia

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Biography

Mary Shea arrived in the Colony of New South Wales aboard the Irish emigrant ship James Pattison on 7 February 1836. Her voyage was part of a Home government scheme to encourage young single women to emigrate to the Colony to redress the imbalance in its male-dominated population of convicts and the military, and to provide domestic servants for settlers. For the young women, the London Emigration Committee advertisements offered the opportunity of a new life with better paid work, and perhaps marriage and family.

Mary's ship had sailed from Cork on 31 October 1835, making a very quick passage of 3 months and 6 days. She was one of 324 emigrants on board, of whom 288 were single women, who were landed on 11 February. Many found employment straight away, but on 20 February the Colonial Secretary listed the work experience of the 82 women still unengaged. On 17 March 1836, 'The Colonist' reported: All the free women who came by the James Pattison except one have obtained situations.

Who employed Mary is not known, but it must have been someone from the district of Airds, later named Campbell's Town (Campbelltown), as that is where she married George McConnell. George was a convict, assigned to a James Filkins at Airds.

Being a convict, George required permission to marry, and he applied in July 1837. His application was refused on the grounds that Mary, at age 20, was a minor and the consent of her parents or guardian. Presumably the consent of her employer was deemed adequate in the circumstances, as she and George were married on 10 September 1837.

George was granted his Certificate of Freedom on 14 December 1840. At some point after that, and possibly soon after, Mary and George moved to Goulburn; his two brothers also settled there. Her husband established himself as a Blacksmith, and must have done well at it because he was buying up township allotments by the early 1850s. He then became a storekeeper and then, in 1858, closed the store and renovated it as a hotel, the Bee Hive Inn, Clinton-street, Goulburn.

George died in October 1860, and Mary was granted the transfer of the publicans' license to herself. Later on, eldest son George acted as the hotel's manager, but Mary remained the licensee until her death in 1876.

Mary and George are buried together in the Roman Catholic section of the Old Goulburn Cemetery.

Sources

• Marriage certificate
• Death certificate
• LOCAL AND PROVINCIAL. (1860, October 27). Goulburn Herald (NSW : 1860 - 1864), p. 2. Retrieved March 21, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article102588035
• Family Notices (1876, March 18). The Goulburn Herald and Chronicle (NSW : 1864 - 1881), p. 4. Retrieved March 21, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article101457202
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/105520893/mary-mcconnell: accessed March 21, 2024), memorial page for Mary McConnell (unknown–16 Mar 1876), Find a Grave Memorial ID 105520893, citing Goulburn Old Cemetery, Goulburn, Goulburn Mulwaree Council, New South Wales, Australia; Maintained by JP Maison-Mère (contributor 49778924).

• Colonial Secretary's Office, 20 February 1836 [1]