Patrick John Keady (1876-1951)

Janet Crawford and Patrick John Keady (c:1915)

Patrick John Keady moved to New Zealand about 1905 with his brother, Michael Thomas Keady (1869-1940).

Patrick and Michael grew up with their family at Koetong, Victoria, Australia. In their 20s they enlisted with the 3rd NSW Rifles to serve for Australia during the Boer War in South Africa.

The family story is that times were tuff on the land and so they both moved to New Zealand about 1905.

Patrick subsequently joined the New Zealand Army and served at Gallipoli where he was wounded in 1915. Shortly after being repatriated to New Zealand, Patrick married Janet Crawford (1894-1970) in 1916. They had only one child, Jean Elizabeth Keady (1921-1970).

The above photo of Patrick and Janet has been shared by Dean in New Zealand. It is a great find given there are so few photos of the early Keady family. Many thanks to Dean.

One interesting fact shared by Dean is that Patrick was a publican in the town of Orepuki where he seems to have spent most of his years in New Zealand. It is good to see Patrick kept up the family tradition, as his grandfather John Keady (1812-1884), his brother Michael, and some of his other siblings were no doubt skilled in pouring a beer.

Martin Charles Nicholas KEADY (1880-1952)

Martin was the eighth child of John Francis Keady and Margaret O’Leary, the younger brother of our Grandfather, Thomas Patrick Keady.

Our grandfather, Thomas Patrick Keady was 6 years old, when his younger brother Martin was born in 1880 at Kialla East, near Sheparton on 16 August, 1880. Martin had 6 siblings at the time, as John and Margaret had lost 2 children in infancy, John Henry in 1874 and Michael in 1878.

The only girl in the family, Mary Ann Keady was born a year latter in 1861 at Sheperds Flat, which is just north of Daylesford, Victoria.

Sometime in the 1880s John Francis and his family moved East to Koetong along with the families of his brothers, Patrick and James Henry.

Martin’s childhood and early life would have been on the fairly isolated farming community of Koetong. He is listed as a grazier in the electoral rolls of the early 1900s, through his 20s and early 30s.

On 9 March 1916 at the age of 35, Martin was admitted to the Royal Park Receiving House and Hospital for the Insane in Melbourne. Martin spent some 7 years as an inmate until he was transferred to the Beechworth Hospital for the Insane on 8 April 1923.

Martin’s condition was described as follows in a Doctor’s report prepared for an Inquest into his death in 1952.

“He was regarded as a case of schizophrenia with marked deterioration and his mental condition showed little change over the years”.

Sadly, Martin spent 29 years in Beechworth Asylum until his death, aged 71 in 1952.

At the time of his death he only had one surviving sibling, his older brother Daniel Keady who was living at Bullioh, near Koetong.

Martin died on 28 February, 1952 after spending a few weeks in the hospital ward of the Asylum.

It is highly likely that he had minimal or no contact with family members after he was admitted to the Asylum. Hospital administration records at the time of his death describe him as “Invalid, 70 years” and note that he had “No relatives” and there were “no friends” to defray the cost of a funeral.

No records can be found regarding his burial, but in the circumstances it is most likely that he was buried in a paupers grave at Beechworth Cemetery.

Clearly, Martin must have been a pretty tough character to survive some 36 years locked up in the Mental Hospitals in the first half of the 20th Century.

Trooper Keady serving in Boer War, South Africa

One of the Keady brothers in Boer War, South Africa, 1900-1902.

Two of the Keady Family joined the 3rd NSW Mounted Rifles and served in South Africa from May 1900 to May 1902. See earlier blog for a little more history. Click here.

The two adventurers were Michael Thomas Keady (1869-1940) and Patrick John Keady (1876-1951), sons of Patrick Keady (1837-1923).

Michael and Patrick were cousins of our grandfather, Thomas Patrick Keady (1874-1946). They would no doubt have shared many experiences as they grew up in Koetong through their teenage years and early 20s. The Koetong community about this time was quite small. On the 1903 electoral roll there were only 61 adults enrolled to vote, of whom 13 were from the Keady families.

The above photo has been discovered by Brian amongst the documents and photos collected by our grandmother, Lillian Keady (nee Crawford).

As is so often the case, there is no writing of any kind to help identify the person in the photo, however I think it is a fair bet to say it is either Patrick or Michael. You can see that the soldier on the horse is not an officer otherwise he’d be decked out in all his regalia. The photo is clearly a posed shot taken in the open by a professional photographer however this wasn’t enough to stop the blurred intruder who walks into the scene on the right hand side as the photo is being taken.

Unfortunately the only photos of Patrick and Michael are taken much latter in life when they are living in New Zealand and it is impossible to make any kind of comparison with the trooper in this photo.

In the absence of any other information coming to light I am quite happy to claim this trooper as one of the Keady family. Anyone seen any photos of similar vintage which might shed light on his identity ?

First Keady born in Australia, James Henry Keady (Part 1)

James Henry KEADY was the fifth child of John and Honora Keady, the first to be born in Australia.

James’ Baptism which took place in Melbourne on 16 January 1843 indicates that James was born 4 days before on 12 January. The witnesses/godparents were Darby Carty and Sarah Walters. Darby was possibly a close friend of the family or a relative as he had travelled to Melbourne on the same ship, the Frances, as John and Hanora in November 1941. (Second entry from bottom in Baptism record. John’s surname, Keady, spelt Cady.)

Background: Civil registration of Birth, Deaths and Marriages did not commence in Victoria until 1853. At the time James was born in 1843 Port Phillip was part of the Colony of New South Wales. Victoria was not proclaimed as a seperate Colony until 1851.

No records can be found of his early life but presumably he grew up on the banks of the Merri Creek, Pentridge (now Coburg).

In his early years the family home must have resembled a creche, and at times been a very sad place. Mary the twin of John Francis Keady had died in 1842 shortly after the family arrived in Melbourne. In quick succession four more children were born after James. First Michael who was born in 1844, but died only 9 months old in 1845, then William and Elizabeth in 1845 (possibly another set of twins) and lastly Catherine the youngest of the family in 1846.

James marries Margaret Rose McManus at Kilmore in 1874

James marries Margaret Rose McManus, described as a farmers daughter, on 8 September 1874 at St Patrick’s Church, Kilmore. James’ occupation on the marriage certificate at the time is given as Farmer and Winemaker.

Keeping up Family tradition – Hotelier at Murchison

For at least 3 years in the mid 1870s James is running a Hotel at Murchison, although he is not the owner.

It would seem that James has left his business at the pub by the late 1870s and is working on the land. At the Murchison Agricultural Show in 1878 James wins 2nd prize for both red and white colonial wine.

1880s – James and Rose establish a family

Life continues in the Murchison district and their family are born in the district. The children of Rose and James were”

Hanorah, born 3 October 1880 in Murchison
Annie, born 25 May 1882 in Murchison
Leonard John (Leo) born 9 April 1884 at Murchison
Margaret Frances born 1886 at Shepherds Flat
Alberta Marie born 9 January 1889 in Shepparton

1890 Tragedy strikes the Family

Rose dies on 9 March 1890 in Mooroopna Hospital from Typhoid and Pneumonia, leaving James with 5 children to care for, including the infant Alberta who is barely 1 year old. Rose was only 42 years old at the time.

From records available for the children in their latter life, it would appear that four of the children, Hanora, Annie, Leo and Alberta were raised by Rose’s family, the McManus family. The fourth child Margaret Frances who was four years old at the time of her mother’s death was fostered by Daniel and Bridget Keady.

The relationship (if any) between James Henry KEADY and Daniel Keady still remains a mystery, but they were certainly close neighbours in the Murchison area. James Henry and Daniel had adjacent land holdings near the small settlement of Muddy Creek (now Moorilim).

Besides loosing his wife, James appears to have had some major financial setbacks at this time also, which might explain why he leaves the district and joins his two brothers Patrick and John Francis at Koetong.

Part 2 of James’s story will provide some detail of his land speculation activities and latter life at Koetong.

Precious Photos – Patrick and Mary Keady – Koetong

While family photos of the first generation Keady family are pretty scarce or at least cannot be found yet, there are a few which have been passed down through the generations. The following photos of Patrick Keady, his wife Mary Ann Quinlan and the Keady farm at Koetong have been provided by one of Patrick’s descendants.

The first two photos are large portraits of Patrick and Mary which hung on the wall of the farmhouse at Koetong. (The farmhouse with some additions is still standing at Koetong, although no longer in the family.)

The following photos were taken on the family farm. The first was possibly taken in the early 1920s and shows Patrick and Mary in the fields around the farmhouse. (This is an educated guess based on the appearance of Patrick and Mary.)

The second photo of the Keady farmhouse, with snow on the ground is thought to have been taken in the 1950s.

If you have any early photos tucked away, or have any thoughts on leads to follow up, don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Who was serving behind the bar ?

There have been a few stories so far recounting the extensive Keady Family expertise at pulling a beer or serving up the spirits.

It’s always exciting to put a face to a name, especially when they are a relative. So here are a few faces related to earlier blogs. You can click on the captions in the photos to take you back to the stories.

John Henry Keady

Christina Frances Keady (nee Gerecke)

The following photo of Michael Keady (1869-1940) was taken in unfortunate circumstances, at least for Michael. It’s a New Zealand Police Gazette mug shot taken on 20 August 1926 after Michael was convicted of receiving stolen grog to stock his hotel in Auckland, New Zealand. Michael was fined 500 pounds (NZ) and received 3 months in jail.

Keady watering hole

Keady and Gerecke families share an ale at the Welcome Hotel, Koetong

Welcome Hotel, Koetong cc 1895. Source: State Library of Victoria

This beautiful photo of the Welcome Hotel at Koetong is believed to have been taken about 1895. The proprietor was Hermann Gerecke, a German immigrant who arrived in Australia in 1857.

The Keady families of John Francis Keady (1840-1902) and Patrick Keady (1837-1923) moved to the Koetong area about the mid to late 1890s when land became available for selection. Tin mining was also a major attraction to the area. John and Patrick’s brother James Henry Keady (1843-1936) also moved to this area and was involved in tin mining.

The licencing records of the times suggest there were only two pubs in town, the Koetong Hotel and the Welcome Hotel. Perhaps the Koetong Hotel is the other building in the distance on the right.

There weren’t many people in the town and surrounding district so no doubt the Keady families enjoyed a few ales at these pubs. In 1903 there were only 100 people listed on the Electoral roll for Koetong, including 13 Keady family members. Some of the family may even be one of the three bearded gentlemen standing on the verandah in this photo.

The links between the Gerecke and Keady families were to become stronger as the years progressed.

Patrick Keady’s son, John Henry Keady (1867-1929) married the eldest daughter of Hermann Gerecke, Christina Frances Gerecke (1874 -1941) in 1901. This couple would go on to become publicans of the Everton Hotel.

Just to keep the family ties strong, Patrick’s daughter, Honorah Ann (Nora) Keady (1880-1937) married William Herman Gerecke(1875-1947), Hermann’s eldest son in 1901. Perhaps it was a double wedding. In 1904 William took over as publican from his father.

Both the Welcome and Koetong Hotels were a focus for community sporting and social gatherings. Newspaper reports of Keady family activities will follow in future blogs.

“You’ll never get seedy at the Keady”

Keady Hotel, Everton, Victoria. (now Everton Hotel)

Good advice behind the bar at the Everton Hotel, formerly the “Keady Hotel”.

There seems to have been something in the blood which lead Keadys thru the generations to have a go at running pubs.

John Keady (1812-1884) kicked off the tradition when he became the Publican of the Prince Alfred Hotel in High Street, Preston in 1876. He renamed it, “Keady’s Hotel”, remaining the Publican until 1882, when the name reverted to the Prince Alfred Hotel. It closed as a pub in 1922, but the building remains at 133 High Street, Preston, Victoria.

John’s son James Henry Keady (1843-1936) was also running a pub about the same time in Murchison through the late 1870s until he got into financial difficulties.

While John’s son Patrick (1837-1923) did not seem to have a go at running a pub, three of his sons certainly kept up the family tradition.

John Henry Keady (1867-1929), along with his wife Christina Gerecke(1874-1941) operated the Keady Hotel at Everton over the period from 1904-1937. The Keady (now Everton) Hotel hasn’t changed much since that time.

Patrick’s son, Michael Thomas Keady (1869-1940) spent most of his working life as a publican in New Zealand. Michael moved to New Zealand with his brother Patrick John Keady (1876-1951) after returning from service with the Australian 3^rdNSW Mounted Rifles during the Boer War. Michael ran pubs are various locations including the Edinburgh Castle Hotel in Auckland where he was the publican in 1919. Both Michael and Patrick lived out their lives in New Zealand.

The Koetong Hotel on the Murray Valley Highway between Albury and Corryong was also in Keady hands in the early 1900s. The publican is recorded as James Keady, but it is not clear if this was James Henry Keady, noted above or his nephew, James Keady (1890-1941) another son of Patrick Keady. Irrespective of who was the publican, one can imagine that the Koetong Hotel was a regular water hole for the two large Keady families who lived at Koetong at the time. The Koetong Hotel still serves a cold beer.

Margaret Keady (nee O’Leary) (1836 – 1923)

Margaret O’Leary (Sourced from Family Bible)

Margaret O’Leary arrived at Port Phillip aboard the “Enmore” on 4 October 1841 with her parents Timothy and Johanna and 8 month old younger sister, Betty. Margaret was 5 years old when she arrived.

Margaret seems to have spent her early life in Melbourne and then moved to the Kilmore area where she married John Francis Keady at Saint Patrick’s Church on 1 November 1869. Both John and Margaret were 28 years old at the time of their wedding.

Margaret had nine children all of whom were born around the Nagambie and Sheparton areas. Sadly two children died in their infancy.

Margaret and John moved with their family of seven in about 1890 to the small township of Koetong which is on the Murray Valley Highway between Tallangatta and Corryong.

Life must have been tough for Margaret as two sons died quite young, John Mathew Keady in 1889 and Denney Keady in 1905. To make matters worse both of her youngest children were committed to the Asylum at Beechworth. Mary, her only daughter was committed in 1906 and died in the Asylum in 1912. Martin her youngest son was committed to Mont Park Hospital in 1918 and subsequently transferred to Beechworth Asylum where he died some 30 years latter in 1952.

In her later years Margaret seems to have lived with her son Daniel who was a farmer at Bullioh not far from Koetong. Margaret was living with Daniel when she died on 16 August 1923 at the age of 88. Margaret is buried at the Albury Pioneer Cemetery.

John Francis Keady (1840-1902)

John Francis Keady (sourced from Family Bible)

Arrival at Port Phillip

John arrived with his twin sister Maria when he was only 18 months old on 28 November 1841. His parents, John Keady and Honorah Kenny left Liverpool on 20 August 1841 and arrived at Port Phillip over 3 months latter with sons Thomas, 8 years, Patrick aged 6 and the twins, John and Maria.

They sailed on the Barque, Frances which carried 97 sponsored immigrants of English and Irish origins.

Early Life as young child

John’s early life was spent near the Merri Creek adjacent to the Pentridge Stockade which was being built at the time and which would eventually become the Pentridge Prison .

Once settled in this area now known as Coburg, the family expanded with John and Honorah having five more children, 3 boys and 2 girls.