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Sunday's Obituary - Mary Pierse nee Quirk (c.1840-1924)

Today's obituary is for Mary Pierse nee Quirk who is my 3rd Great Grandmother.  Born c.1840 in County Tipperary, Ireland she was left behind with her Grandmother in Ireland when her parents Michael Quirk and his wife Honorah nee Costello immigrated to Australia in 1841.  In 1858, Mary along with her Grandmother Ann Costello, Uncle John Costello and Aunt Ann Costello, arrived in Australia on board the ship Peter Maxwell.  On the 25th May 1863 at the Tumut Catholic Church Mary married John Pierse, an Irishman from County Kerry, Ireland and together they had fourteen children.  John died in 1921 and Mary on 24th December 1924, she was buried at Wagragobilly Cemetery on Christmas Day 1924.




Source: OBITUARY. (1925, January 2). The Gundagai Times and Tumut, Adelong and Murrumbidgee District Advertiser (NSW : 1868 - 1931), p. 2. Retrieved September 8, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article121768348

Transcript:

OBITUARY.
Mrs. Mary Pierse, Sen.

The death occurred at the residence of her daughter, Mrs. W. Sullivan, Byron-street, at an early hour on Christmas Eve morning.  December 24th, of Mrs. Mary Pierse, widow of the late Mr. John Pierse, of Darbalara, aged 85 years.  A few weeks previously deceased contracted a heavy cold which signalised the breaking up a very robust constitution, and despite the fact that everything possible was done for her she gradually grew weaker and passed peacefully away at stated, surrounded by the members of her family.
The late Mrs. Pierse was born in County Tipperary (Ireland), and was a daughter of late Mr. and Mrs. Michael Quirk, sen., who were among the very early settlers on the Adjungbilly.  When only 12 months old deceased's parents migrated to Australia, leaving her behind with her grandmother who 15 years afterwards brought her out to join her parents in the heart of the Australian bush.  These were the days when the bullock dray was the popular mode of conveyance (and a spring cart a novelty) over the bush tracks that were blazed through the interior by a grand old band of pioneers, and over which were ultimately to pass- almost a century afterwards- the latest model in motor cars, and still later to be discarded by the aeroplane.  True it is, that to these old pioneers, who cheerily blazed the track for us, we owe a debt of gratitude  Deceased was born of a family of long-livers, her grandmother (Mrs. Costello) having survived to the great age of 105 years.  Messrs. James (Sydney), Thomas and Michael Quirk are brothers and Mrs. Burns (Brungle) a sister of deceased.
It was at Adjungbilly that deceased met and married the late John Pierse, who pre-deceased her on June 26, 1921, and by the marriage 14 children were born, 10 of whom survive them, viz, Mrs. G. Last, Mrs. Battye, Mrs. Carberry (Coolamon), Mrs. Morris (Wagga), Mrs. Jno. Reardon and Mrs. W. Sullivan (daughters) and Messrs. John, Michael, David and Robert Pierse (sons); besides 31 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren.  The home of the late Mrs. Pierse was always looked upon as one of the most hospitable in the neighbourhood, where the hand of friendship was ever extended.  She was a devout adherent of the Catholic faith, and her exemplary life and happy death was briefly referred to on Christmas morning by the Rev. Father Treact, who paid a glowing tribute to deceased'd goodness and outstanding piety.  A niece and grand-daughter of deceased have entered the Convent.
The funeral left St. Patrick's Church on Christmas Day for the Wagragobilly cemetery, where a large concourse of people gathered, and the remains were laid to rest alongside those of her late husband Rev. Father Treacy officiated at the graveside.



Grave of Mary Pierse née Quirk and her husband John Pierse at Wagragobilly Cemetery

New South Wales, Australia, Assisted Immigrant Passenger Lists, 1828-1896 about Mary Quirk
Name: Mary Quirk

Birth Year: abt 1842
Age: 16
Arrival Date: 10 Jan 1858
Vessel Name: Peter Maxwell

Source: Ancestry.com. New South Wales, Australia, Assisted Immigrant Passenger Lists, 1828-1896 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007.

Mary Quirk was listed as coming from Coolish, County Tipperary and was a farm servant whose parents Michael and Anna Quirk where living in Sydney.  Her Grandmother Ann Costello was listed as being a housekeeper from Durra, Kings County, whose parents James and Mary Hogan were both dead and who had a daughter Mrs Quirk living in Gundagai.  John Costello was listed as a farm laborer from Durra, Kings County, whose Father Michael was dead and Mother Ann was on board and who had a sister in Gundagai. Mary's Aunt Ann Costello was listed as being a housemaid from Durra, Kings County with the same parental and relations in colony information as her brother John.


John Pierse and his wife Mary (nee Quirk) had the following children:

  • Winifred Last nee Pierse (1864-1926)
  • Ellen Mary Battye nee Pierse (1865-1944)
  • John Pierse (1866-1943)
  • Mary Ann Morris nee Pierse (1867-1945)
  • David Joseph Pierse (1868-1930)
  • Jane M Carberry nee Pierse (1869-1928)
  • Michael Patrick Pierse (c.1870-1953)
  • Edward Pierse (1873-1924)
  • Thomas Pierse (1874-1875)
  • Frances Reardon nee Pierse (1876-?)
  • Robert Bede Pierse (1877-1959)
  • Catherine Mary 'Kate' Sullivan nee Pierse (1879-1963)
  • Ann Pierse (1882-1882)
  • Ambrose Pierse (1883-1883)

NSW BDM Birth Indexes

9032/1864  PIERSE  WINIFRED  JOHN  MARY  GUNDAGAI  
9384/1865  PIERSE  ELLEN  JOHN  MARY  GUNDAGAI 
9165/1866  PIERSE  JOHN  JOHN  MARY  GUNDAGAI  
0064/1867  PIERSE  MARY A  JOHN  MARY  GUNDAGAI
10072/1868  PIERSE  DAVID  JOHN  MARY  GUNDAGAI 
11661/1869  PIERSE  JANE  JOHN  MARY A  GUNDAGAI  
11575/1873  PIERSE  EDWARD  JOHN  MARY  GUNDAGAI 
11981/1874  PIERSE  THOMAS  JOHN  MARY  GUNDAGAI  
12533/1876  PIERSE  FRANCES  JOHN  MARY  GUNDAGAI  
12889/1877  PIERSE  ROBERT  JOHN  MARY  GUNDAGAI  
14730/1879  PIERSE  KATE  JOHN  MARY  GUNDAGAI
17130/1882  PIERSE  ANN  JOHN  MARY  GUNDAGAI 
18631/1883  PIERSE  AMBROSE  JOHN  MARY  GUNDAGAI

NSW BDM Marriage Indexes

2982/1863  PIERSE  JOHN  QUIRK  MARY  TUMUT
5079/1885  BATTEY  EDWARD  PIERSE  ELLEN  GUNDAGAI
4290/1891  MORRIS  DENIS  PIERSE  MARY A E  GUNDAGAI
9271/1901  CARBERRY  EUGENE J  PIERSE  JANE M  GUNDAGAI
6807/1902  LAST  GEORGE W  PIERSE  WINIFRED  GUNDAGAI
1239/1904  REARDON  JOHN  PIERCE  FRANCES  GUNDAGAI
7241/1906  PIERSE  DAVID  LUFF  JANE  GUNDAGAI
399/1908  PIERSE  ROBERT B  KENNY  MARY A  SYDNEY
1447/1909  PIERSE  EDWARD J  FLYNN  ELLEN J  GUNDAGAI
4810/1909  SULLIVAN  WILLIAM  PIERSE  CATHERINE M F  GUNDAGAI

NSW BDM Death Indexes

6525/1875  PIERSE  THOMAS  JOHN  MARY  GUNDAGAI  
8497/1882  PIERSE  ANN  JOHN  MARY  GUNDAGAI 
8046/1883  PIERSE  AMBROSE  JOHN  MARY  GUNDAGAI
7603/1921  PIERSE  JOHN     WINIFRED  GUNDAGAI 
2739/1924  PIERSE  EDWARD J  JOHN     MURRUMBURRAH 
18274/1924  PIERSE  MARY  MICHAEL  MARY  GUNDAGAI
 6770/1926  LAST  WINIFRED  JOHN  MARY  PETERSHAM 
14103/1928  CARBERRY  JANE M  JOHN  MARY  COOLAMON 
16589/1930  PIERSE  DAVID J  JOHN  MARY  GUNDAGAI  
18820/1943  PIERSE  JOHN  JOHN  MARY  GRANVILLE
5921/1945  MORRIS  MARY ANN  JOHN  MARY  WAGGA WAGGA  
2494/1944  BATTYE  ELLEN  JOHN  MARY  GUNDAGAI 
30153/1953  PIERSE  MICHAEL PATRICK  JOHN  MARY  GUNDAGAI  
13858/1959  PIERSE  ROBERT BEDE  JOHN  MARY  GUNDAGAI  
11255/1963  SULLIVAN  CATHERINE MARY  JOHN  MARY  GUNDAGAI  

Source: NSW BDM Indexes. NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages.  Retrieved from http://www.bdm.nsw.gov.au

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