Denis Kelleher

  Research Notes:

Michelle Monk notes:
I am the daughter of William HENRY Kelleher 1935-2001 and Eileen Bolwell 1942-2001
Dad's g grandfather was Denis Kelleher who married Margaret Maher. The Margaret you have listed is not his wife, the one you have was the one that came out in 1837
Margaret Maher, Arrived per Margaret 1837; Licence Number: 43/2111; Dated 7 Dec 1843; Original Remarks: Wife of Mathias Maher, per "Earl St Vincent" [1820], CP (as stated on her CF) [Biog Item No. 120039054] They Married 1839.. MAHER MATHIAS m MAHER MARGARET 434/1839 V1839434 90


This Margaret, I too thought was the right one, but after extensive research I found she is not. I am still searching for the right one but she is very elusive. I a currently looking in QLD as both Michael and Patrick went north. Mary also died in Casino. Margaret b 1848 died as a baby in 1848. Patrick died QLD 1930.

The William Francis Kelleher you have listed as Denis's father is not right. This William came out on the Eliza in 1832, he was married to a Mary Sullivan, but not even OUR right Mary Sullivan. (Mary Sullivan is a name like Mary Smith, very very common) This Mary came out with a 2yo daughter Catherine, on the Canada
On 16th March 1816 Mary was tried for house robbery at Co. Cork. Was transported at age 25 years on the Canada arriving on 6th August 1817, and her child Catherine Callaghan/Kelleher (later aka Higgins) was born in 1818.
Poor Catherine was put into an orphanage at 8yo, Mary went on to marry several times one of which was bigamous.
Mary Sullivan was born in 1791 in Co. Cork, Ireland. She married William Callaghan/Kelleher in 1814.

rdrdbrdrw20 rdrdbrdrw20 rdrw15rdrsrdrw15rdrsrdrw15rdrs rdrw15rdrsrdrw15rdrsrdrw15rdrs ntblNSW DEATH REGISTRATION TRANSCRIPTION REF NO 1859 / 320rdrdbrdrw20 rdrdbrdrw20 rdrw15rdrs rdrw15rdrs ntblrdrdbrdrw20 rdrdbrdrw20 rdrw15rdrs rdrw15rdrs ntbl NAME - DENNIS KELEHERrdrdbrdrw20 rdrdbrdrw20 rdrw15rdrs rdrw15rdrs ntbl DATE OF DEATH- 13 MAR 1859rdrdbrdrw20 rdrdbrdrw20 rdrw15rdrs rdrw15rdrs ntbl PLACE- SURRY STREET WOOLLOOMOOLOO NSWrdrdbrdrw20 rdrdbrdrw20 rdrw15rdrs rdrw15rdrs ntbl OCCUPATION- QUARRY-MANrdrdbrdrw20 rdrdbrdrw20 rdrw15rdrs rdrw15rdrs ntbl SEX- MALErdrdbrdrw20 rdrdbrdrw20 rdrw15rdrs rdrw15rdrs ntbl AGE- 45 DOB 1814rdrdbrdrw20 rdrdbrdrw20 rdrw15rdrs rdrw15rdrs ntbl CONJUGAL STATUS-rdrdbrdrw20 rdrdbrdrw20 rdrw15rdrs rdrw15rdrs ntbl PLACE OF BIRTH- COUNTY KERRY IRELANDrdrdbrdrw20 rdrdbrdrw20 rdrw15rdrs rdrw15rdrs ntbl TIME IN AUST COLONIES- 36 YEARS IN NSW arrived 1823rdrdbrdrw20 rdrdbrdrw20 rdrw15rdrs rdrw15rdrs ntblrdrdbrdrw20 rdrdbrdrw20 rdrw15rdrs rdrw15rdrs ntbl FATHER- FRANCIS KELEHERrdrdbrdrw20 rdrdbrdrw20 rdrw15rdrs rdrw15rdrs ntbl OCCUPATION- NOT STATEDrdrdbrdrw20 rdrdbrdrw20 rdrw15rdrs rdrw15rdrs ntbl MOTHER- MARY SULLIVANrdrdbrdrw20 rdrdbrdrw20 rdrw15rdrs rdrw15rdrs ntblrdrdbrdrw20 rdrdbrdrw20 rdrw15rdrs rdrw15rdrs ntbl PLACE OF MARRIAGE- SYDNEYrdrdbrdrw20 rdrdbrdrw20 rdrw15rdrs rdrw15rdrs ntbl AGE AT MARRIAGE- 29 1813rdrdbrdrw20 rdrdbrdrw20 rdrw15rdrs rdrw15rdrs ntbl NAME OF SPOUSE- MARGARET MAHERrdrdbrdrw20 rdrdbrdrw20 rdrw15rdrs rdrw15rdrs ntbl CHILDREN OF MARRIAGE- 3 BOYS, 1 GIRL LIVING; 1 BOY DEADrdrdbrdrw20 rdrdbrdrw20 rdrw15rdrs rdrw15rdrs ntblrdrdbrdrw20 rdrdbrdrw20 rdrw15rdrs rdrw15rdrs ntbl INFORMANT- JAMES SHEERIN, FRIEND, WILLIAM STREETrdrdbrdrw20 rdrdbrdrw20 rdrw15rdrs rdrw15rdrs ntblrdrdbrdrw20 rdrdbrdrw20 rdrw15rdrs rdrw15rdrs ntbl CAUSE OF DEATH- DISEASE OF HEARTrdrdbrdrw20 rdrdbrdrw20 rdrw15rdrs rdrw15rdrs ntbl LENGTH OF ILLNESS- 2 YEARSrdrdbrdrw20 rdrdbrdrw20 rdrw15rdrs rdrw15rdrs ntbl MEDICAL ATTENDANT- NO DOCTOR - HAD BEEN IN INFIRMARY BUT HAD LEFTrdrdbrdrw20 rdrdbrdrw20 rdrw15rdrs rdrw15rdrs ntbl DATE LAST SEEN-rdrdbrdrw20 rdrdbrdrw20 rdrw15rdrs rdrw15rdrs ntblrdrdbrdrw20 rdrdbrdrw20 rdrw15rdrs rdrw15rdrs ntbl DATE OF BURIAL- 15 MAR 1859rdrdbrdrw20 rdrdbrdrw20 rdrw15rdrs rdrw15rdrs ntbl PLACE OF BURIAL- CATHOLICE (SIC)rdrdbrdrw20 rdrdbrdrw20 rdrw15rdrs rdrw15rdrs ntbl MINISTER & RELIGION-rdrdbrdrw20 rdrdbrdrw20 rdrw15rdrs rdrw15rdrs ntbl UNDERTAKER- T DIXONrdrdbrdrw20 rdrdbrdrw20 rdrw15rdrs rdrw15rdrs ntbl WITNESSES- JOHN DALY, E FABRYrdrdbrdrw20 rdrdbrdrw20 rdrw15rdrs rdrw15rdrs ntblrdrdbrdrw20 rdrdbrdrw20 rdrw15rdrs rdrw15rdrs ntbl CREMATION DATE-rdrdbrdrw20 rdrdbrdrw20 rdrw15rdrs rdrw15rdrs ntbl CREMATION PLACE-rdrdbrdrw20 rdrdbrdrw20 rdrw15rdrs rdrw15rdrs ntbl CREMATION INFORMANT-rdrdbrdrw20 rdrdbrdrw20 rdrw15rdrs rdrw15rdrs ntbl CREMATION RELIGION-rdrdbrdrw20 rdrdbrdrw20 rdrw15rdrs rdrw15rdrs ntbl CREMATION WITNESSES-rdrdbrdrw20 rdrdbrdrw20 rdrw15rdrs rdrw15rdrs ntblrdrdbrdrw20 rdrdbrdrw20 rdrw15rdrs rdrw15rdrs ntbl REGISTERED- 14 MAR 1859 - SYDNEYrdrdbrdrw20 rdrdbrdrw20 rdrw15rdrsrdrw15rdrsrdrw15rdrs ntblrdrsrdrw10rdrcf2 rdrsrdrw10rdrcf2 rdrsrdrw10rdrcf2 rdrsrdrw10rdrcf2 rdrw15rdrsrdrw15rdrsrdrw15rdrsrdrw15rdrs rdrw15rdrsrdrw15rdrsrdrw15rdrsrdrw15rdrs rdrw15rdrsrdrw15rdrsrdrw15rdrsrdrw15rdrs rdrw15rdrsrdrw15rdrsrdrw15rdrsrdrw15rdrs rdrw15rdrsrdrw15rdrsrdrw15rdrsrdrw15rdrs ntblYEAR EVENT PLACE SOURCE NOTESntbl 23/5 1826 ARRIVAL IN NSW OF 39^TH REGT OF FOOT Dublin to Sydney Lady Rowena Ship PAY MUSTERS BARRIE CHAPMAN ALSO IN REGT Daniel, Andrew, Francis, Patrick, Timothy and Johnntbl 1828 Mention of: ENLISTMENT OF DENNIS 15yo, unkown if it refers to Aust. Or Ireland. SYDNEY PAYMUSTERS BARRIE CHAPMAN Papers signed by FRANCIS JAMES KELLEHER (father)ntbl 1^st Nov, 1831 Murder of Michael Martin Sydney Syd Gazette Papers report "by unknown Soldier of 39^th Regt" Other Reports by namentbl 4^th Nov 1831 Dennis charged with Murder, sentenced to Death. Appeal Placed SYd Gazettentbl 30^th March 1832 Royal Warrant & Col Pardon, issued by King William 4th State records Sentence commuted to hard labour in Irons At Norfolk Island for the Term of his Natural Life Have copiesntbl Oct 1832 Transported to Norfolk Island on Governor Phillip State Records Have copiesntbl 1836 Have copiesntbl 1839 Sent back to Sydney , Cockatoo Is or Woolloomooloo, Sentence commuted to 3yrs State Records Have copiesntbl 1840 Sentence Reduced State Records Have copiesntbl 1842 Released 15/6/1842 Married Margaret Maher at St Mary's Cathedral Newspaper & State records Have certs and copies

Now to the RIGHT Denis and Francis.
Denis.. not DENNIS, was born in Listry Co Kerry Ireland.
They were soldiers in the 39^th regiment of Foot which arrived as a convict escort in 1827. There was Francis and 4 sons in the regiment, what made me discover this was the Orbituary for Eliza Kelleher (Peters wife) see attached.


I have researched this a lot, but unfortunately a lot of the NSW regimental records were lost and also the man that was assisting me has passed away. But, apart from a few discrepancies with DOB I have found all the info. (It is not a pretty story) I have tracked 2 of Denis's brothers, Andrew and Timothy but there are 2 more yet to be confirmed.
Denis's enlistment states 15yo but doesn't say if it's here or in Ireland and it is witnessed by "Father.. Francis Kelleher"
Boys as young as 9yo were enlisted along with their mothers who were paid half rations to be seamstresses and laundresses in the unit. Children were given quarter rations. Ireland was a very poor place at that time after the British confiscated all the land and crops, all the locals were starving and it was not unusual for a whole family to enlist in the military units that were marching through Ireland, it was the only way they could survive. Also, the kids were taught to R & W, which we know that Denis could. (he signed his marriage cert, Margaret signed X) When it came to overseas detachment, wives and family were selected by way of a ballot. They came on the Countess Harcourt.
Although the soldiers are not listed individually, Denis is listed in the Surgeons journal. He is listed as a 23yo which makes him born 1804. ??? Many of the other papers, reports, certificates etc have years of birth varying from 1801 to 1808. BUT.. his death cert calculates to 1813/1814 (attached) BUT.. his death cert witness was James Sheerin a friend, who also stated he had one dead son not daughter. So the accuracy of this info is not 100%, which often happens.

  Noted events in his life were:

• connection. ¹⁰²⁶

Denis married Margaret Maher, daughter of Jeremiah Maher and Unknown, on 12 Oct 1842 in St Marys Catholic Cathedral, Sydney, NSW Australia.¹⁰³⁹ (Margaret Maher was born in 1817 in Youghal (Eochaill), in Castletown ED, Youghalarra Civil Parish, Barony, Tipperary, Ireland UK,¹⁰²⁶ died on 8 Dec 1889 in Newington Asylum, Parramatta, Sydney, NSW Australia ^1026,1039 and was buried in Rookwood Cemetery, Lidcombe, Sydney, NSW Australia unmarked grave.)