Genealogy of a Country Family

Chapter 12: Rev. Father Michael F Moloney. Professor and Patriot. (1866-1905)

 ( Grand Son of John Moloney & Moll Russell )

 Following is taken from an article by Victor Senior - family member.

 Father Michael Moloney was born at Bridge House in the year 1866. He with his half twin, Mary was the youngest of seven children. The chalice in Knocklong Church was donated in memory of his parents. He became a leading figure in the Gaelic League and in church circles in London. Both his parents were dead when he was eleven. His upbringing was in the hands of guardians.

 He was educated at St. Patricks College in Thurles which he entered on the 1st Sept 1885 aged 19 years, Holycross College in Clonliffe, the Irish College in Rome and St. Cuthberts College Ushaw, Durham. He was an outstanding pupil and his flair for languages and literature soon became apparent. On his ordination he was appointed Professor of Rhetoric at the age of 25. He was fluent in French, Italian, Latin, Greek and Irish.

 As a priest his first parish was in the town of Wolsingham in County Durham, northeast England amid the bleak moors. There was a small but thriving Catholic community in the area which included Irish immigrants working in the local lead mines. Wolsingham was to become a second home foe him, for among the kindly and generous folk, he was to find peace and contentment. In times of ill-health he returned there for rest and recuperation. After four years he moved to London and was the assistant priest in Barmondsey in the East End prior to joining the staff at the new Cathedral of Westminster in 1903.

 His interests included the Irish language, literature and Plainchant, which is about using chant to enhance worship. Fr. Michael worked to promote the study, practice and revival of plainchant in the Catholic Church. He became well-known as a preacher and theologian, and conducted courses of sermons in England and Ireland.

 He was a member of the following societies in London, for whom he carried out valuable and energetic work, Catholic Plainchant Society, Irish Literary Society and the Gaelic League. The Gaelic League was formed in 1893 to promote the Irish language and was non-political. Douglas Hyde was its first president. Fr. Michael was forced by failing health to retire from the Cathedral to the little mission of Ongar in Essex in the summer of 1904.

 He died from tuberculosis in 1905, aged 39 years and is buried in the Wolsingham churchyard where his sister had a Celtic cross erected over his grave.

 One of the obituaries, which were written, is Reverent Father Moloney, traditionalist and reformer, an inspirational man has passed on. His whole life had been motivated by his two great loved - his love of the church and for his homeland of Ireland. His enthusiasm for the causes, which he embraced had not allowed him to take the long rest and convalescence which he so badly needed. The last reserves of his strength were finally sapped and he went to his reward.

 The Tablet wrote. He endeared himself by his simple kindest and his zeal in God's service. May he rest in peace.

 Chapter 13:  Descendants of John Russell Moloney. ( Son of John Moloney & Moll Russell )

 Research & photos courtesy Carlyene Lenaghan.

 John Russell Moloney c.1800-93, farmed 78 acres in the townland of Garriencoona South near Effin in Co. Limerick. He leased the land from James Russell Esq. Three of his six children Patrick aged 27, Elizabeth (Eliza) aged 19 and Ellen (Helena) aged 15 immigrated to Victoria, Australia in 1863 on board the Royal Dane.

 Patrick became a dairy and tillage farmer at Lovely Banks, which was on the bay near Geelong, west of Melbourne now the site of the Sell Oil Refinery. He died a bachelor in 1912 aged 76 years leaving an estate valued at nearly £7,000 consisting of 665 acres with 67 cows.

 By the age of twenty eight Elizabeth had established herself in business in Clunes, where she owned the Town Hall Hotel. Clunes was Victoria's first gold town. She placed the following advertisement in the Clunes Guardian and Gazette, Newspapers on 3rd. Sept.1872.

 TOWN HALL HOTEL. CORNER FRAZER AND SERVICE STREETS, CLUNES.

 The undersigned has opened the above hotel, and trusts that her long experience combined with civility, cleanliness, and first class accommodation , will merit a share of the patronage of Clunes and surrounding district.

 Eliza Moloney

Late of Wiles' Club Hotel, Clunes and George Hotel, Ballaret.

 This building still stands and is a two storey with a stucco plastered facade and a cast iron verandah. The first discovery of gold in Victoria was made at Clunes in 1851, further discoveries were made the next year in the surrounding area.

 When news of the gold strike reached Melbourne and Geelong officials and clerks walked out of their offices, manual workers dropped their tools, to join the gold rush. Stories abounded of gold nuggets worth a fortune picked up of the ground. In time sailing ships arrived from around the world with gold prospectors. Ships were abandoned by their crews who found the lure of finding gold and instant wealth, irresistible. At first gold was mined by panning the gold bearing soils and gravels in the bed of streams. Panning involved scooping up material with water in a pan, swirling the contents to wash and sift out the lighter materials until only the heavier gold was left, if lucky.

 Tourello, Creswick, Victoria, Aus. circa.1875

 In 1875 Elizabeth married Daniel Lenaghan and they farmed at Tourello, near Creswick, which is eighty miles north-west of Melbourne. Daniel's father had emigrated from Lurgan, Co. Armagh in 1852 with his wife and seven of his ten children. They headed for the goldfields of Ballarat. The Lenaghan's original selection comprised 300 acres, of lightly timbered and mainly scrub land. Their neighbour and friend was Peter Lalor the leader of the famous Eureka Stockade of 1854; a battle between miners, mainly Irish and Government forces in which 26 were killed. The rebellion, which was against high gold licence fees and lack of citizen's rights, is regarded as a milestone in the struggle for democracy in Australia.

 As a farmers-wife Elizabeth made and sold butter under the "Tourello-Clover" mark. This she packed into a large wooden box surrounded with salt and covered with wet bags, and drove the pony and gig to Ballarat each week to sell it. She would return with the weekly groceries. She also sold butter in Clunes and to regular clients who called at Tourello.

 Their descendants still live on the original homestead where they breed sheep for wool and grow potatoes, cereal crops and canola. Canola is an oilseed crop. The plant produces a yellow flower. The seeds are crushed to obtain canola oil that is used in cooking, salads and baking. Creswick was a gold mining town with a population of 60,000. Today's population is just 2,700.

 Helena (Ellen) married James Wallis a Timber Merchant, in 1873 at St. Augustines Church, Creswick and had seven children. James was originally from Somerset Shire in England and was a widower of eight years. He gave an undetaking for any children of the marriage to be baptised and brought up in the faith of the Roman Catholic Church. Prior to her marriage she lived in Clunes probably working with her sister Elizabeth. Helena died aged thirty nine on the 5th January 1887, after 14 years of marriage, followed a year later by her husband leaving seven children. At the time of her death, her youngest Annie-Veronica was just six months and James her eldest was 13 years. Her sister Elizabeth reared four of the children at Tourello along with her seven children, making eleven children under 13 years, a remarkable achievement.

 Patrick, Elizabeth and Helena's fathers first cousin Charles Moloney 1822-72 had previously emigrated from Knocklong and set up home at Little Scotland a suburb of Geelong. Charles sailed from Hobartown, Tasmania on the ship David and landed in Port Phillip (Melbourne) in June 1846. This is the earliest record of a known Moloney cousin in Australia.

 In 1847 Charles married Ellen Brodrick at St. Francis Church, Lonsdale Street, in the hearth of Melbourne. They did not have children. He farmed at Lovely Banks, Geelong. The April 18th 1850 edition of the Geelong Advertiser, lists Charles as an Elector to the Legislative Council, his address was Little Scotland a suburb in the north west of Geelong.

 Geelong prospered as the seaport for the gold district. By the mid 1850's Geelong was the fourth largest town in Australia.

 He is buried with his wife in the Old Roman Catholic section of Eastern Cemetery Geelong. Charles' name is inscribed on the family's gravestone in Ballingarry Cemetery Co. Limerick. Details of Charles' will are in chapter 15.

 Up to recent years a photo of Charles' gravestone in Geelong hung over the fireplace in the home of the Effin Moloneys and they were unaware of who he was or how he was related.

 Chapter 14: Descendants of  Thomas Moloney & Ellen Madden. ( Son of John Moloney & Moll Russell )

 Research & photos courtesy Jack Rafferty.

 Thomas Moloney 1806-75, with his family immigrated to Sydney via Plymouth on board the Australia (Sailing Ship). The ship left Plymouth on the 27th Feb 1853 and arrived in Sydney on the 8th June 1853. They arrived as assisted free settlers, at first they settled in Sydney. In 1860-1 they moved to Gurley south of Moree where Thomas acquired 40 acres for $80 which he had drawn in a ballot. He was the first man to take up land in the Gwydir district under Sir John Robertson's Land Act. Gurley is 500 miles north west of Sydney set in the north-west plains a flat region west of the Great Dividing Range of mountains which runs the length of Australia's east coast. The family took up more land in the area, by the 1890's the family had accumulated 5,000 acres of grazing land.

 Three of the Moloney siblings John, Thomas Jn. and Elizabeth married into another pioneer family - the Fingletons. The other two siblings. Dan a bachelor died accidentally in 1886 when on his way home from the Limerick Hotel in a sulky, ( a light 2 wheeled one-horse carriage) leaving the horse to find it's way, the horse took fright and threw Dan out, killing him.

 Ellen married James Halse a teacher and Grazier, who ran off with the children's governess, leaving four children and Ellen to work the farm. Ellen's descendants the Allen, Doneley and Harpharm families live in south central Queensland west of Brisbane.

 In 1880 after the deaths of their parents the young Moloney's jointly ran the family property, which became known as Big and Little Bumble.

 Thomas jnr. died in 1890 leaving his widow Catherine Mary ( nee Fingleton) known as Kate - with three young daughters. Her mother Catherine, moved into Big Bumble to be with her. These two widows proved to be indefatigable. Kate was just 28 and as her husband Thomas jnr died intestate, she legalised the situation, in a petition dated 1899, in the Supreme Court of New South Wales, half the Bumble properties came under her management, the other half remained with John Moloney, whose descendants still live there to-day.

 John Moloney accumulated a considerable amount of property and at the time of his death was owner of the well-known property named Gnoulamein, Gurley which was freehold. As a father and person John was described by those who knew him as of a most loving and generous disposition, and he was spoken of as "one of the good old sort".

 Elizabeth married James Fingleton and farmed at Ogilvie, Gurley. In the early days Elizabeth and her sister Ellen assisted their brothers and father with the pioneering work under rugged conditions, of clearing scrub, fencing and cultivation in the fields. It was not uncommon for visitors to the homestead to see them carting posts to the line for fencing.

 The Moree area is a major producer of cotton, wheat and wool. The rich black soil gives the area the title of the richest agricultural region in Australia. The largest pecan nut orchard in the Southern Hemisphere is east of Moree where there are 70,000 trees producing over 2,000 tonnes of nuts annually.

 It is interesting to see the occupations of the present day descendants, namely Grazier, Cotton farmer, Station Manager, Teacher, Nurse, Doctor, Solicitor, Banker, Accountant, Engineer and Pharmacist.

 Family contact has been maintained by visits to Ireland, to see where their ancestors came from, and to meet their Irish cousins.

 John E. Rafferty an Australian cousin has written a family history which includes this branch of the Moloney family entitled " The Australian Journey of Thomas Fingleton, the O'Neills and the Moloney Family and their Descendants''. His grand mother was Elizabeth Moloney 1851-1930.

 Thomas Fingleton was from County Laois and had been sentenced to transported for life, having been found guilty of taking part in a political raid in 1830 on a Protestant church. He married Catherine O'Neill in 1849. her father James had emigrated from Tyrone in 1835.

 Chapter 15:  Genealogical Records

 Wills & Administrations - 1877 p527 

Daniel Moloney. 701 Effects under £9000 2nd Jan

 The will of Daniel Moloney late of Knocklong, County Limerick. Farmer deceased who died 12 Oct 1876 at same place was proved by oath of John Moloney of Knocklong, Patrick O'Brien of Barthoose Co. Tipperary and John Moloney of Tipperary Butter Merchant the Executors.

 Wills & Administrations - 1873 p469

 Michael Moloney  260 Effects under £3000 7th Aug

 The will of Michael Moloney late of Tipperary Butter Merchant deceased who died 19 May 1870 at the same place was proved at the Principal Registry by oath of William Moloney & John Moloney both of Tipperary aforesaid Gentlemen the Executors.

 Wills & Administrations - 1889 p513

 Richard Moloney  55 Effects £1814 5th Feb

 The will of Richard Moloney late of The Hill Knocklong Co. Limerick farmer who died 23 Aug 1888 at same place and proved at the Principal Registry by John Moloney of Tipperary Merchant and the Very Reverent Daniel Ryan of Fethard Co. Tipperary Archdeacon and P.P. the Executors.

 Wills & Administrations - 1916 p425

 Daniel Moloney (327) Effects £5256 20th April

 Probate of the Will of Daniel Moloney late of Knocklong Co. Limerick Co. Limerick Farmer who died 9 Feb 1916 granted at Dublin to Margaret Moloney the Widow

 Map of Knocklong 1850.

 Death & Marriage Civil Certs 1870's

 Australian Shipping Records 1853

 Baptismal Records 1840-8

 Census 1901

 Postal Directory of Munster 1886

 Chapter 16: Photographs

 Tipperary Town Branch

 Moloneys of Tipperary Town.

 CHARLES MOLONEY

 Born:- 1822 Knocklong, Co. Limerick.

 Married :- ELLEN BRODRICK at St. Francis Catholic Church, Melbourne, 1847. No children.

 Died :- 15th July, 1872 @ Lovely Banks, Geelong, Aus.

 Home in O'Connell Street, Geelong, Parish of Moorabool, utensils and furniture plus furniture in the home on farm at Lovely Banks, Geelong to the niece of his late wife- her heir Catherine Murphy.

 His executors to erect a solid grave and headstone over himself and late wife's grave site.

 Bequeath: 100 pound to Geelong Infirmary Asylum. 100 pound to Orphan's Asylum 100 pound to Our Lady's Orphanage - attached to Our Lady of Mercy convent, Geelong.  50 pound to the building fund for St. Mary's Church, Geelong. 50 pounds for Masses for the Repose of the Soul of his late wife Ellen Brodrick and himself; his parents Thomas and Ellen Moloney: and Michael Brodrick. Divide rest of Estate between his brother Donald (Daniel) Moloney Coolcaum, Charleville - Farmer and sister Bridget (Mrs Donald Ryan) - Ballin_____? Tipperary - Farmer  Any unmarried sisters at the time of his death to receive fifty pound each.

 Last Will & Testament - 1872

 Australian Branch

 Australian Moloneys

 John Russell Moloney c1800-93 & son John

 Effin Branch

 Michael Moloney 1804-70

 Julia Moloney & Joe McGrath

 Standing :- Richard, Julia, John, Michael, Ellie-Jane & Mary

 Seated :- Kate, Nellie, Ellen, William & Lizzie.

 Front :- Mary McGrath

 Photo :- Willie Moloney S.J. Ordination 1914

 Elizabeth Moloney 1851-1930

 Children of Elizabeth over.

 Elizabeth & Ellen Moloney c.1926

 Moloney Gravestones in Ballingarry Cemetery,  Glenbrohane, Co. Limerick

 Erected by  ELLEN MOLONEY  Ballincarroona

 In memory of her father

 THOMAS MOLONEY died Jan 9th 1858,

 His daughter MARGARET died June 10th 1860

 His son THOMAS died Dec. 13th 1861

 His daughter ELIZABETH died Oct 23rd. 1862

 His son DANIEL (of Coolcaum) died April 27th 1872

 His Daughter Bridget Ryan nee Moloney died Feb 11th 1886

 His son CHARLES MOLONEY died in Geelong, Australia June 1872

 Also her mother ELLEN MOLONEY alias McCARTHY

 died 29th May 1859. Buried in Ardpatrick.

 Gloria in Exelsis

 Erected by

 Mary Moloney alias Russell in memory of her beloved husband

 JOHN MOLONEY of Knocklong who departed this life July 23th 1826 aged 51 yrs.

 May his soul rest in peace. Amen

  Gravestone Inscriptions in Ballingarry Cemetery,  Glenbrohane .

 Patrick Sarsfield

 Griffiths Valuation 1850.

 Rafferty's Home - Kyeema, New South Wales.

 Biographical Notice 1912

 Geelong Advertiser 7th August 1912

 Research Guidance

 Naming Pattern in Families Sons- The first son was called after his father's father the second son was called after his mother's father and the third after his father. Daughters - The first two daughters were called after either grandmother and the third after their mother.

 For Adminstrative purposes the Country was divided as follows:- Province, County, Barony, Civil Parish, Townland and Placename

 This is relevant when searching for Census records and Griffiths Valuation.

 Mass Cards - 1893 & 1912

 Photo at Kilfrush, Knocklong. 5th Oct 1970

 President Richard Nixon & John A. Mulcathy.

 Obituaries.

 MOLONEY - On August the 6th. 1912 at Geelong, Patrick Russell Moloney, late of Lovely Banks, and dearly beloved brother of Mrs E Lenaghan, of Tourello. aged 76 years. Requiescat in Pace.

 The funeral will leave St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church. Yarra-street this day (Wednesday) the 7th inst. at 3 p.m. for the Eastern Cemetery. Friends are respectfully invited.

 The Tipperary Free Press & Clonmel General Advertiser May 28th 1869

 Deaths

 Moloney - May 24th at Tipperary, Catherine, the beloved wife of Michael Moloney Esq. - Aged 70 years.

 May 24th 1870

 Deaths

 Moloney - May 19th at his residence, Tipperary, Michael Moloney Esq. Aged 66 May he rest in peace.

 Biographical Notice 1869 & 1870

 List of Surnames on Irish Family Tree

 Antill, Ashe, Askew, Barry, Beattie, Behan, Bergin, Bourke, Bresnan, Bruton, Buckley, Byrne, Callachor, Carey, Carlton, Cassidy, Creken, Cleary, Clifford, Coleman, Connolly, Cowell, Crawford, Crowley, Curtain, Delahanty, Delaney, Dillon, Donoghue, Driver, Dwan, Egan, English, Fennessy, Fetterman, Fingleton, Finnan, Finucane, Fletcher, Foley, Gennery, Gallagher Gilhooly, Gleeson, Glynn, Golden, Goold, Grennan, Grogan, Halley, Halse, Harty, Hayes, Healy, Ho, Holmes, Humble, Jennett, Johnson, Keightley, Kelly, Kelleher, Kent, Kinnane, Leahy, Lenaghan, Lester, Ligen, Liston, Madden, Madigan, March, Martin, Matthews, McCarthy, McDonnell, McElhone, McGrath, McGurn, Moloney, Mongomery, Morrison, Mullen, Mulvey, Murphy, Nello, Nortcott, O'Brien, O'Callaghan, O'Connell, O'Connor, O'Donovan, O'Donnell, O'Keeffe, O'Mahony, O'Neill, O'Tiernaigh, Pawley, Power, Quinlan, Rafferty, Raleigh, Reardon, Renshaw, Rice, Russell, Ryan, Sarcken, Seddon, Senior, Sheridan, Smith, Stafford, Stauton, Taylor, Teece, Tracey, Turrell, Tye, Wallis, Walsh, Webb, Wells, Wilcox, Wilson, Wyatt, Yaeger,

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  For privacy reasons, NO information is provided on any living members of the Henneberry family.  Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information.  Birth, death and marriage certificates from various County Clerk's offices have been obtained.  Census records and obituaries have been researched.  As with most genealogy searches, confusing and conflicting information exists such as spelling of first and last name, ages and dates of birth.

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