Mary Hanora Meehan, third child of Patrick Meehan and Mary Mockler.

Mary Hanora Meehan was born at Kilmore on August 28, 1859, to 30 year old carrier Patrick Meehan and his 22 year old wife Mary Mockler. She was registered at birth by her mother as 'Hanora',after Patrick Meehan's mother Hanora Ryan, but known as 'Mary Honora'.At the time of her birth her brother Michael was about two years of age, and a sister Joanna had predeceased her in 1855 when she died of pneumonia aged 7 months. Baby Mary was born into a tumultuous home life, with her parents often fighting and her mother sometimes being physically assaulted by her father. She was only eight months old when things came to a head in her Kilmore home,and her mother was found dead in the bottom of the family well after a fight with her husband the night before. The coroner's inquest found that Paddy Meehan had to stand trial for murder, so he was arrested and held in custody until the trial took place in June 1860. The children, Michael and Mary, would have been looked after during this period by their aunt, Patrick Meehan's widowed elder sister Judith Bourke, who also lived in Kilmore with her five children. Patrick Meehan's murder trial found him not guilty as there was absolutely no proof that he had either killed his wife and thrown her down the well, or that he had pushed her down the well when she was alive. The autopsy suggested that Mary Meehan had been alive when she entered the water, and had drowned, and the prosecution was unable to prove that her husband had been the method by which she had been propelled into the well. In fact, the jury Foreman interrupted the closing address of Mr Brewer,in Paddy's defence, and told him that the minds of the jury were already made up to acquit the prisoner. This left Paddy Meehan a free man,albeit a widower with two infant children to care for. Even though several people had given evidence as to Paddy's physical abuse of his wife, one witness- William Richardson, did state that "He seemed very fond of his children." Other witnesses were more damning in their evidence: From the Argus newspaper: " Charles Mackay, police-constable, stated that about six weeks before Mrs Meehan's death, he went to Meehan's house, and found the deceased with a face all black, and considerably bruised. She declined to give Meehan in charge, or to take out a summons against him. Philip Corboy also deposed to the habitual ill-usage of deceased by her husband. She was, he said, a small woman, and had been married about five years. William Richardson, remembered the deceased having been ill-treated by her husband about two months before her death, and being under Dr. Bindley's care. Cross-examined by Mr. Brewer: he seemed very fond of his children. I heard him remonstrate with his wife once in a mild tone of voice. Frank Lane Bindley said he was a duly qualified practitioner, residing at Kilmore. Knew the deceased and her husband. Had attended the deceased some three years before her death. She was suffering from contused wounds of the head. Also attended her in her confinement about twelve months before." I have no idea how welcome Patrick Meehan would have been made on his return to Kilmore. The local newspaper, the 'Kilmore Examiner' had published their opinion of him on April 26, 1860, just three days after Mary Meehan's death: " THE SUPPOSED MURDER IN THE NEW TOWNSHIP.- A man named Patrick Meehan, well-known in the town, has been committed to take his trial on a charge of having murdered his wife. There was sufficient evidence produced to justify the committal of the prisoner. It is evident that, if the prisoner did not actually murder the unfortunate woman, he, by his inhuman treatment, drove her mad, and occasioned her to commit suicide, by throwing herself down a well over 70 feet deep. Such a fellow, under any circumstances, deserves to be punished." Ther Irish population was incredibly strong in Kilmore, and perhaps Patrick Meehan had supporters enough amongst them to be able to remain in the town. His sister Judith and her family remained in the Bylands/Kilmore district for another ten years at least before selecting land opened for selection on the Murray River near Yarrawonga in the parishes of Burramine and Boosey. After the trial, Patrick Meehan went to the alluvial gold fields in the Upper Goulburn region of Victoria. He spent several years working on the Jordan River near Wood's Point. In the early 1870s, Paddy selected land at Dairy Creek, near Yea. His daughter Mary lived with her father, as did her brother Michael, I suspect, although the latter did himself end up in the Yarrawonga district. When Patrick Meehan died in 1895, his obituaries as published in local papers painted a picture of a decent, much-respected citizen: "Mr Meehan, who was an honourable, warm-hearted and kindly disposed man, was esteemed by all who knew him best for his sterling qualities."- Yea Chronicle " Mr Patrick Meehan, of Doogalook, who died on the first inst., was an old colonist and a sterling, straight-forward man."- The Broadford Courier and Reedy Creek Times