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BERTLING GENEALOGY AUSTRALIA |
Brisbane Weather |
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Paul Kirkwood and Family |
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PAUL KIRKWOOD AND AMELIA (EMMA) JANE TAYLOR |
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Paul Kirkwood was born in Belfast, Antrim, Northern Ireland in 1822 (1). He was the fifth child of Robert Kirkwood (1782-1859) and Sarah Jane Simpson (1785-1858). Amelia (Emma) Jane Taylor was born in Baileborough, Cavan, Ireland on the 8th March 1834 (2). She was the 3rd child of Richard Taylor (1803-1882) and Susannah Boyd (1810-1872).
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Immigration to Australia 1832
PAUL KIRKWOOD: After his father Robert was convicted of forgery and transported to Australia, Paul with his mother Sarah and six brothers and sisters (James Paul, Jane, Margaret, Robert, Sarah and David Simpson), immigrated as free settlers to Australia on the ship “SS Mountaineer” arriving at Port Sydney, New South Wales on the 7th September, 1832 (3). They lived in Muswellbrook, Hunter Valley for several years, and then moved to the Armidale, New England district.
AMELIA TAYLOR: Amelia emigrated from Ireland with her parents and family on the “Argyleshire” as free settlers and arrived at Port Jackson, New South Wales 12 November, 1840 (4). Richard was listed as a Farm Servant and his wife, Susan (Susannah) as a Dairy Woman.
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Cricket The Maitland Mercury, Wednesday 24 April 1850 Hunter River District News (from our Correspondents, Armidale) Cricket “This thriving quarter of the interior, amongst its other sporting amusements, stands A1 in its encouragement of the noble game of cricket. Seldom a week passes that a match, either single or double, is not got up during the season, and an annual event invariably comes off, which puts the abilities and practice of the players to the most severe test. That of 1850 went off in first-rate style. The players on the one side were, Messrs. David Kirkwood, Paul Kirkwood, T. B. Dowling, W. R. Bligh, J. Whittington, Thomas Rae, J. Cohen, J. Mason, and G. Taylor ; on the other, Messrs. D. Brothers, C. W. Morris, R. Pauks, McKay, G. West, E. Butler, T. Blandford, M. Leahy, and T. Gollidge. Kirkwood's side, in the first innings, scored 50; second innings, 73; total 123. Brothers's side scored, first innings, 83; second innings, 41; total, 124, leaving them winners by 1, with five wickets to go down. Some admirable play was exhibited on both sides. After the match the parties adjourned to Mr. O'Dell's, the Sportsman's Arms, to partake of a first-rate spread, in order to recruit their weary frames, and "fight their cricket battles o'er again." The evening was spent in the greatest hilarity. Another match will be played on the 1st May, between the married and single of New England, supported by gentlemen of the old school of sportsmen from them other country (bless her old heart)! Success to the bat, the ball, and the stumps.”
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Rocky Creek and Uralla The Maitland Mercury, Wednesday 11 February 1852 Government Gazette Title Deeds “The deeds specified in the annexed list have been transmitted from the Colonial Secretary's Office to the Supreme Court for enrolment, under the provisions of the Act of the Governor and Legislative Council 13th Victoria, No. 45, and to be afterwards forwarded through the Surveyor General to the Colonial Treasurer, by whom notification of their receipt at his office will be made by letter to the grantees, to whom they will then be delivered on application. Portions of Land: 161. Robert Kirkwood, the elder, Paul Kirkwood, and David Kirkwood, as tenants in common, 1 acre 3 roods 20 perches, Sandon, lot 21.”
In October 1852, the Windeyer Brothers discovered the first payable gold at Rocky Creek five miles north-west of Uralla, washing some five ounces of gold in less than a week. Uralla itself at one stage boasted twenty seven pubs. Even Rocky Creek was not without its hotels. The number of pioneers and fossickers peaked in 1856 to around 5,000 including numerous Chinese. At Rocky Creek there was a Chinese Joss House (place of worship).
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Paul and Amelia Kirkwood
Paul married Amelia Taylor at St Peters Anglican Church, Armidale, on 14th January, 1853 (5). The Family Notices section of “The Maitland Mercury”, Wednesday, 2 February 1853 read:
“Married: At St Peter’s Church, Armidale on the 14th January by special license, by the Rev. H Tingoomb, Paul Kirkwood, fourth son of Mr R Kirkwood, of Armidale to Amelia, second daughter of Mr Richard Taylor of Armidale”
Paul and Amelia had four children:
1. Sarah Rebecca (1854-1857) 2. Amelia Jane (1856-1935) 3. Margaret Lucy (1857-1914) 4. Richard Taylor Kirkwood (1858-1913). Paul’s in-laws, Richard and Susannah Taylor, were affected by gold rush fever as they followed the rushes. It is presumed he was in the business rather than the prospecting side of gold. The Kirkwoods set up a general store also in Rocky Creek where Paul was the operator/manager.
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Fight at Case’s Inn, Walcha
Always the entrepreneurs the Kirkwood’s heard that Mr. Hamilton the owner of the timber mill at Walcha half-way on the road to the coast had died. Paul and his brother-in-law, Alan Macdonald, were in Case’s Inn in Walcha on Sunday 1st May, 1859. Their visit to Walcha was to organise to purchase or at least the lease of the Hamilton Mill.
That Sunday morning an altercation broke out between Paul and a man named Cavanagh over the ownership of a waist coat. They went outside behind the pub to settle the matter in typical goldfields manner. There were several other brawls going on at the same time.
Both the men fell to the ground several times as the wrestled and fought. When the police arrived to quieten things down they saw Paul sitting on a stump in pain. At first he refused to see a doctor then he was persuaded to see Dr Aspinall who treated him till he died on the following Tuesday, 3rd May 1859. Dr Aspinall’s diagnosis, as to the cause of death, was inflammation of the bowels and a ruptured gall bladder the cause of which was unknown.
It is easy to conjecture that the rupture may have been caused by a boot. The magistrate accepted the possibility that he fell on a tree stump or rock so an inquest was not deemed necessary. The papers reported that both parties were happy with the decision and Cavanagh was released.
Paul is buried at the Old Uralla Cemetery, Uralla, New South Wales (6).
The headstone inscription reads:
PAUL KIRKWOOD
Who departed this life
3rd May 1859.
Aged 57 years
Requiscat in pace
This tribute of affection is erected
to his memory by his beloved widow
Paul Kirkwoods Grave at Old Uralla Cemetery, Uralla, NSW
Photograph by Lorix J. Bertling, November 2014.
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Death Notices
Article in “The Maitland Mercury” Thursday 12 May 1859:
“SUDDEN DEATH AT WALCHA - We regret to have to record the death of Mr Paul Kirkwood, miller, of Uralla, which took place at Walcha on Tuesday last. There are several reports current which differ a little In details, but they seem to agree in effect that on Sunday last, whilst Mr Kirkwood was on a visit at Walcha, in reference to the lease or purchase of the late Mr Hamilton's mill, he became involved in a quarrel at one of the inns, and received an injury which resulted in a fatal termination the following Tuesday. Deceased, who has left a widow and young family, was well known and generally respected. When we receive an account of the inquest, we shall place our readers in possession of the facts.” The Northern Goldfields (from the Armidale Express, May 14) The Rocky River “…The sudden death of Mr Paul Kirkwood, of Uralla, in the prime of life, has cast a gloom over this district, where for so many years he was known and so much respected. His remains were followed to the grave by a large and respectable concourse of people…”
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Widowed Amelia marries James Edward Salmon
Amelia Kirkwood was now a widow with three children under 4 years. She married James Edward Salmon at St Peters Anglican Church, Armidale on the 25 May 1863.
Amelia and James had six children – Adolphus (1866-1913), Ailsa Fanny (1867-1943), Elizabeth M (1868-1887), Phillip Edward (1870-1946), Minnie Moore (1872-1914) and Ernest James Salmon (1874-1932).
Although a bit sketchy, it appears her parents followed the gold rush to Gympie, taking her children from her marriage to Paul, with them.
Amelia died on 31 May 1877 and is buried at Armidale, New South Wales.
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The Children of Paul and Amelia Kirkwood
Sarah Rebecca Kirkwood:
Sarah was born and died at Armidale on 25th April, 1857 aged about 3 years old.
Amelia Jane Kirkwood:
Amelia was born on the 8th March 1856 (probably Armidale). She married Timothy Dearnally in Queensland on the 17 March 1880 (aged 24). Amelia died in Brisbane on the 30 April 1935.
Margaret Lucy Kirkwood:
Margaret was born on the 3rd June 1857 and died at Brisbane, Qld, Australia on the 4th June 1914.
Richard Taylor Kirkwood:
Richard was born on the 31st July 1858. He married Mary Ann Windley in 1888. Richard died in Brisbane on the 13th March 1913. He is buried at Toowong Cemetery.
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References:
1) http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=kirkwood_1782&id=I431 2) http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=kirkwood_1782&id=I44 3) NSW Unassisted Immigrant Passenger Lists, 1826-1922 4) New South Wales, Australia, Assisted Immigrant Passenger Lists, 1828-1896 5) http://trove.nla.gov.au/ The Maitland Mercury, Thursday, 12 May 1859 6) Old Uralla Cemetery (Uralla Shire Council)
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