Patrick McDermott 1854 - 1929
- Liz Hardie
Patrick McDermott (1854 - 1929)
Patrick McDermott was born on 16 July 1854 in Sydney, New South Wales. He was christened on 23 Jul 1854 at St James Cathedral, Cumberland Parish, Sydney, New South Wales. He is the second child and eldest son of of Patrick McDermott and Bridget Kettle.
Patrick parents had arrived in Australia in 1853 and at the time of his birth were living at Union Street Paddington in Sydney.
From the documentation available, it appears that Patrick and his siblings were one of the many street children of the era - See story on Inner Sydney in the 1860s below.
Their parents were repeatedly arrested for vagrancy and drunkeness,
In 1866 Patrick (12) and his brother Thomas (9) were arrested for stealing and spend a couple of days in gaol and a three month good behaviour bond
The boys appeared before the Central Police Court again on 25 May May 1867 when they were brought in under the Industrial Schools ActÂ
WATER POLICE COURT.
Before the Water Police Magistrate and Mr H H Voss.
Saturday.
Patrick McDermott, and Thomas McDermott, two boys were brought up charged with stealing a shovel, value 4s the property of George Kilminster, builder from premises at Woollahra. They were order to find surities for their good behaviour for three months
CENTRAL POLICE COURT.
Before the City Magistrates.
Monday.
The following youths were apprehended for, being under sixteen rears of age, having no fixed place of abode : —
Patrick McDermott, 13, Thomas McDermott,10. Senior constable Doyle deposed that yesterday afternoon he found these boys wandering in the neighbourhood of Waverley, and took them into custody ; they are in the habit of begging and of sleeping out at night, and have been convicted of larceny ; their parents say that they cannot keep them at home and yesterday their father told him he hoped that something would be done with them, as he could get not good of them.
Ordered to be sent on board the Industrial Ship Vernon.
They were among the first group of boys to taken aboard the Vernon - no. 6 and no. 7 . The comments from their committal are belowÂ
My father breaks stones for the roads. Mother stops at hom and minds the children, I have been at several places and behind nearly every Bus on the stand and one year with a Cow Man I was behind a bus the day a Police man to me in ? my brother took a shovel and blamed me for it, I got one day for it and he got ½ a day. I often went begging and slept out at night
On his review from the Entrance book, he is noted as having "good disposition average conduct could read and write his name"
Brother of Patrick, often went behind the busses. My mother use to send me out begging around about by the windmill on Wooloomooloo. I did not steal the shovel. I was in jail a night for it. I don't know who stole it. I was taken up whilst gathering lead on the Rifle butts
On his review from the Entrance book is is noted as "very wicked bad boy, but within the last 6 month, has greatly improved, for a long period he could not be taught even the alphabet but can now read"
These two statements provide an interesting insight into their parents, this is further reinforced when their younger brother - John, 8 - is picked up on August 14. John was no. 41 aboard the Vernon.Â
An update on 24 Aug 1869 notes that he is a "bad boy, rather tricky disposition, and of average character, improving in school"
WATER POLICE COURT.
Wednesday.
BEFORE the Water Police Magistrate, Mr. W. Day.
John McDermott, 8, was brought up by Constable E. Ryan, under the Industrial Schools Act. He had been for some time wandering about the streets and did not appear ever to have been at school. Both his parents were said to drink to excess, and two of his brothers are already on board the Vernon. Prisoner told their worships that he went home one night about eight o'clock, and his mother would not admit him.
Sent on board the Vernon.
There are no further records of the Patrick aboard the Vernon, although the Visitor books may provide a further insight.
We can guess how the boys spent the next few years based on what we know each day would have been school, training, drills and chores, with church on Sundays
The photos (right) are from the Vernon during this period, and Patrick could be amongst the boys in them.
Once the boys had demonstrated good character they were offered the opportunity for an apprenticeship. If this doesn't occur, they were released at 18Â
Whilst 2/3rd of the boys admitted ended up with apprenticeships as farm or general servants before the age of 18, there is the potential that because of his late admission - aged 13 - he stayed with the Vernon until 1872 when he turned 18Â
Given that Patrick ends up outside of Sydney, the most likely option is that he was placed as an apprentice farm servant around Tamworth or Dubbo.
School Lessons Vernon c.1869
Foot Drill Vernon c.1870s
There are no confirmed records of Patrick until he marries in Tenterfield in 1882, however there is a reference to a Patrick McDermott who took part in a walking match in Dubbo in 1879. This article (extract below) puts McDermott at about 23 - which is the correct age - in a location where they were building the railway lines and roads. There is a second reference in 1880 (see below)
By 1882 he is in Tenterfield and it is there that he married Louisa Jane Davis on 4 March 1882. At the time he was working as a labourer - most likely on the railway. The marriage was performed by John Walford Simmons (or Simms) and witnessed by Francis Davis (Louisa's half brother) and James Stephens.
Louisa Jane Davis was the daughter of Thomas Davis and Jane Bygrave. According to adult christening certificate - after her marriage - she was born in Toowoomba on 4 December 1865 (but no record has been found of her birth). Family oral history had identified Louisa is being part Maori, however we now know that her heritage was Jamaican.
After their marriage, it appears that the family lived at Barney Down where their first 5 children were born. Barney Downs was a Station located east of Tenterfield on what is now the Bruxner Highway to Casino. It was also 2.2km south of Bryan's Gap. The station was subdivided and and eventually became the parish of Barney Downs, now includes a vineyard "Kurrajong Downs". Based on Thomas's birth registration, it appears the Patrick worked as a stockman on the property, potentially owning a number of horses or cattle of his own with a registered brand)
In abt 1891 the family moved to Lismore, where their next two children were born, before moving to Richmond where their next child was born 1897. By 1899 the family had moved back to Lismore where their next two children were born. The family is recorded at Bexhill near Lismore in the 1901 census
The family appear to have moved to Byron Bay around 1903 for the birth of their second last child - Mary - before moving back to Lismore again for the birth of their last child - Sydney - in 1905. It does appear that the family settled in the Lismore region after the birth of their youngest child.
In total Patrick and Louisa had 12 children (6 sons and 6 daughters) between 1882 and 1905
- John Patrick McDermott. Born 5 Aug 1882. Married Josephine F Morrish 1906 then Margaret M Molloy in 1907. Died 1969
- Thomas Francis McDermott. Born 25 Dec 1883. Married Mary Ellen Johnson in 1918. Died Feb 1961
- William McDermott. Born 6 Aug 1885. Married Jessie Ford
- Lydia Jane McDermott. Born 3 May 1888. Married Sydney Dawes in 1903. Died 1931
- Walter McDermott. Born 7 Dec 1890. Married Mary Jane Tomkinson. Died 14 Oct 1963
- Bertha Louisa McDermott. Born 15 Sep 1892. Married Leslie Selmes in 1914. Died 1965Â
- Mabel Maud McDermott  Born 20 Aug 1894. Married Harold J Cusack in 1917. Died 1986
- Emily Louisa McDermott. Born 25 Jan 1897. Married Sydney Walter Jessop in 1914. Died 17 Dec 1993
- Arthur James McDermott. Born 24 Apr 1899. Married Esther H McGuiness in 1930. Died 1973
- Annie McDermott. Born 1901. Married George L Thomson in 1920. Died 1989
- Mary Josephine McDermott. Born 3 Mar 1903. Married Thomas Henry Saunders. Died 1969
- Sydney Leo McDermott. Born 1905. Died 1930
The frequent moves would seem to indicate that the family followed work, confirming that whilst recorded as a Stockman at a number of his childrens births, Patrick was most likely a itinerant farm labourer.
It appears that he and Louisa cease to live together some time before 1909 as in the front cover of Louisa Jane's bible, where in the front cover there is record of the birth of two addition children children -
- Eva Dorris Bender born 13 May 1909
- David William Bender born 3 Sep 1912.
We know from Thomas's WWI enlistment papers that Patrick was living at Tweed Heads - Outside of this small insight, little is known about Patrick's until his death on 20 July 1929 in Murwillumbah, NSW.Â
