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Trove Tuesday - The Traveller. In and Around Mudgee

This weeks Trove Tuesday article really appealed to me, as this type of article can provide you with real little gems of information about the lives and circumstances of family members; the community and times they lived in.  I particularly like the expression  "There is a great nest of Irishmen out here,". Immigrant settlers forming ethnic pockets within the population is no new phenomenon and one wonders when you hear people complain about more recent immigrants doing so, if they realise many of their ancestors probably did the same thing!








Source: THE TRAVELLER. (1896, October 10). Freeman's Journal (Sydney, NSW : 1850 - 1932), p. 22. Retrieved July 16, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article111104258


My Great Great Grandfather James Donnelly is mentioned in the article and it helps to provide me with an insight into his life at this time. 

'Mr. O'Halloran has a son a teacher, as
has also Mr. Donnelly (who comes from Donegal).
Mr. Donnelly has a fine estate, well subdivided,
with a nice residence, and is reported to be doing
well.'

James Donnelly actually had three sons who became teachers; Edward, James and my Great Grandfather John.  James and John (who was also known as Jack) went droving at an early age and studied to become teachers by correspondence while doing so.  They married sisters Mary Ann and Bridget Lambert  respectively, the daughters of Irishman James Lambert and his native born wife Elizabeth O'Brien.  Elizabeth O'Brien was the daughter of Henry and Ann O'Brien and had many relatives in this area. James Donnelly's wife Mary Gallagher also had family in the area. So many of my relatives would have been a part of this nest of Irishmen at the time!

From the maps below you can see the land  the family owned in 1890 with James Donnelly and his oldest son Edward owning adjoining blocks surrounded by Gallaghers and O'Briens.





Parish name : Cooyal
County name : Phillip
Edition year : 1890
Edition number : 2
Sheet reference : 1
CD title : PMapDB14
Image name : Parish of Cooyal
Filename : 14197101.jp2
File-size : 3935
Image size (width / height in pixels) : 4216/5024
Resolution (width / height in DPI) : 394/394
Date last modified : 9 August 2011 19:30

Source: Parish of Cooyal 1890. Old Parish maps. http://images.maps.nsw.gov.au/pixel.htm

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