19 August 1877 - On this day 140 years ago, James Cahill, our many time great-grandfather, died
Today I'm writing about James Cahill - someone that we are related to! James was Agnes's father - cousin Gail's great-grandfather and my 2nd great-grandfather.
James was born about 1822 at Kilkenny, County Kilkenny, Ireland. His parents were Richard Cahill and Catherine Hogan. On 20 November 1854, James married Elizabeth (Eliza) Dunn at the Catholic Church, Clara Parish, County Kilkenny. Eliza was born about 1830 at Johns Well, County Kilkenny. Her parents were Laurence Dunn and Judith Ryan. We've covered some of the details of Laurence and Judith and James and Eliza's life in an earlier blog.
James and Eliza left Ireland aboard the Simonds and arrived in Port Jackson on 12 April 1855 - less than 6 months after their marriage. They settled in Patricks Plain which is close to Singleton. James went to work as a labourer for the railways.
They went on to have 11 children. There are issues with birth registrations which was often the case in those early days. These are the children shown on Eliza's death registration-
- Catherine - 15 April 1856,
- Richard - 1857 to 1858,
- James - 23 November 1858,
- Johanna - abt 1860
- Mary A - 1862 to 1863,
- Alice - July 1863 to 02 January 1866,
- Bridget - 02 January 1865,
- Thomas - 26 August 1866,
- Agnes - abt 1868,
- Michael - 23 March 1868 and
- Mary - 04 October 1870.
On this day 140 years ago, James, aged 55, died at Maitland Hospital as the result of an accident in March. The accident and death were reported in the local papers:-
"SAD ACCIDENT AT BRANXTON - An accident of a very painful nature happened here on Thursday night last, to a man named James Cahill, an employee on the railway, at Branxton. It appears that between the hours of nine and ten on the evening of the day named, the unfortunate man was walking across the street when, through simply stumbling over a stone on the street, he was thrown to the ground, and thereby sustained a severe fracture of the thigh bone. He was immediately conveyed in a cart to the Maitland Hospital where the fracture was reduced, and where, I understand, he in doing as well as can be expected under the circumstances."
"DEATH - It is my painful duty this week to record the demise of an old and respected resident of the district, named James Cahill, who was for several years previous to death employed on the railway near Branxton. Mr. Cahill, it will be remembered, sustained a severe fracture on the thigh some few months ago through simply stumbling over a stone, whilst walking along the Great Northern Road at Branxton; and immediately after the occurrence he was conveyed to the Maitland Hospital. He remained in the Hospital for a couple of months, after which he considered he was sufficiently recovered to venture home, and accordingly, did so. However, the unfortunate man had not been long at home before he experienced a relapse, and was compelled to return to the hospital, where he died on Sunday last. His funeral took place at Branxton on Tuesday last, and was attended by a goodly number of the inhabitants. Mr. Cahill was a married man, and leaves a wife and large family almost unprovided for." (In the obituary for James jnr, it's noted that he took over his father's job at the railway and supported the family.)
James was survived by 8 of his 11 children - Catherine (21), James (19), Joanna (17), Bridget (12), Thomas (11), Agnes (abt 10), Michael (9) and Mary (6).
James was buried on 20 Aug 1877 at St Brigid's Catholic Cemetery, Station St, Branxton. Eliza was buried with him after her death in 1890. James jnr and his wife, Isabella, are also buried there.
