Gordon Family History

John Mooney is the first member of our family, for whom I have found any records. Very little is known about John at this time. John married Bridget Corcoran sometime in the 1790s in Tuam. The known children of this marriage were:

• Patrick Mooney (Abt 1799-1873) married Mary Ford in Tuam - "Patrick Senior"
• Thomas Mooney (1802 - 1884) married Bridget Goodwin in Tuam
• Mary Mooney (1805 - 1868) married Thomas Curley in Tuam
• Margaret Mooney (1807 - 1884) married Charles William Corlis in Tuam
• John Mooney (1810-1809) married Anne Martyn in Tuam

Between 1839 and 1860 four of the children, and many of their grandchildren, migrated to Australia. Most settled in and around Taralga (after a short stay in Bathurst), while some were pioneers in the Condobolin and Hartley regions.

Mary Mooney was the exception, she and her husband and children migrated to the United States.

Both John and Bridget were listed as living on their son, Thomas' shipping papers in 1839. Bridget Mooney was listed as a widow on her daughter, Margaret's shipping papers in 1841. She had died by the time her sons Patick and John migrated in 1857.

Patrick Mooney married Mary Ford about 1819 in Tuam. Children of the marriage were:

• Thomas Mooney (1820 - 1919) married (i)Mary Gannon (ii) Catherine McGilvray (nee Smith) - "Governor Tom", lived in Taralga
• Mary Mooney (1822 - ?) married Patrick Ford - settled in America
• Catherine E Mooney (1824 - ?) married Malachi Hession
• Margaret Mooney (1826 - 1892) married Lawrence Moran - lived in Sydney
• Bridget Mooney (1828 - ?) probably died in Ireland
• Patrick Mooney (1833 - 1892) married Ann Quinn - "Big Paddy", lived in Taralga
• Michael Mooney (1835 - ?) probably died in Ireland
• John Mooney (1838 - 1929) married Alicia Collins - lived in Sydney

Patrick and Mary's daughter, Margaret, arrived in Australia on the "Susan" in 1841, having travelled with her aunt, Margaret Corlis. In 1849 she married Lawrence Moran.

Patrick and Mary's sons, Patrick and John, arrived in 1856, on the "Vocalist". Their passage was paid by their sister, Margaret Moran.

In 1857 Patrick and Mary, together with their son Thomas, daughter-in-law Mary (nee Gannon) and grandchildren John, Patrick and Thomas, arrived on the "Mary Ann". Their son-in-law, Lawrence Moran, paid for their passage. Patrick Mooney also had a child under his care on the ship; Mary Ford who was aged 8. Her parents, Patrick and Mary Ford, were living in America. Mary was Patrick's grand-daughter. Mary married Michael O'Keefe on 2 May 1866. They were the great grandparents of Barry O'Keefe and Johnny O'Keefe.

In 1860 Patrick and Mary's daughter, Catherine Hession, together with her sons Thomas and John, arrived on the "Tudor". Catherine is listed as a widow, I have not yet found details of her husband, Malachi's death. Nothing more is known about Catherine after she arrived. From the marriage and death certificates of her sons, it appears the family spent some time in America, returned to Ireland, then migrated to Australia.

Patrick (Big Paddy) and Thomas Mooney held land at Guinecor jointly with their brother-in-law Lawrence Moran. Big Paddy and his wife Ann had their home on Portion 9 of the Parish of Guinecor. Thomas may have also lived in one of the houses on this Portion. His son Patrick ("Little Paddy") and daughter-in-law Margaret Hearley lived on Portion 101, and also had a house in Taralga.

Thomas Mooney built the Argyle Hotel at Taralga. His brother Patrick also held the licence of the Argyle.

Patrick died 8 April 1873 at Guinecor. Mary died there on 18 March 1868.

Thomas married Bridget Goodwin in Tuam about 1818. Children of the marriage were:

• John Mooney (1823 - 1862) never married
• Patrick Alexander Mooney (1825 - 1857) married Esther Parrott
• Mary Mooney (Abt 1831 - ?)

Thomas appears to be the first of the family to migrate to Australia. He came out on the "Hero of Malown" which arrived 24th April 1839, with his wife and 3 children. Also under Thomas' protection were Bridget Corlis (daughter of Michael Corlis and Margaret Connor, and a niece of his sister Margaret) and Bridget Costello (daughter of Michael Costello and Mary Farrington). Bridget Costello's connection (if any) to the family has not yet been determined. Thomas and his family settled in Sydney.

Thomas died 30 September 1871 at Surry Hills. Bridget died there on 15 March 1883.

Mary Mooney married Thomas Curley in Tuam on 18 February 1833. Children of the marriage were:

• Edmund J Curley (1836 - 1921) never married
• Michael Henry Curley (1840 - 1917) married (i)Augusta Dudley (ii) Laura Dudley
• Margaret Curley (Abt 1846 - 1907) married Thomas Cannng

Margaret, Thomas and their family migrated to America in 1850, and settled in Massachusetts.

Mary died 3 November 1868 at West Newbury, Massachusetts. Thomas died there on 1 May 1882.

Further research is required to determine if either of Mary's nieces who went to America went with her.

Margaret Mooney married Charles William Corlis in 1829 in Tuam. Children of the marriage were:

• Margaret Corlis (1832 - 1890) married Thomas Keenan
• John Corlis (1833 - ?)
• Michael Corlis (1834 - 1908) married Catherine Donoghoe
• William Corlis (1836 - 1923) married Bridget Donoghoe
• Bridget Corlis (? - ?) possibly died in Ireland

Margaret was the second to arrive in Australia, with her husband Charles William Corlis, and their children Margaret, John, Michael and William, and Margaret's niece Margaret Mooney (daughter of Patrick Mooney and Mary Ford) in 1841 on the "Susan". Charles Corlis' brother, Patrick and his family also came out on the "Susan".

Margaret died 16 March 1882 at Bandanora. Charles died there 30 January 1853.

John Mooney married Ann Martyn on 21 August 1835 in Tuam Galway. Children of this marriage were:

• Patrick Mooney (1836 - 1913) married (1)Ellen McCormack, (ii) Sarah Gallagher, (iii) Sarah Jane Tierney, (iv) Catherine Aylward - "Red Paddy", lived in Taralga
• Bridget Mooney (1838 - 1921) married (i) Thomas Maher, (ii) Thomas Croke
• Thomas Francis Mooney (1844 - 1926) married Mary Jane Philomena Hughes
• Margaret Mooney (1843 - ?) probably died in Ireland. Baptised in Tuam 26 February 1843.
• Catherine Mooney (1846 - 1921) married Richard Cusack

Ann Mooney died about 1855. John and his children came out on the "Mary Ann" in 1857, their passage paid by John's brother, Thomas, who at that time was living at Globe Street Sydney.

In 1873 Thomas Francis Mooney ("Lachlan Tom") left Taralga for Condobolin. He had worked in and around Taralga as a blacksmith and coachbuilder with his cousin, John Quinn, and is credited with forging the first single furrow plough in the Taralga district. From an initial holding of 320 acres, Thomas built this up to a total holding of nearly 26,000 acres.

John died 27 May 1889 at Taralga.

Patrick Mooney (1836-1913)

Patrick Mooney

Patrick Mooney arrived in 1857 on the "Mary Ann", with his father John, and three siblings.

Patrick first married Ellen McCormack (1846-1967), the daughter of Michael and Mary McCormack, on 27 December 1864 at St Ignatius Church, Taralga. Witnesses to the wedding were John Mooney and Sarah Ann McCormack. Child from this marriage was:

• Ann Sarah Mooney (1866-1950) married John Thomas Wood in Wagga Wagga

Patrick next married Sarah Ann Gallagher (1846-1875), the daughter of John and Mary Gallagher, on 30 May 1874 at St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney. Child from this marriage was:

• Mary Teresa Claire Mooney (1875-1947) married William Spence at St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney

Patrick next married Sarah Jane Tierney (1846-1875), the daughter of Peter and Catherine (nee O'Brien) Tierney, on 7 July 1877 at St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney. For more on the Tierney family please click here. Children from this marriage were:

• Catherine Agnes Louisa Mooney (1879-1955) married Robert Alexander Gordon at Taralga. Read more about the Gordon Family...
• Patrick Thomas Emmet Mooney (1881-1959) n.m.
• Peter John Cecil Mooney (1883-1968) married Johanna Cecelia Sullivan at Crookwell
• Michael Joseph Bede Mooney (1885-1949) married Otelia Mary Josephine Mooney (daughter of Thomas Francis Mooney and Mary Jane Philomena Hughes) at Goulburn
• Bridget Clara Ethel Mooney (1887-1887) n.m
• Vincent Clement Leslie Mooney (1889-1973) married (i) Elsie Irene Stephenson at Crookwell, (ii) Dorothy Margaret McAlister at Goulburn
• Sarah Jane Mooney (1895-1895) n.m. - Sarah was born 6 August, and died 2 November 1895. Her birth was registered as Sarah Jane, whilst her death was registered as Ann Jane. She was listed as Sarah Jane on her mother's death certificate. Sarah was cared for my a Mrs Fitzgibbon of Taralga, after the death of her own mother when she was 8 days old.

Patrick next married Catherine Aylward (1857-1933), the daughter of John and Mary Aylward, on 6 September 1896 at Goulburn. Children from this marriage were:

• John Mooney (1897-1969) married Alice Blanche Collins at Sydney
• Ellen Mary Magdalene Mooney (1899-1957) married Ernest Vincent Lawler in Goulburn

Patrick, together with his father, John, held land at The Meadows, near Taralga. Patrick died at Taralga on 18 July 1913, and was buried at Stonequarry Cemetery.