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Archiver > AUS-Tasmania > 2003-10 > 1066100814


From: "Joan Fawcett" <>
Subject: [AUS-Tas] 1847 Letter from Ireland to VDL
Date: Tue, 14 Oct 2003 13:06:54 +1000


The following letter was written from Ireland in 1847 from the Kilfinnane region. The writer was Ellen Sheedy, mother of some 9 children whose husband Timothy Sheedy was sent to Tasmania in 1845 as a convict. Timothy was a tailor in the Kilfinnane region and was convicted for stealing a sheep at Castle Hollow in 1844. When Timothy was sent to Tasmania he applied to have two of his boys to come with him but was denied this privilege. So for nearly three long years Ellen struggled on alone in Ireland raising her family.
The letter gives insight into the hardships of the family.......Ellen obviously tries to remain composed as she writes to her husband but soon begs her husband to '........take us out of this miserable country as soon as possible....". She informs her husband that two of their sons had joined the army and that a third had married, so they had not been able to support her. One son James was her staunch support during the dreadful famine and she raises her "..little family" on cold turnips. Ellen was obviously living on one of the estates near Kilfinnane at the time she wrote. She also passed the sad news that Timothy's nephew James Sheedy had died of "real starvation' during the famine whilst in the "Publick" (public/poor house).


Kilfinnane.Nov 29th 1847
"Dear husband I have received your letter of the
14th of June on the 28th of November and it gave me
and all the family the greatest of pleasure to hear
that you are well and in good health as this laves (leaves)
me and all the family in at present thanks be to god
for all his mercy both to you and to us dear husband.
I mean to inform you that your two sons John and Timothy
are listed (ie.enlisted in the army). John is in the 40th
regiment and Timothy is inthe 91st and is gone out (to)
India and Jon is in Galway and your son Michael is got
married so that I have no relief from any of them and
the sooner the arrangements could be made to get myself
and my little family oer the better as this country is
in a bad state so as that there is a great many dying of
starvation and it is only the goodness of god that myself
and my little family have lived so long together as the
two girls and the three youngest are living with me and
our chief maintenance this time past was cold turnips
without any other sort of food and often time not enough
of them same and as for potatoes what trifle of tem (them)
remained in they were one shilling per stone as there was
a failure on them these three years so that was the cause
of the famine in this country and an able bodied man well
able to work was as badly off as me and my little family
so the sooner you can send for us the better and when you
are sending for us it would be as that you would send some
money so as to prepare us for the voyage and enable us (to)
buy some cloths and there is nothing would give (?) and all
the family greater pleasure than to be with you and as for
the relief that is given out on this estate I am getting
none of it so in the name of god take us out of this miserable
country as quick as possible.
Your son James is in good health and in fair way of doing for
myself and your brother Michael is also in good health and
is very glad to hear from you and your nephew James Sheedy
died of real starvation this time twelve months in the publick
(poor house) and so the poor of this part of the country (?)
no better for the remaining part this winter as there is no
work doing so would (?) happiest of all (?) breathing if I
could get myself and my little out of this starving country.
Your children and al enquiring friends joining in sending you
their best love and are all overjoyed to hear that you are doing
well and in good health. Michael would be very much inclined to
go if himself and his wife could be passed of as the number of
the family and I wrote a letter to you this time two years when
I got account in the letter that came to Gleroe (Glenroe) and
got no answer (.) there are some friends belonging to James
and Michael casey of Cush that would be anxious to hear them wish
that you would enquire after them and let his friends know they
are living.So no more at present from your affectionate wife and
children unto death...........'


Ellen was soon after enabled to join her husband and brought most of her family with her. But life was not plain sailing for this family. One daughter Margaret married a convict who been on the same ship as her father, Patrick Geary. Geary brought
Margaret over to Victoria and they worked as a shepherd couple near Colac, where Geary murdered a fellow shepherd in a fit of jealousy. Geary's crime remained undiscovered until he confessed many years later. He had fled inland after the murder and took up the name Patrick Sheedy and as involved in petty horse theft and other crimes. Margaret took off to Port Fairy to where her brother Thomas was and then she went up to Piggareet to where another Sheefy family member lived.
One son Michael roamed from Ireland to Wales and Scotland before returning to Ireland. He emigrated to Australia around the time his brother in law Geary was on trial for murdering the shepherd. Michael promptly took up the alias SILK as many Sheedys do when wanting to alter their surnames (the other alias many take up is McNAMARA).
Ellen had died in Tasmania and her husband Timothy moved over to Victoria just 6 mos before his daughter and son in law were arrested for the murder of the Colac shepherd. His daughter was found not guilty of the crime but that was no consolation to Timothy who had died as the trial concluded.

The two sons John and Timothy have yet to be located, but slowly the Sheedy family history as emerged, and can be viewed at
http://www.hotkey.com.au/~jwilliams4/timothy3.htm

best wishes
Jenny Fawcett

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