John Driscoll b.c1827 County Cork, Ireland:
John Driscoll spent most of his life working in the back breaking goldfields,
whole raising a large family in Bendigo, Victoria.
Origin:
Born in the County of Cork, Ireland about 1827, he arrived in Australia prior to
1854 and worked the goldfields of Bendigo. This is evidenced by his appearance
on the 1853 Bendigo Goldfields Petition.
Occupation:
John spent many years working in the mines of Bendigo until
he retired at about 60 years of age.
His Marriages:
John's first wife was Catherine Lenane from County
Clare in Ireland, born about 1830. They were married on 22 January 1856 at
Sandhurst, Bendigo in a Catholic ceremony. They had a child; Mary born 16
January 1857 who went on to have her own child in 1872.
Catherine passed away in November 1859 aged
only 29 years.
John remarried on 10th April 1860 in a Catholic
ceremony to Johanna Harrington of County Cork, Ireland. Johanna who
was born about 1838, provided John with a large family. The witnesses at
their wedding were her father Cornelius and her sister Julia.
Johanna lived a long life until she was 93 years old. After the death of
John, she moved to Swan Hill where she lived until she passed away.
His children:
With Catherine:
Mary, born 16 January
1857
His marriage certificate with Johanna shows that at the time of his marriage he
had three children to Catherine, of which only one was alive.
With Johanna:
John James, born 1861
Catherine, born 1863
Robert, born 1865
Anastasia, born 1867
Patrick, born 1868
Cornelius Francis, born 6 January 1871
Isabella, born 1873
Fellicia, born 1875
William, born 1876
Henry, born 1877
Laurallay May, born 1883
Residences in Bendigo:
John worked hard in the Goldfields for about forty years as
his source of income. He
acquired property and sold it as his family grew.
Records of land taxes paid reveal how he moved from
place to place.
Further records from Electoral Rolls identify where he was
living year to year.
| Year |
Description |
Location |
Receipt |
Fee |
| 1859 |
Owner Vacant Land |
Charleston Road |
2030 |
£20.0.0 |
| 1861 |
Owner |
Back Creek Road |
3059 |
£15.0.0 |
|
1861 |
Owner Vacant
Land |
Charleston
Road |
3128 |
£5.0.0 |
| 1862 |
Owner |
Back Creek Road |
2855 |
£5.0.0 |
| 1863 |
Owner |
Bendigo Flat Road |
3486 |
£10.0.0 |
| 1864 |
Owner The Brown House,
land |
McCrae Street |
5001 |
£8.0.0 |
| 1865 |
Owner The Brown House,
land |
McCrae Street |
2058 |
£8.0.0 |
| 1866 |
Owner The Brown House,
land |
McCrae Street |
2305 |
£10.0.0 |
| 1867 |
Owner The Brown House,
land |
McCrae Street |
2280 |
£10.0.0 |
| 1868 |
Owner The Brown House,
land |
McCrae Street |
3278 |
£10.0.0 |
| 1868 |
Owner The Brown House,
land |
McCrae Street |
3305 |
£6.0.0 |
| 1873 |
Owner The Brown House,
land stable |
Arnold Street |
5178 |
£13.0.0 |
| 1874 |
Owner / Occupier land,
house |
Honeysuckle Street |
|
£18.0.0 |
| 1875 |
Owner / Occupier land,
house |
Honeysuckle Street |
1708 |
£18.0.0 |
| 1899 |
Electoral Roll |
Bull Street |
|
|
| 1903 |
Electoral Roll |
Garsed Street |
|
|
| 1908 |
Electoral Roll |
Garsed Street |
|
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The 1853 Bendigo Goldfields Petition:
Is 13 metres in length and bound in
green silk. Drawn up in mid-1853, the petition was signed by over 5000 diggers
on the Victorian goldfields who were angry about the mining licence fees imposed
by the government and the system by which they were collected.
Background to the petition
It is believed the first major discovery of gold in Victoria was in early
August 1851 at Buninyong, near Ballarat. Two months later it was discovered at
Bendigo. By mid-1853 around 60,000 diggers and their families were on the
Victorian goldfields - nearly 23,000 of these were at Bendigo. In June 1853 an
anti-gold licence association was formed at Bendigo to give voice to the
diggers' many grievances about their conditions. Led by GE Thomson, Dr Jones and
an Irish-born American, 'Captain' Edward Brown, the association focused its
attention on the 30 shillings monthly licence fee miners were required to pay to
the government.
 
These three men drew up a petition outlining the diggers' grievances and
calling for a reduced licence fee, improved law and order, the right to vote and
the right to buy land. The petition was signed by diggers at Bendigo, Ballarat,
Castlemaine, McIvor (Heathcote), Mount Alexander (Harcourt) and other diggings.
The petition was brought to Melbourne and presented to Lieutenant-Governor
Charles Joseph La Trobe on the 1 August 1853. Most of its demands, including the
reduction in the licence fee, were rejected. Eventually the diggers'
dissatisfaction erupted, culminating in the Eureka uprising at Ballarat on 3
December 1854.
(reference
http://www.slv.vic.gov.au/collections/treasures/bendigopetition1.html
)
Obituary - 26 January 1909:
From the Bendigo Advertiser 1909 was this obituary.
"Mr John Driscoll of Garsed Street, who had resided in Bendigo since 1853 died
yesterday morning after an illness extending over six months.
A native of Cork,
Ireland, he had reached the advanced age of 80 years.
He came to Bendigo as a
young man in search of fortune, and in the alluvial days worked with varying
success, but insufficient to provide against the necessity of labour in his
later years. He went into the mines when they opened up and was for 16 years
engaged at the New Chum and Victoria Company's claim.
He retired 20 years ago.
He was popular with his friends, and being possessed of a clear recollection of
early day Bendigo life was a veritable entertainer.
The deceased gentleman, who
would have celebrated the jubilee of his wedding if he lived until March, leaves
a widow and seven children, one of whom is Mr. J J Driscoll, of the firm of
Messrs. Maurice Moran and Co. The funeral takes place to the Bendigo Cemetery
to-day at 3 o'clock."
Funeral:
Details of John's funeral from the records of Fizelle and
Mulqueen:
"Roman
Catholic. Living at Garsed Street, Bendigo, aged 80. Informant's
name John Driscoll.
Funeral date 25 January 1909. The funeral was on a Tuesday with a Priest
as the officiating minister.
He was in a Polished Coffin. The Hearse was two coaches."
Funeral Notice -
2 August 1932:
From the Bendigo Advertiser 1932:
"Driscoll - The funeral of the late Johanna Driscoll
will arrive at the Bendigo General Cemetery from Swan Hill August 2, at 3.30pm.
Fraser and Horne Swan Hill."
Burial Location:
John is buried at the Bendigo Cemetery in the Roman Catholic Monuments section in I4, plot number 12280,
buried 26 January 1909 aged 80 years.
Preceding him and buried with him in one of the three graves is:
- Mary Driscoll on 10 April 1896 aged 10 months (granddaughter - daughter of
Cornelius)
- Anastasia Driscoll on 6 October 1897 aged 31 years (daughter)
- Patrick Driscoll on 15 June 1892 aged 23 years (son)
- Henry Driscoll on 20 April 1903 aged 24 years (son)
Finally his wife - Johanna Driscoll - joined them on 2 August 1932 aged 93
years.
His son Cornelius was the informant of John's passing.
Located in Bendigo Cemetery are the graves of John Driscoll who died at 80 in
1909, is buried in a triple open grave at Bendigo with his wife Johanna 93 years
in 1932, and their children Patrick (23), Anastasia (31), Henry (24) , and his
Grandchild Elizabeth Mary aged 10 months.
Markers for John (1909), unknown, Anastasia (1897), Elizabeth Mary (1896)
Proximity of John's Grave site to main entrance.
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