Terence O'Connell was the Irish son of James O'Connell (a farmer) and Julia Duffy.
At the age of 27, Terence married Margaret McConnell on 27 January 1850 in the Parish of Athboy, County Meath. Margaret was born in Martinstown, County Meath.
Source: From NLI parish registers. Athboy, Co Meath.
The family moved to Australia (on the Telegraph in 1853).
Source: NSW Assisted immigrants index and
The O'Connell's lived in Hargraves, NSW. After her husband's death in 1879, Margaret moved with her adult children to Goodiman, a property 12 miles west of Gugong on the road to Cobbora.
Terence and Margaret's children's births were as follows:
- BRIDGET, born in Ireland and arrived in Australia in 1853.
- MARY JANE, born 1852-54? (said to be 54 at mother's death in 1906)
- JAMES DANIEL, born 1854 (NSW BDM 1713/1854 V18541713 71); christened 20 August 1854 in St James Catholic Church, Cumberland, Australia; died 1882, Mudgee district (NSW BDM 9884/1882)
- EUGENE, born 1856, Bathurst region (NSW BDM 3257/1856 and 3468/1856 V18563468 162B) ROMAN CATHOLIC BATHURST; KELSO, ST MICHAEL'S; CO. BATHURST
- PATRICK, born 1859, Mudgee/Hargraves (NSW BDM 9835/1859)
- MARGARET ELIZABETH, born 1861, Mudgee/Hargraves (NSW BDM 10011/1861)
- THERESA EDITH (known as JULIA), born 1863, Mudgee/Hargraves (NSW BDM 10515/1863)
Terence was listed as a farmer at Hargraves in Greville's Index of 1875.
Source: Greville's Index, 1875
At the time of Terence's death on 26 April 1879, the family lived at Black Willow in the Hargraves region. Terence had worked as a farmer and shearer. He was 62 years old and had suffered "debility" for 2 years prior to dying of old age. He was buried at Wellington, NSW. His burial was not attended by a
priest but it was witnessed by Thomas O'Brien. I assume this was our relative Thomas O'Brien who had been a senior constable in Hargraves since June 1877 (2 years earlier).
Julia's brothers, Eugene and Patrick O'Connell, were on friendly terms with Thomas O'Brien's daughter, Sara Ellen despite the O'Brien's living in Peak Hill (nearly 200km away).
Eleven years after Terence's death, the families were united by the marriage of Terence's daughter Julia and Thomas' son, John Michael.
When Terence O'Connell died, his wife Margaret was 57.
The daughters married as follows:
- Bridget (who married William Payne, publican at Goodiman Inn).
- Mary Jane - unknown
- Margaret (who married William Norris in Mudgee)
- Julia (named Theresa Edith on her birth certificate) (who married John Michael O'Brien at Goodiman)
NB: Jockey Bill Payne from Wellington was known to Wilfred O'Brien. Investigate further.
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Extract from the death certificate of Terence O'Connell:
