Thomas Sheedy and Catherine Costello
Preface by Jenny Fawcett Sheedy and Sheehy Thomas Sheedy per Aliquis was a Monteagle Immigrant,formerly from Shanagolden region in Limerick, son of Francis and Mary Sheedy, and is not the son of John Sheedy Mangles and Mary Dinan as commonly believed.PLEASE NOTE: the gaol records, of Thomas Sheedy in Victoria confirm that he arrived per Aliquis to N.S.W in 1839. Also aboard the Aliquis 1839, was Ann Blackburn & Christopher Russell, whose daughter Ann Russell later married Patrick Kelly [of The Willows-Michelago], and whose daughter Ann Kelly [b1852] m PATRICK SHEEDY [known as Narrabunda Pat], Catherine Sheedy, Thomas's older sister, a 25 year old servant,also came per Aliquis and was engaged by Mr Niell of King Street in Sydney [1839]. On October 4 1841 she married Patrick Griffin. Patrick Griffin, his brother William and two sisters as well as his widowed father had come to Sydney on the Aliquis in 1839 and they lived about eight miles from Shangolden in Ireland. Catherine and Patrick Griffin lived in Surrey Hills for about 10 years where they had at least six children. In the early 1850s they moved to Orange where Patrick purchased a farm which he named Shanid after the barony in which he had lived in Ireland. Patrick died in 1885. Thomas Sheedy - born c: c1817.Shanagolden.Co Limerick [src: Mrs Val Thompson] c1817. [shipping record] c1819. Co Limerick. [*gaol record Vict] c1814. Co Limerick. [*son Michls birth cert] C1815. [*death certificate] parents: Francis Sheedy -shoemaker - Ballycormack,Ire & Mary Mangan. [src.Val Thompson] religon: Roman Catholic [src:*gaol record] physical description: [*src - gaol record] 5 foot 6 & a quarter feet tall medium build. fresh complexion. dark brown hair. blue eyes. occupation: shoemaker [consistent on records] literacy: signed name with an X in 1862. son Mich's birth cert neither read nor write. [*gaol record] death: 1881.Melbourne hospital. [*no 8119. no parents.] burial: shipping arrivals: 1. 16th March 1839 to Sydney per Aliquis[*SA] with sister Catherine. Monteagle Immigrant. [src: V.Thompson] 1839. per Aliquis [gaol record] 2. Mr and Mrs T Sheedy and two children arrived Melb per Corsair, from Sydney 27th Nov 1843. But this family then went on to Launceston in Tasmania, still as passengers per Corsair. (src: LA Nov 23rd 1843) married: Sydney,26th Feb 1840. [*no 511. vol 90] note: Marriage indexed under Sheehy,but certificate shows Thomas Sheedy. spouse: Catherine Costello. born c1814.Co Cork [*dth cert.no 10106] c1814. Co Limerick [*mick's birth cert] parents: Wm Costello & Catherine Halahar. [src*death cert-incorrect?] Michael Costello & Catherine Hallinan [src:marriage certificate] died. 19th Sept 1897.Northcote. at the Convent of LIttle Sisters of the Poor. [*no 10106] note. on the death cert. no details were known of her marriage date,how long in the colonies of Australia,or her children.only her husband Thomas Sheedy was listed on the death cert. buried. 21st Sept.1897. Booroondara Cemetery.Vict. History: 1843. child born in NSW. 1845. Thomas Speedy [sic]. shoemaker. off Collins Lane. Melb [*PD] 1847. Thomas Sheedy. shoemaker. off Collins Lane. Melb [*PD] 1849. Mr and Mrs T Sheedy and two children departed Sydney per Shamrock and arrived Melbourne on the 5th December. No other Sheedys listed on this vessel. Syd Sheedy claimed that Mrs John Sheedy Mangles made a journey to Melbourne per Shamrock with Thomas Sheedy on her way back to Ireland. There was no Mrs Sheedy on this journey. A Mary Ann Sheedy, born c 1844 NSW ,was gaoled in Melb and stated she arrived per Shamrock c 1845 to Victoria from NSW. 1856 shoemaker - Off Flinders Lane.Melbourne [electrol roll] 1859. 19th Sept. Thomas Sheedy, shoemaker, accused of breaking into a counting house, 19th Sept 1859. found guilty, and served 5 years on the roads. [VPRS 30/P Criminal Trial Briefs. Unit 11, File 3-232-20 22 pages. co. condensed version available here only with information pertaining to Sheedy as identifying info.] Queen V James Grant and Thomas Sheedy. Crime...Stealing in a Counting House. Trial held at Melb City Court, starting 13th Sept 1859. ..burglary was committed at Flinders Lane,West , at the premises of George Hurry jnr on the 9th Sept, a safe was stolen, and Sheedy and Grant, both well known to police, were charged with the theft by police who had been tipped off that a burglary was about to take place. After robbing the premises, Grant and Sheedy dropped the goods off at a place belong to a man known as "Natty', who lived in Little Bourke Street. Both then went home, their places were searched, and nothing was found.But they had been watched by police since leaving the premises they robbed... Both Sheedy and Grant had been seen by the policeman- Frederick Serotom?/Secretan at least 20-30 times..and were well known to him. and they had been seen by Dectective Maxwell at least 40 times..and on this occasion he had been watching Sheedy and Grant for a week. Thomas Sheedy was arrested at his premises in a right of way,of Little Bourke Street, [near Richmond ?] having already been identified by police as being one of those concerned. At his trial,Sheedy was given the opportunity to speak, but he declined the opportunity. [This trial should ideally be followed up in the newspapers-JF] 1868. Thomas Sheedy.bootmaker. Richmond. [*PD] 1875. Thomas Sheedy. boot and shoemaker. Melb [*PD] 1876. previous convictions [src: gaol record] 4th Feb 1876. 7 days/fine [reasons not confirmed] 26th June 1876. ? days. [ditto] 5th Oct. Conviction. - 7 days [ditto] 1879. 3rd of Nov. conviction Melb Petty Sessions for Vagrancy. arrived Melbourne Gaol on same day. 14th Nov . sent to Geelong gaol. 1880. Freedom on the 2nd of Feb by serving his time. Children: Mary Ann Sheedy b.1841.NSW. [no 1277. vol 133] b.1844 04 1846. [gaol record] needs to be ascertained if she is the Mary Ann Sheedy who was gaoled in Melb.born c 1844.NSW. arrived per Shamrock to Victoria. details. born: c 1841/43. New South Wales. imprisoned 1868 for Vagrancy.in Melb. Victoria. sentence. 3 mos hard labour. 10th Aug 1868. convict no. 1480 height: 5f 3i. desc: fresh complexion, light hair and eyebrows. blue eyes, small chin, long hair. 8st,6h lb. scar. age: in 1868 either 26 or 24 years of age. native place. New South Wales. roman catholic. both read and write. arrived per Shamrock to Victoria when a child. previous drinking fines in Oct 1866 and 67. discharged..26th Oct 1868. see also Mary Ann,dau of Thos/Dempsey William Sheedy b.1843.NSW. [no 95. vol 135] Francis Joseph Sheedy b.1845,Melbourne.Vict [no LP 38926] [no LP 1155] d.1913.Richmond.Vict. [no 11196] m? 1873.Mary Doyle.Vict [4304] issue Catherine [Kate] Sheedy b.1847. Melbourne.Vict [LP 41791] [LP 2614] m.?1861.Patrick Doyle [535] child unknown. listed as deceased on 1862 birth of bro Michael. child unknown. listed as deceased on 1862 birth of bro Michael Ellen Sheedy b.1850. Melbourne.Vict [43662. LP 5080] d.1875. Melbourne. [no 10078] Julia Sheedy b.1853.Melbourne.Vict [No 45573] m.1885.Vict.to Samuel Thomas Coleman [298] d.1923.Richmond. Vict. [no 3199] Thomas Henry Sheedy b.1859.Melbourne.Vict [no 11475] m.? 1882. Ellen McLoughlin.Vic [no 662] issue. Ellen, Francis, Henry, Thos.William all born Richmond. [needs verifying] d.1891.Richmond.Vict. [no 17641] Michael Sheedy b 4th June 1862. Church Street Richmond.[*no 9865] d. 1863.Richmond. Vict. [no 02536] Family Researchers: Brian Sheedy [desc from Frances? Sheedy] Mrs Val Thompson.[researcher and author, PO Box 90, Neutral Bay. NSW. 2089 ] is not a descendant of Thomas Sheedy but is particularly interested in him and his family, and has produced a book on the emigrants who arrived per Aliquis and she has been instrumental in determining that Thomas Sheedy,who married Catherine Costello, is NOT the son of John Sheedy per Mangles. Notes * = sighted original record. GR-Gaol Record. PD= Postal Directories - ie..Wises, Ballieres etc. SA = "Poverty to Promise - Mounteagle Emigrants on the Aliquis" by Chris O'Mahony and Valerie Thompson.[latter a descendent] ** Thomas Sheedy per Aliquis was a Monteagle Immigrant, and one of the employers of these immigrants to Australia was William Rutledge, who was a substantial land owner at Towerhill. {Vict} His brother, Thomas Rutledge, was a substantial landowner at Queanbeyan, {NSW} where William also owned major landholdings, and it is believed that several Sheedy family members have been in the Towerhill region through this Rutledge connection.Thomas Sheedy is believed to have been at Towerhill in 1854,possibly in connection with Patrick Sheedy Nicholas Ivers, husband of another of the Sheedy girls, was also at Queanbeyan,and was later [1851] the mailrider at Warrnambool [near Towerhill]. It is believed that was enabled by the fact that Thomas Rutledge in Queanbeyan had the mail run from NSW to Melbourne, and his brother William Rutledge had the contracts for the mail from Melbourne to the South Australian border. There are other people in the Towerhill region who originated from Queanbeyan, including the Murnane family.
