Margaret Murphy (daughter)
Margaret Murphy > Margaret Murphy > George Withers > Catherine Withers > Margaret Murphy > Felicity Bent
Margaret Murphy was born on 25 November 1837 in Parramatta, New South Wales. She was baptised at St Patrick's in Parramatta on 2 December 1837.
At the time of her birth, Margaret's mother, also called Margaret Murphy, was living at the Parramatta Factory for Female Convicts. Her father's occupation is given as "prisoner" and we believe he was Richard Glanville who married Margaret's mother in 1844, some seven years later.
Note that Margaret gave her name as Margaret Murphy - not Margaret Glanville - when she married Edward Withers in 1856. This could indicate that Richard Glanville was not her father or she could have used Murphy because that was her legal surname, despite her parents marrying after she was born.
In 1877, Margaret was the informant on her husband Edward Withers' death certificate and her name is recorded as Margaret Murphy, however, on her son Edward's death certificate in 1939 her name is shown as Margaret Glanville. On other certificates involving her children she appears as Margaret Murphy, Margaret Glanville and Margaret Granville, the last almost certainly being a transcription error. On her own death certificate her son, George, recorded her father's name as Richard Glanville so it is likely Richard was Margaret's father.
At the time of her birth, Margaret's mother, also called Margaret Murphy, was living at the Parramatta Factory for Female Convicts. Her father's occupation is given as "prisoner" and we believe he was Richard Glanville who married Margaret's mother in 1844, some seven years later.
Note that Margaret gave her name as Margaret Murphy - not Margaret Glanville - when she married Edward Withers in 1856. This could indicate that Richard Glanville was not her father or she could have used Murphy because that was her legal surname, despite her parents marrying after she was born.
In 1877, Margaret was the informant on her husband Edward Withers' death certificate and her name is recorded as Margaret Murphy, however, on her son Edward's death certificate in 1939 her name is shown as Margaret Glanville. On other certificates involving her children she appears as Margaret Murphy, Margaret Glanville and Margaret Granville, the last almost certainly being a transcription error. On her own death certificate her son, George, recorded her father's name as Richard Glanville so it is likely Richard was Margaret's father.
Marriage to Edward Withers
Margaret married Edward Withers on 29 April 1856 at Saints Peter and Paul's Roman Catholic Church in Goulburn.
If she was born in 1837, Margaret would have been 19 at the time of her marriage, although her death certificate notes that she was "about 15". Edward was 19. The death certificate also states that they were married in Gurrundah and I wonder if they were, in fact, married in Gurrundah by a travelling priest based in Goulburn. There does not seem to have been a Catholic church in Gurrundah until 1923 and St Brigid's Catholic Church, Mutmutbilly, which is very close to Gurrundah, was not built until 1865.
Edward and Margaret lived at Diamond Creek, near Grabben Gullen, and had seven children together between 1857 and 1876:
George, born 18 July 1857 at Diamond Creek, Gunning. Died 20 April 1913 in Goulburn (NSW BDM 12487/1857).
Susannah, born about 1862 at Diamond Creek, Gunning. Died 11 August, 1916 in Goulburn.
Edmund, born 1863 (NSW BDM 7585/1863)
Alfred, born about 1877
Harriet, born 1865 (NSW BDM 9046/1865)
Maria, born about 1873
James, born about 1875
Three deceased male infants and one female are also recorded without names so I assume they died soon after birth or were stilborn.
I was advised by John Emery in 2013 that Diamond Creek is a small creek in rugged country situated on his land at Collingwood. John showed me roughly where it is and said there are definite signs that people once lived there: the ruins of a hut, bits of pottery, etc and a patch of irises which bloom every year.
Edward Withers appears to have been a labourer all his life and he may have had a drinking problem. He died on 6 September 1877 at Grabben Gullen of a "liver complaint" at the age of 39. His occupation is listed as "labourer" and his wife, Margaret Withers, registered the death.
If she was born in 1837, Margaret would have been 19 at the time of her marriage, although her death certificate notes that she was "about 15". Edward was 19. The death certificate also states that they were married in Gurrundah and I wonder if they were, in fact, married in Gurrundah by a travelling priest based in Goulburn. There does not seem to have been a Catholic church in Gurrundah until 1923 and St Brigid's Catholic Church, Mutmutbilly, which is very close to Gurrundah, was not built until 1865.
Edward and Margaret lived at Diamond Creek, near Grabben Gullen, and had seven children together between 1857 and 1876:
George, born 18 July 1857 at Diamond Creek, Gunning. Died 20 April 1913 in Goulburn (NSW BDM 12487/1857).
Susannah, born about 1862 at Diamond Creek, Gunning. Died 11 August, 1916 in Goulburn.
Edmund, born 1863 (NSW BDM 7585/1863)
Alfred, born about 1877
Harriet, born 1865 (NSW BDM 9046/1865)
Maria, born about 1873
James, born about 1875
Three deceased male infants and one female are also recorded without names so I assume they died soon after birth or were stilborn.
I was advised by John Emery in 2013 that Diamond Creek is a small creek in rugged country situated on his land at Collingwood. John showed me roughly where it is and said there are definite signs that people once lived there: the ruins of a hut, bits of pottery, etc and a patch of irises which bloom every year.
Edward Withers appears to have been a labourer all his life and he may have had a drinking problem. He died on 6 September 1877 at Grabben Gullen of a "liver complaint" at the age of 39. His occupation is listed as "labourer" and his wife, Margaret Withers, registered the death.
Marriage to William Wilson
Margaret married William Wilson, a widower, on 25 May 1879, two years after her first husband had died. She was about 42 at the time and there were no children from this marriage. The couple married in Tarlo and lived on William's farm at Woodhouselee, Upper Tarlo.
Note that William's daughter, Bridget, and Margaret's son, Edward/Edmund, were a couple by late 1879, at the latest. It could be that William and Margaret met via their children but it is likely the two families had known one another for some years before the two relationships began.
Note that William's daughter, Bridget, and Margaret's son, Edward/Edmund, were a couple by late 1879, at the latest. It could be that William and Margaret met via their children but it is likely the two families had known one another for some years before the two relationships began.
Death
Margaret died as Margaret Wilson on 5 October 1910 at a residence in Ellesmere Street, Goulburn. Her age is given as 75 (72 in the obituary below) and her son, George Withers, registered her death. The cause of death given was senile decay and heart failure (NSW BDM 13358/1910).
I assume Margaret was living with one of her children when she died at her residence in Ellesmere Street, Goulburn. Note that my mother, Margaret, who was Margaret Wilson's great-granddaughter, lived in Ellesmere Street as a child in the 1940s and 1950s.
Margaret was buried on 7 October 1910 in the old Catholic Cemetery in Mortis Street, Goulburn. I have been unable to locate a record of her burial and there does not seem to be a headstone. There are two graves listed in the name of Wilson at the old Goulburn Cemetery but I am not sure whether one or both belong to Margaret Wilson or William Wilson.
I assume Margaret was living with one of her children when she died at her residence in Ellesmere Street, Goulburn. Note that my mother, Margaret, who was Margaret Wilson's great-granddaughter, lived in Ellesmere Street as a child in the 1940s and 1950s.
Margaret was buried on 7 October 1910 in the old Catholic Cemetery in Mortis Street, Goulburn. I have been unable to locate a record of her burial and there does not seem to be a headstone. There are two graves listed in the name of Wilson at the old Goulburn Cemetery but I am not sure whether one or both belong to Margaret Wilson or William Wilson.