The last Dwyer Sister...Catherine

From amongst the eighteen Dwyers who arrived on the ship Gilmore in December 1841, I had sorted out those belonging to the family who were so closely associated with my Bourkes that five of them were Sponsors to Bourke babies at their baptisms...brothers John, Thomas, Patrick and Edmond Dwyer, and their and sisters Judith, Ellen, Mary and Winnifred. HOWEVER...an obituary for John's death stated that NINE members of the Dwyer family had arrived on the Gilmore- four brothers and FIVE sisters. So out of the remaining Dwyer candidates on board the Gilmore - Anne, Catherine, Mary and Nancy- which girl was the missing sister????

I left Anne out of the equation initially, as it was stated that she was a Protestant. This column for Religion was often marked incorrectly, as were the age and literacy columns, I have found. But in this instance, I accepted that the information given was true and ruled her out, prepared to return to her later if the other Dwyer girls did not fit in.

Next name on the passenger list was 18 year old Catherine Dwyer, a Roman Catholic from Tipperary who was a house servant and who could both read and write.Having just purchased the "Victoria's Early Church Records" cd from VicHeritage, I checked out marriage records for any Catherine Dwyers. There were four-

Catherine Dwyer married Daniel Sweeny, October 30, 1842, Melbourne.Witnesses William Cooper and Anne Jones.
Catherine Dwyer married John Hogan, April 10, 1842, Melbourne.Witnesses Edward Murphy and Judith Holahan.
Catherine Dwyer married Patrick Wheylan on January10, 1847, Melbourne. Witnesses Daniel Corbett and Bridget Stanton.
Catherine Dwyer married John Gildea, September 8, 1852, Melbourne. Witnesses undecipherable...John and Catherine same last name (perhaps starts with 'M', ends with'y'???)

I checked these Catherine Dwyers in the Victorian death index under their married names, and struck pay dirt immediately with the last Catherine on the list...
Catherine Gildea died 1880, aged 50 years, wife of John Gildea, born Tipperary, daughter of John Dwyer and Johanna Cummins.
Once I started to research this Catherine Dwyer, I discovered that she had a fascinating story to tell...a sad one, but extremely interesting as it wove its way along.

As previously mentioned, I have found the ages of immigants as given on passenger lists to be notoriously "out of whack", often by a year or two but on occasion by several years or more. This has been the case with the Dwyers on board the 'Gilmore'...following is their year of birth if their age as given on the passenger list is correct, as compared to their age as stated on their death certificates:-

John Dwyer aged 23 therefore born c. 1818. Death certificate gives year of birth as c. 1816
Thomas Dwyer aged 28 therefore born c. 1813. Death certificate gives year of birth as c. 1814.
Edmond Dwyer aged 20 therefore born c. 1821. Death certificate gives year of birth as c. 1825
Patrick Dwyer aged 25 therefore born c. 1816. Death certificate gives year of birth as c. 1823
Judy Dwyer aged 26 therefore born c. 1815. Death certificate gives year of birth as c. 1820
Ellen Dwyer aged 18 therefore born c. 1823. Death certificate not located.
Mary Dwyer aged 20 therefore born c. 1821. Death certificate gives year of birth as c. 1814
Winifred Dwyer aged 15 therefore born c. 1826. Death certificate gives year of birth as c. 1835
Catherine Dwyer aged 18 therefore born c. 1823. Death cert gives year of birth as c. 1830. In addition, on the birth certificates of twin children Patrick and Catherine Gildea in 1863, Catherine gives her age as 32, suggesting a birth year of c. 1832.

I have not been able to determine Catherine Dwyer's movements between her arrival on Christmas Eve, 1841, and her marriage in 1852. The church record for her marriage stated that she was "of Melbourne", so she had obviously not settled at Kilmore like her siblings.

At the time of Catherine Dwyer's marriage, it must have appeared that she had made a good match...her husband was a tall handsome Irishman...almost six feet tall, dark-haired and pale-skinned, and a respectable police detective in Melbourne. By 1854, however, John had resigned from the police force, and had set himself up as the landlord of the 'Young Queen' Hotel at Pascoe Vale.

GILDEA JOHN YOUNG QUEEN Pascoe Vale 19 APR 1854

GILDEAY JOHN YOUNG QUEEN 22 MAR 1854

GILDEN JOHN Young Queen Pascoe Vale 17 APR 1855 granted

GILDES JOHN Young Queen Pascoe Vale 18 APR 1854 granted

(From Victorian Publicans Index)

An entry in the online database of the Victorian Genealogical Society gave a huge hint into John Gildea's background:

KILDEA -. Aged widow in Ireland seeks information from James Thompson, formerly in the Convict Department in Van Diemen’s Land regarding her son who was transported there. Thompson, now (1856) living in Victoria, writes to the Chief Commissioner, suggesting it may be John Gildea, formerly in the police force and now keeping an hotel in Melbourne, who is meant. VPRS 937/P4 Unit 6 Bundle 6.

This information sent me scurrying to the Tasmanian convict records, and sure enough, there was Catherine O'Dwyer's husband, who in 1843 had been sent to Van Diemans Land for manslaughter!

Also to face trial at Mayo on March 7, 1843, was 27 year old John Gildea's younger brother, Richard,aged 25. Both brothers were sentenced to seven years' transportation for the manslaughter of an old woman, Biddy Judges, in a riot in the market, after she was 'wounded in the wrist'. The records for the Gildea brothers noted that both brothers were married, and that their wives were back in their native place. There was no further mention that I could find regarding these two women, beyond the fact that Richard's wife was named Ann.

On May 9, 1843, the Gildeas boarded the convict ship 'Constant' in Ireland, and three and a half months later were landed in Van Deimans Land.

The surgeon's report noted that both brothers were well-behaved and quiet.

Poor Richard, who I took a shining to because he was a red-head (red hair, red whiskers, blue eyes, freckles...like one of my own sons) died within two years of his arrival. He died at Salt Water Creek Probation Station on April 9, 1845.