1822 – 1901
Elizabeth Coyle married William Shaw in St Paul’s Catholic Church, situated at Arran Quay on the Liffey River in the district of Smithfield in Dublin on the 18th of May 1840. Elizabeth (Eliza) and William left Dublin as bounty immigrants aboard the ship "The Albatross", arriving in Sydney in November 1841 with their young daughter Mary Ann (18 mths) and new-born infant, baby Jane, about 10 days old. The New South Wales Historical Electoral Roll for 1842 lists a Joseph Shaw and a William Shaw living dwelling house in Cumberland Street, in the Rocks district of Sydney. It is not known whether this was our William Shaw, but if so, then Joseph would almost certainly have been a relative. Some digging to do here ...
Eliza’s brother Joseph Coyle was also aboard The Albatross with his wife Amelia (Emelia). They settled in Sydney, and produced at least seven children, the last two being twins born in 1857. All were christened (Catholic) in the parish of St James in Sydney. I haven’t yet looked into what became of the Coyle family in later years, and whether Eliza and her brother maintained any contact.
Sadly, our William Shaw died in 1843 leaving Eliza to bear their third child alone, another daughter, Elizabeth. So what happened then?
PATRICK CRANE: Born 1813, Dublin, Ireland - Patrick Crane was an Irish rebel, convicted for stealing a handkerchief, and transported for seven years to New South Wales from Dublin aboard the “Heber” in 1837. His age is listed as 24 and religion Catholic. It is interesting to note the presence of a James Coyle on board as well. Was he possibly another member of Eliza’s family, and if so, is this how she and Patrick Crane came to be acquainted? Incidentally, The New South Wales Government Gazette of 6 December 1837 records Patrick as one of a number of runaway convicts who had been apprehended that week. Patrick’s younger brother Peter had also been transported in 1834 per “James Laing”, (he was also known as Croane or Harrison). There are several newspaper clippings in the Australian National Library archives pertaining to minor criminal activities during his early days in the colony.
Patrick obtained his Certificate of Freedom in January 1844[1] His documentation states that he is a tallow chandler. He and Eliza marry in St Andrew’s Scots Church (Presbyterian) in Sydney in 1844, and Eliza gave birth to a son on the 18th of January 1849. The child was named Peter and a Roman Catholic baptism was performed on the 28th of January 1849 by the Priest J. E. Gourbeillon in the Parish of St James. The family are noted as living in Gloucester Street, which is also in the Rocks area of Sydney. Incidentally Gloucester Street and Cumberland Street intersect, and at the time in question a tallow chandlers’ business was operating from a warehouse at this location. I have been wondering about this for a little while, and last night I found a newspaper entry listing him as a subscriber towards the construction of a Catholic church in the Parish of St James. The person who was responsible for collecting his one shilling was none other than the man who owned the tallow-chandler's business in Gloucester Street.
By 1855 the marriage between Patrick and Eliza appears to have dissolved and Eliza attaches herself with one John Henry Hawkins. Mary Ann Shaw would have been about 15, Jane about 13, Elizabeth 11 or 12 years old, and Peter Crane about 6.
A newspaper advertisement from 1863 informs us that Peter Crane continued to carry out his trade in the Sydney area:
IF PATRICK CRANE, who was employed last season at Collaroy as Tallow chandler, and is now supposed to be working at Menangle will apply to GRIFFITHS, FANNING, and CO., Spring-street, Sydney, he will hear of another engagement.
The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842-1954), Monday 27 April 1863, page 1
The National Library of Australia, http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/13077654
Menangle, in the Camden/Campbelltown area of Sydney, supported a thriving industry processing sheep to produce tallow for soap and candles. Patrick’s brother Peter had for some time been in the employ of John Macarthur of Camden after his arrival in the colony. It is not known how Patrick lived out the remainder of his life, however his death is recorded at Parramatta in 1895, aged 82. [2]
Enter JOHN HAWKINS: Correspondence with a descendent from the Eliza Coyle and John Hawkins connection has provided the following information:
“John Hawkins arrived in Sydney on the General Veazie 1853. He was apparently in the Californian Gold Fields. The details of his life before he arrived in Australia are sketchy. He died in Liverpool Hospital in 1892 and the records were destroyed by fire; the only details we have are his date of death, arrival in Sydney and marriage to Eliza. No parents or place of birth, so he could be American or he could have travelled to America for the goldrush like he came to Australia looking for gold. “ [3]
In 1857 Eliza’s oldest daughter, Mary Ann Shaw married John Fisher Morrison at Bathurst. She is only 17 years old and Eliza gives her consent because Mary Ann is not of age. In this same year, Eliza gives birth to a child, Henry, registered Stoney Creek. (It has been presumed that ‘Stoney Creek’ was in the Ironbarks district, however an entry on the Hill End Family History website lists the birth of Henry Coyle (Father John Hawkins, Mother Elizabeth) as one of their “persons of mystery”. [4] There are many instances of areas named ‘Stoney Creek’ in alluvial gold mining districts throughout NSW. A “Stoney Creek Road” exists between the Hill End district and Mudgee. )
In the following year (1858) Eliza’s second daughter Jane marries Charles LaFrankie (various spellings) at Wellington NSW, her daughter Mary Ann gives birth to a daughter at Ironbarks (now Stuart Town), and her own son, baby Henry dies, registered at Parramatta. A newspaper clipping from 1860 confirms that Eliza was at Parramatta around that time and also that she was working as a servant there:
MRS ELIZABETH CRANE, formerly in service at Rev. Mr. Harvey's, Parramatta, is requested to write to Mrs. LEFRANCKI, Ironbark. [5]
It is not clear just who the Rev. Mr. Harvey was. The only Mr Harvey that appears likely to fit the timeframe and location is a Mr Henry Harvey, an ex-convict who had become a respected businessman and landholder in Parramatta. Whilst he doesn’t appear to have been a minister, he was a benefactor to the female factory and orphan school as well as the Catholic orphanage. He had a well-established household and did employ servants. Further research into the possibility of a connection with this gentleman needs to take place.Eliza had a further two children with John Hawkins; Abigail (b.1871) and John Henry (b.1873). Greville’s Post Office Directory for 1872 lists John Henry Hawkins as a Miner at Reedy Flat, Upper Adelong, and there are several entries in NSW State Records for mining leases taken out by John Hawkins and in later years his son John Henry.
Elizabeth Hawkins died aged 79 years on 24 October 1901, possibly at Tilba Tilba on the NSW South coast. She was buried in the Roman Catholic cemetery at Cobargo NSW on the 26th of October 1901. The death was registered by her son John Henry Hawkins at Bega.
So what about PETER CRANE: Peter Crane married Margaret FINNIGAN in 1872 in Armidale NSW. They settled in the Emmaville district and had the following issue:
Elizabeth born in Armidale in 1874, William born Armidale in 1876 (Died 1877 Vegetable Creek), Arthur Ernest born 1879 at Wellingrove, Alice Isabel born 1881 at Vegetable Creek (Died 1886 Emmaville), Sydney Joseph born 1883 at Vegetable Creek (Died 1886 Emmaville), and Peter Gerald born 1886 at Emmaville.
Peter, Margaret and two of their children, Alice and Joseph (Sydney Joseph) died tragically of poisoning in 1886. The informant on Peter Crane’s death certificate is William LaFranchi, his nephew and son of Jane Shaw. The youngest child, Peter Gerald Crane, was only three months old when his parents died. He married Robina Mary Cecilia Powers in Qurindi, NSW in 1910.
[3] Personal email, WESTWELL, M, 7 September 2010
[4] http://hillendfamilyhistory.com/personsofmystery/
[5] The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW: 1842-1954), Tuesday 11 September 1860, page 1
The National Library of Australia, http://trove.nla.au/ndp/del/article/13045681
