CATHERINE WALSH/JEREMIAH HARTIGAN – CARGO
After their arrival in New South Wales in 1850 on the Lord Stanley, Catherine (Walsh) and Jeremiah Hartigan and their children (Mary, Catherine, Bridget and James) had settled at Benedine, Yass, where another daughter (Sally) was born on 21 February 1852. She was baptised at Yass on 9 April 1852 with Bridget Hines and Peter Mallon as sponsors. On 12 February 1855 a son, Patrick, was born and baptised at Yass on 20 February 1855 with William Walsh and Sarah McNamara as sponsors.
Catherine and Jeremiah were innkeepers at Carcoar for some time before moving to Gum Flat, Cargo, where Jeremiah was one of the first settlers. In March 1871, Thomas O’Shaughnessy records in his diary that there was a gold rush at Cargo and that the lode appeared to be running into Hartigan’s paddock. O’Shaughnessy, Hartigan, Fitzgibbons and others took up a claim with each man paying ₤1 per month. They sank three shafts and washed the loads in Hartigan’s paddock. They found very fine gold in the black sand but not enough to pay. Outside Hartigan’s paddock there were a few good claims with about 400 diggers on the site.
Catherine Hartigan died on 27 April 1881, Jeremiah died on 12 February 1885 and their son, James, died on 22 October 1886.[1] When Jeremiah died his death certificate listed 5 children dead and 4 alive. Although still alive, Catherine was not mentioned in her father’s will. When James died he left his estate to his sisters, Mary and Bridget.
Catherine, daughter of Catherine and Jeremiah Hartigan, who had been born in Ireland in 1839, married Alexander Middlemis (b.1846) in 1864 and produced thirteen children. Alexander Middlemis’ parents (David and Hannah) came from the border country of Scotland in 1840 and bought Taragala, Cowra, in 1855. Taragala consisted of 1127 acres of land in a bend of the Lachlan River where the southern part of the town of Cowra now stands. Taragala was a Crown Land Grant given to Patrick Brougham by Governor Gipps in 1841.
Alexander Middlemis was eighteen years old when he married Catherine Hartigan, aged twenty-five years. Catherine was a bright natured, small Irish woman and Alexander was a tall, distinguished-looking, stern Scotsman. The children were all baptised Catholics but their father, a Presbyterian, ensured that they were all raised as Protestants. The thirteen children were born in Cowra at regular intervals beginning with Hannah in 1865 and ending with Muriel in 1887. The only one to die at an early age was John, who died in 1881. Arthur died at 34 years of age and Thomas was last heard of in Africa possibly during the Boer War. In 1926 when Catherine Middlemis died her obituary stated that the surviving children were sons David and James of Wyalong, and daughters Mesdames Thomas Robertson, Thomas Meale, Charles Smith (Cootamundra), Noble (Belligen), Clements (Wyalong), Parker (Coffs Harbour), Docker (Coonabarabran) and J.Boyd (Melbourne).
The children of Catherine and Alexander Middlemis received a good education with some of the girls attending private schools in Sydney, after being taught by a governess at Cowra. The older boys would drive the spirited horses in the buggy, as fast as possible, to frighten the governess and the younger children to screaming point.
The Middlemis family had a terrifying ordeal during the great flood of 1870 on the Lachlan. While the family were at breakfast, the flood caught them unawares and they were forced to climb into a tree from which they watched the destruction of their property as the big flood destroyed the original Taragala homestead. Grazing was the main source of income for the family and as the land was fertile and water plentiful they continued to live quite comfortably.
Alexander became the owner of Taragala after the death of his father in 1878. In 1882 Alexander sold 60 allotments for building blocks as the town of Cowra was expanding. Dances were often held at Taragala until 1888 when the property was sold to Campbell of Jerula and Alexander and Catherine went to live at Mountain View, Binalong. The family in 1894 moved to Cootamundra where Catherine died in 1926, while Alexander remained an upright, stern character until his death in 1936.[2]
Obituary – Late Mrs Alec Middlemis
Cowra Free Press – Tuesday 7.9.1926
(Extract Only)
Mrs Alec Middlemis died at Cootamundra on Sunday.She and her husband were the previous owners of Taragala, Cowra. She met with an accident and fractured her leg. She recovered for a time but suffered a relapse. She was born in Limerick – the daughter of the late Mr and Mrs Hartigan of Cargo and arrived in New South Wales in 1852* (sic, should be 1850). Mrs Alec Middlemis died at Cootamundra on Sunday. She and her husband were the previous owners of Taragala, Cowra. She met with an accident and fractured her leg. She was the niece of the late Mr Thomas Walsh. Sixty-two years ago she married Alexander Middlemis brother of the late Mrs T. Walsh. In the early 80s they sold Taragala to Hon. George Campbel, MLC, and purchased Tangmangaroo Estate between Yass and Burrowa.
In 1894 Mr and Mrs Middlemis went to Cootamundra and lived there over 30 years. She is survived by 3 sons and 8 daughters. The sons were David and James of Wyalong and Thomas last heard of in South Africa. The daughters are Mesdames Thomas Robertson, Thomas Meale, Charles Smith (Cootamundra), Noble (Belligen), She left an aged husband. Clements (Wyalong), Parker (Coffs Harbour), Docker (Coonabarabran) and J.Boyd (Melbourne). There are 29 grandchildren. Mrs Middlemis was buried at Cootamundra in the R.C. cemetery. The Very Rev. Dean O’Shaughnessy officiated.
CATHERINE WALSH DESCENDANTS
….. 1 Catherine WALSH b: 1815 in Co Limerick, IRE, Arr. Australia: 26 Aug 1850 “Lord Stanley”, d: 27 Apr 1881 in Cargo NSW
….. + Jeremiah HARTIGAN b: 1812 in Cahanagh, Co Limerick, IRE, Arr. Australia: 26 Aug 1850 “Lord Stanley”, m: Abt. 1835 in Cahanagh, Co Limerick, IRE ?, d: 12 Feb 1885 in Cargo NSW
……….. 2 Mary HARTIGAN b: 1836 in Cahanagh, Co Limerick, IRE, Arr. Australia: 26 Aug 1850 “Lord Stanley”, d: 1922
……….. + Nicholas CURRY m: 1868 in Carcoar NSW
…………….. 3 Bridget CURRY b: 1869 in Cargo (Molong) NSW
…………….. + William John FISHER b: 1867 in Lucknow NSW, m: 08 Jan 1893 in Cargo NSW
………………….. 4 James Joseph FISHER b: 10 Oct 1900 in Cargo NSW
………………….. + Gladys Aileen LIVERMORE b: 29 Nov 1900 in Cargo NSW, m: 18 Apr 1927 in Cargo NSW
…………….. 3 Catherine A CURRY b: 1871 in Molong NSW, d: 1872 in Cowra NSW
…………….. 3 Margaret CURRY b: 1873 in Molong NSW
…………….. 3 Mary CURRY b: 1875 in Molong NSW
…………….. 3 Ellen CURRY b: 1878 in Molong NSW
…………….. 3 Nicholas CURRY b: 1880 in Molong NSW
……….. 2 Catherine HARTIGAN b: 1839 in Cahanagh, Co Limerick, IRE, Arr. Australia: 26 Aug 1850 “Lord Stanley”, d: 1926 in Cootamundra NSW
……….. + David Alexander ‘Alick’ MIDDLEMIS b: 25 Jul 1846 in Waugoola, NSW, m: 17 Oct 1864 in Cowra NSW, d: 1934 in Cootamundra NSW
…………….. 3 Hannah Mary MIDDLEMISS b: 07 Aug 1865 in Taragala, Cowra, NSW
…………….. + Thomas Alexander ROBERTSON b: 27 Apr 1862 in Waugoola, Cowra, NSW, m: 06 Aug 1888 in Burrowa NSW
………………….. 4 Marion M ‘Pet’ ROBERTSON b: 1889
………………….. + Edward WEISSEL m: 1909
…………….. 3 David Alexander MIDDLEMISS b: 05 Jun 1867 in Cowra NSW
…………….. + Mary Amy SHEA m: 15 Oct 1911 in Grafton, NSW
…………….. 3 James Jeremiah MIDDLEMISS b: 06 Feb 1869 in Carcoar NSW, d: 1938 in West Wyalong NSW
…………….. + Jane Maroda MARSHALL m: 14 Apr 1909 in NSW
…………….. 3 Thomas MIDDLEMISS b: 24 Jul 1870 in Cowra NSW, d: Africa (Boer War) But aft 1934?
…………….. 3 Mary Elizabeth ‘Min’ MIDDLEMISS b: 09 May 1872 in Taragala, Cowra NSW, d: May 1953 in NSW
…………….. + John Henderson NOBLE b: 02 Aug 1878, m: 29 Feb 1908 in Cootamundra NSW, d: 1946
………………….. 4 Mary NOBLE
…………….. 3 Edward Arthur MIDDLEMISS b: 09 Sep 1873 in Cowra NSW, d: 04 Jul 1907 in St Leonards, NSW
…………….. 3 Catherine ‘Kit’ MIDDLEMISS b: 25 Sep 1875 in Cowra NSW, d: 07 Aug 1945 in Wyalong, NSW
…………….. + John Peter CLEMENTS b: 18 Apr 1869 in Boorowa NSW, m: 02 Jun 1897 in Cootamundra NSW, d: 11 Aug 1936 in Wyalong, NSW
………………….. 4 Ellen CLEMENTS b: 25 Mar 1897 in West Wyalong, NSW, d: 17 Mar 1899 in West Wyalong, NSW
………………….. 4 John Allan CLEMENTS b: 08 Jun 1899 in West Wyalong, NSW, d: 08 Jul 1960 in NSW
………………….. + Edna Emelia MANGELSDORF b: 30 Aug 1906 in NSW, d: 16 Dec 2003 in Kiama, NSW
………………….. 4 Ruth Gladys CLEMENTS b: 01 Sep 1901 in NSW, d: 14 Jul 1962 in NSW
………………….. + Walter Leslie CATTLE b: 24 Nov 1900, m: Sep 1922 in Mildil Hall, NSW, d: 25 May 1952 in NSW
………………….. 4 Elsie Muriel CLEMENTS b: 16 Aug 1902, d: 1983 in Kiama, NSW
………………….. + William Topham ROSS b: 17 Oct 1888
………………….. + Clifford Russell KENNARD b: 07 Dec 1892, m: Abt. 1951 in Canberra, ACT
………………….. 4 Geoffrey Owen CLEMENTS b: 03 Jan 1906, d: 01 Jul 1994 in Cairns, Qld
………………….. + Jessie Isobel May COOPER d: 24 Sep 1949
………………….. 4 Marjorie Gwendolyn CLEMENTS b: 14 Mar 1911, d: 14 Nov 1996 in West Wyalong, NSW
………………….. + Cord Gilmore FORCK b: Abt. 1900, m: 01 Sep 1947, d: Abt. 1982
………………….. 4 Doris May CLEMENTS b: 01 May 1914 in West Wyalong, NSW, d: 09 Aug 1998 in Forbes, NSW
………………….. + Bertram Thomas WARD b: 22 May 1910 in Nyngan, NSW, m: 26 Oct 1940 in West Wyalong, NSW, d: 30 Nov 1975 in Sydney NSW
………………….. 4 James Fosbery CLEMENTS b: 28 Mar 1916 in West Wyalong, NSW, d: Mar 2000 in Kiama, NSW
………………….. + Doris Leadbitter m: 10 May 1947 in West Wyalong, NSW
…………….. 3 Margaret Agnes MIDDLEMISS b: 17 Aug 1877 in Cowra NSW, d: 22 Oct 1942 in Cootamundra, NSW
…………….. + William Thomas MEALE b: 29 Mar 1855 in Camden, NSW, m: 24 Mar 1903 in Cootamundra NSW, d: 19 Jan 1921 in Cootamundra, NSW
………………….. 4 William Thomas MEALE b: 17 Mar 1905 in Cootamundra, NSW, d: 19 Oct 1975 in ,Cootamundra, NSW
………………….. + Ethel Isabel ASTRIDGE b: 25 Jan 1910 in Lewisham, NSW, m: 01 Jun 1935 in St Philip’s, Sydney, NSW
…………….. 3 John MIDDLEMISS b: 16 Jun 1879 in Taragala, Cowra NSW, d: 10 Dec 1881 in Jerula Cemetery outside Cowra NSW
…………….. 3 Annie MIDDLEMISS b: 20 May 1881 in Taragala, Cowra NSW
…………….. 3 Ellen Mary ‘Helen’ MIDDLEMISS b: 13 May 1883 in Taragala, Cowra NSW
…………….. 3 Jessie Maud MIDDLEMISS b: 02 May 1885 in Cowra NSW
…………….. 3 Muriel Alice ‘Pet’ MIDDLEMISS b: 07 Aug 1887 in Cowra NSW
……….. 2 Bridget HARTIGAN b: 1845 in IRE, Arr. Australia: 26 Aug 1850 “Lord Stanley”, d: 22 Oct 1886 in Cargo NSW
……….. + Charles HENDRY m: 1872 in Orange NSW
…………….. 3 Ellen HENDRY b: 1875 in Molong NSW
…………….. 3 Olive M M HENDRY b: 1889 in Molong NSW
……….. 2 James HARTIGAN b: 1848 in IRE, Arr. Australia: 26 Aug 1850 “Lord Stanley”, d: 22 Oct 1886 in Cargo NSW
……….. 2 Sally HARTIGAN b: 21 Feb 1852 in Yass NSW
……….. 2 Patrick HARTIGAN b: 12 Feb 1855 in Bowning NSW
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