Patrick McDermott 1821 -

Patrick McDermott (1821 - )

Patrick McDermott was born Patrick Dermot around 1821 in Knockbride, Co. Cavan in Ireland. He was the son of Philip Dermot and Rose.   

In modern Gaelic, Patrick takes one of several forms: Pádruig, Páruig, Para, and Pádair or Pátair. This last form - Pátair - that leads to confusion with the English Peter, and the two names were often treated as interchangeably in the 18th and 19th centuries, especially for irish or scottish families relocating. Its also common for Irish immigrant to have the Mc added to their name upon immigration.

We certainly found this to be the case with Patrick - throughout his life his name varies between Peter or Patrick and the spelling of his last name changes upon arrival in Australia from Dermott to McDermott.

Patrick married Bridget Kettle in Dundee, Angus, Scotland on 25 May 1850. Bridget was born around 1831 in Drumgoon, Cavan. She is the daughter of Peter and Mary Kettle.

It is unknown how Patrick and Bridget met, or why they were living in Dundee when they married. That said, one can identify a number of potential reasons.

• Throughout the late 1700s and early 1800s Cavan, specifically Cootehill and the surrounding ares became significantly suppliers of flax and linen. In 1825 the growth of linen factories in places like Belfast resulted in the collapse of the cottage linen industry in 1825 and saw increasing destitution in counties like Cavan.
• Cavan was a significant site of Plantation repopulation, with large tracts of land - especially through Knockbride - owned by a single absentee landlord. During the early to mid 1840s Cavan experienced increasing tensions arising from the system of land tenure in place in Ireland. 
• In 1845 the Irish potato crop - the key source of food security for peasant farmers - failed as a result of the potato blight, heralding the start of a 5 year Great Irish Famine. Ireland had limited social support system, and the government of the time did not see providing charity for the impacted as part of its mandate. In addition to failure of crops meant no income, and there were significant numbers of evictions as people could no longer afford rents.Between 1841 and 1851 the population of Cavan fell by nearly 29 per cent. Part of this was due to starvation- and disease-induced mortality. A significant part was also due to emigration to England and America. The first step for many who left Ireland was to head to Scotland

We have been unable to confirm the couples location at the time of the 1851 census, but have found 2 potential entries. If they are in fact Patrick and Bridget, then are living apart with Patrick working as a quarry labourer at Netherton Quarry in East Kilpatrick, Dunbarton and Bridget living with the Clark family in Liff and Benvie in Dundee where she is noted as single and working in a mill. Practices at the time forbid married women working in mills, so it may be that she lied in order to continue to save for their immigration. This could also explain why the couple do not have their first child until 1853.

Irrespective of where they were between May 1850 and November 1852, December 1852 finds them in Plymouth where they boarded the immigrant ship - the 'Blundell' - to travel to Australia. The Blundell was a 573 ton barque built in Burma. The ship was under the command of Captain Lumley and there were 280 Government emigrants. Patrick payed £4 for the journey.

Bridget was pregnant at the time of their departure, and on the immigration records the couple are recorded as Peter (30) and Brigid (24) Dermott. Bridget gave birth to their first child Mary Anne during the journey. and the couple arrived in Sydney, NSW on 6 May 1853. 

Upon arriving in Sydney, Patrick participated in the hiring fair where he got a job as a labourer - this is confirmed by his childrens birth certificates. From the birth records we also know that the family was living at Union Street in Sydney between 1854 and 1859.

Patrick and Brigid are know to have had four (4) children (3 sons and 1 daughter)

• Mary Ann McDermott. Born ???? 1853 (at sea). Died before 1859
• Patrick McDermott. Born 16 Jul 1854. Married Louisa Jane Davis in 1882. Died 1929
• Thomas McDermott. Born 25 Dec 1856. Married 
• John McDermott. Born 10 Feb 1859. 

The journey to Australia did not result in a new life for the family. The years after their arrival are littered with arrests for drunkeness and vagrancy.

All three sons have run ins with the law at a very early age - clearly fitting the bill of 'street urchins'. Their two eldest were found guilty of theft in 1866 at - 12 and 9 respectively - and spending several night in jail. The Destitute Child Act and Industrial Schools Act were  introduced in 1866. It was designed to reduce child delinquency and remove neglected children from the street, dramatically changed the family forever. In May 1867 the two eldest boys - Patrick and Thomas - were amongst the first committed to newly commissioned Vernon Industrial School. By August 1867 the youngest boy - John - has also been picked up and committed to the Vernon

It is from the childrens testimony at their committals the we get a really image of the family. Young Patrick - who was 12 at the time - notes at his committal that "My father breaks stones for the roads. Mother stops at hom and minds the children". Patrick Snr tells the court that "they cannot keep them at home and .... he hoped that something would be done with them, as he could get not good of them".

The boys tell a different tale ... with Thomas noting "My mother use to send me out begging around about by the windmill on Wooloomooloo" and John telling the court that "that he went home one night about eight o'clock, and his mother would not admit him" All three boys were know to the police as sleeping rough on the street, and never having had schooling... The Water Police Court judge at Johns committal in August 1867 notes that "Both his parents were said to drink to excess, and two of his brothers are already on board the Vernon"

It is a tragic story common to many immigrant family of this time. 

Both Patrick and Bridget seem to disappear from records in the early 1870s, and we have been unable to find any death records for them, nor can we determine what happened to the boys between 1867 and when Patrick appears in Tenterfield in 1882.