McGrath Family New Zealand

[Lucy2]

[Source: ]  Australian newspapers at TROVE website :

http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/home

"Evening News" (NSW) - 18 April 1885 - page 5  [Search on : "Peter McGRATH" ]

[Excerpt from article labelled - "Redfern Police Court -  A Peripatetic Wife" :   Some of the content is a tad "unsavoury" ... so only adding the bits of importance, here.]

Peter McGRATH, road contractor was sued by Margaret McGRATH, his wife.   Margaret claimed 40s per week sustenance.
Peter McGrath (Testimony via his lawyer) :  .... stated that Margaret went to the Melbourne Cup and to New Zealand and was locked up in Wellington [possibly Wellington NZ ?] for having been dressed up in men's clothes, had taken L 15 (pounds) out of her husband's pocket and received L 50 (pounds) unknown to him.

For the defence (Peter's lawyer) ... it was alleged that Mrs McGRATH never stopped at home, unless ill ... she went out every night ... [continues] ...

Maurice McGRATH and John McGRATH, sons of the parties, testified to their father's general good behaviour to their mother.

The stipendiary declined to make an order.   The application was dismissed.*
---------------

(*     The NSW Police Gazette - 22 April 1885 - page 116 :  Records that Peter McGRATH charged on warrant with wife desertion, has been arrested by Constable WALKER of Sydney Police - Discharged.
Presumably this [ given it says "Discharged" ], is a record of the outcome of the Police Court hearing on 15 April 1885 ? )

[Lucy2]

Also from NSW Police Gazette - dated 10 September 1884* :

Peter McGRATH charged on warrant issued at Wellington, New Zealand, with absconding with property belonging to his creditors, has been arrested in Sydney by Detective ANDREW.   Remanded to Wellington.  Bail allowed.

[*  Note:   Ancestry has this indexed as Wellington, in New South Wales. ]

[Lucy2]

And from "Evening News" (NSW) - 9 September 1884 - page 2 :

Peter M'GRATH, contractor and lately hotel-keeper at Wellington  ... appeared on remand at Central Police Court on Tuesday  ...

[sandy feet]

Hello Lucy, 
Wow what a great lot of info. I see where you are going with the birth certs of both Margaret Stephen and will order them asap. Do you suggest getting bothe sources - NZBDM & Catholic baptism to get the full picture? I had come across some of this court news previously but had no way of making a connection at that stage. It really seems to be my relatives and I can see why Margaret JNR may have changed her middle name to maybe distance herself from some of her happenings in Sydney. Anyway hard to judge when you aren't there.

Regards Sandy

[Lucy2]

Hi Sandy

Have quite a lot more to come but thought I'd let you both digest this lot, for starters.    Trying also to add it in some sort of order to make it easier to follow.   

I say if you can afford the baptism records as well as the birth printouts, then go for it.   (I'm a "need to have the full picture" kinda gal, anyway. ) 

Gosh, I do hope we can get some more info on (mother) Margaret (or Margaret Jane, or Matilda McCoy ... or TURNER ... or whoever she really was ??)  I've always been puzzled as to why, on the Rangiora baptism document, she was described as "alias" TURNER, rather than say, "nee" TURNER or "formerly" TURNER.   The word "alias" I always associate with criminal activity. 

   ~  Lu

[Juliannet]

Hello Ladies!

You will locate Peter Stephen McGrath in the (Ancestry)
New South Wales Australia Entrance Books for The Vernon and The Sobraon 1867-1911. Book VIII. 339 pg 429
Ref; 2094

Additional information in
Book VI. 429 pg 339

Also see (Trove)
NSW Police Gazette 1854-1930, Jan 1894 pg 14 (bottom left hand corner)

Upon explaining all Lucy located last week about Peter and Margaret to my husband he added his own theory. He believes Matilda Turner was Margaret's alias or working name in Hokitika. He believes she was there to work, after the death of her first husband McCloy, alas, though, not as a miner or barmaid.

Myself having just located and read the Redfern Police Court minutes, believe he may be on the right track. Hence why my grandfather never mentioned his family. I guess his (Maurice, first born) marriage cert. will suggest one way or the other an interpretation we can either refute or infer for history.

[sandy feet]

Hello Julie,

If possible can you please provide the link to the 2 bits of information in your last post. I searched both bits of info but was unable to locate them.

Regards Sandy

[Juliannet]

Hi Sandy,

This is the link to the Redfern Court Case.

http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/111180834?searchTerm=peter%20mcgrath&searchLimits=l-state=New+South+Wales|||l-decade=188|||l-australian=y|||l-year=1885

Items from my ancestry account are in your e-mail 

[Juliannet]

I a little bit of info on the family today.
They lived in Rangioria as you already know.

This link contains a small reference as noted below...
overseer to Peter McGrath, the railway contractor on the Amberley-Waipara Railway
http://winsomegriffin.com/Cone/GeorgeCone1.htm

This link bottom of pg 399, contains reference to the property as it was purchased by the bank
http://libraries.waimakariri.govt.nz/Libraries/ebooks_-_Rangiora/Chapter_22_-_The_Schools.sflb.ashx

This link contains numerous references to Peter McGrath and his Te Aro Reclamation
http://www.nzpictures.co.nz/wainuiomatasinclairloco.pdf

Further reference on page 191
These works were begun in April 1879 by the Wellington contractor, Peter McGrath, whose two hundred workers were a great boon to the young
http://libraries.waimakariri.govt.nz/Libraries/ebooks_-_Rangiora/Chapter_12_-_Town_and_Country.sflb.ashx

This is a link to Rookwood (I have found 3 Margaret McGraths) I have found one NSW BDM death for a Margaret J McGrath from Redfern and a few TROVE death/funeral notices.
http://search.catholiccemeteries.org.au/default.aspx (This is from Rookwood)
   Surname   GivenNames   Age   ServiceDate   Location   Type
Select   Mc Grath   Peter   46   17/06/1885   SEC*M1*CC**464   Burial
Select   Mc Grath   Margaret J   Unk   01/03/1908   SEC*M2*C**362   Burial
Select   Mc Grath   Margaret   Unk   22/06/1887   SEC*M1*F**35   Burial
Select   Mc Grath   Margaret   65   24/12/1900   SEC*M1*4**1099   Burial ->->-> (3 yrs older than Margaret might be) Address is 46 Bay St Glebe (However mother of Patrick) yet this address fits with a police Gazette :-/

From BDM NSW
Registration Number   Family Name   Given Name(s)   Father's Given Name(s)   Mother's Given Name(s)   District   PDF Availability   
3036/1908   MCGRATH   MARGARET J   DENIS J   ANNIE   REDFERN   Unavailable

If the family turned their backs on her following the court case she could be buried anywhere...