William Kelleher ¹⁰²⁶

  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.
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

William married.

William next married Mary Sullivan in 1813 in Sydney, NSW Australia ¹⁰²⁶.^,1039 (Mary Sullivan was born in 1791 in County Cork, Ireland UK,¹⁰²⁶ died on 8 Apr 1839 in Windsor, NSW Australia ¹⁰³⁹ and was buried in St Matthews C of E, Windsor, Sydney, NSW Australia ¹⁰²⁶.)

William next married Margaret O'Donnell in 1831 in Sydney, NSW Australia. (Margaret O'Donnell was born circa 1800.)