Elizabeth Mary Josephine KEADY (1845-1904)
John and Honorah’s eighth child, Elizabeth was born at Merri Creek, Melbourne in 1845.
No information has been found on her early life.
Elizabeth was 29 years old when she married Michael Daniel Daly in 1874.
Elizabeth and Michael’s first child Catherine was born in Nagambie, 1876 and their second child Nora Teresa Daly was born in 1878.
Tough Times for Elizabeth
Michael Daly died relatively young at only 38 years old on the 14 March 1878 at Dookie. Elizabeth was left as a widow looking after a 2 year old (Catherine) and a newborn (Nora) or possibly she was still pregnant at the time of Michael’s death. The circumstances of Michael’s death are not known.
The probate papers for Michael Daly reveal that he was a storekeeper at the township of Dookie South (later called Cashel) which by 1902 was virtually deserted. When the railway was extended from Shepparton to an area about 3km north of Cashel in 1879, this spelt the end of Dookie South. The new township which sprung up around the station became the township of Dookie.
Elizabeth must have been left in dire straits because the probate papers show that Michael died with debts in the order of 2,000 pounds. Although he owned some houses and land in the Main Street of Dookie South (Cashel), he had a significant mortgage and huge debts associated with stock for his store. He even owed 100 pounds to Patrick Keady, presumably Elizabeth’s brother.
Perhaps Patrick knew of Elizabeth’s financial predicament because he renounced any claims and rescinded his duty to act as an Executor for Michael’s will.
Elizabeth marries John Doyle
Three years after Michael Daly’s death, Elizabeth married John Doyle in 1881 at the age of 36. Elizabeth goes on to have three children, John Henry Doyle born 1883, Alicia Agnes Doyle, born 1884 and Gratton John Doyle also born in 1884.
Michael and Elizabeth seemed to have been moving around a bit, with John Henry born in Melbourne, Alicia in Seymour and Gratton John in Dookie.
In 1888 John applies for, and presumably is granted a colonial wine licence for a store in Station Street, Seymour, directly opposite the railway station. For the next few years he regularly advertises in the local newspaper.
The advertisement below appeared in “The Seymour Express of 5 August, 1890”.
Elizabeth dies in 1904 at which time she is living at Worrough just outside Seymour.
Keady Family in Victoria 