Patrick Meehan, pictured above, was born at Lynch Street,Yarrawonga, on June 6, 1893. Again, like his elder siblings Daisy and Michael, Patrick's birth was registered under the name 'Harris' as his mother Annie Harris had not yet married his father Michael Meehan. Patrick's birth certificate was also difficult to locate because of this factor, as well as the unexpected fact that he was registered not as "Patrick Meehan' but as 'John Harris'!!!
There is absolutely no doubt that baby John Harris IS the child who grew up as Patrick Meehan.When Patrick enlisted in the AIF on April 3, 1916, he gave his age as 22 years and nine months, putting his time of birth at around June or July of 1893.As well as this matching up with John Harris's birth certificate, there is the undisputable evidence that both the mother of "John" and Patrick was named 'Annie Harris', and the mother Annie was born at Meredith...perfect match!
Annie Harris married Michael Meehan only two and a half months after Patrick/ John's birth. She brought with her to the marriage a six year old daughter, Daisy, and two sons aged two years (Michael) and two months (Patrick).
It would be a further two years before another child arrived-Margaret Ellen Meehan, known always as 'Madge', was born at Yarrawonga on November 5, 1895.Interestingly, Michael Meehan registered the baby's birth, and in the column for "Previous issue, living and dead", he did not include the names of Daisy, Michael or Patrick. When the next child, Harry, arrived in 1898,his mother Annie registered the birth and included "Patrick aged 4 years and Margaret aged 2 years" as her only previous issue.
Getting back to Patrick...he was educated in Yarrawonga and upon leaving school worked as a draper in Yarrawonga. His elder brother Michael Meehan enlisted for service early on in WW1- November of 1914- and Patrick himself enlisted on April 3, 1916, two months short of his 23rd birthday.
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