"Where were they and what were they doing in 1872", a book written by Myles Hannan from Canberra was launched at the CWA rooms on Saturday. The book tells the story of the Hannan, Kelleher, Madigan, Greenwood, Watson, Hynes and Hallam families in the colony of New South Wales.
President of the Braidwood and District Historical Society Christine Wright launched the book, and the following are parts of her address.
"I approached this book as both an historian of 19th century Australia and Britain, and also as a researcher doing voluntary family history for both St. Bede's Church and the Braidwood Historical Society."
"I currently teach history in the Faculty of Arts ANU Canberra and I am President of the BDHS in my spare time. I was keen to see Myles's book as I had read an early draft of the Braidwood bits. So when I got it I immediately turned to page 47, as that was the beginning of the Braidwood families.
Well, what a surprise it was to see a photo of Michael Madigan, as I had known that name for some years as the licensee of the inn known as the Currency Lass at Araluen. What a handsome Irishman, and such a gentleman, with his lovely waistcoat."
"Family histories are notoriously difficult to write, as most people don't know where to start. Myles Hannan solved this problem neatly by taking the 1872 Greville's Official Post Office Directory for NSW as his starting point. It was a clever move, and helped to illuminate the lives of his ancestors very well."
"Myles's ancestors were innkeepers on the goldfields, and gold miners and a couple had dealings with bushrangers."
"Bushrangers were part of the landscape of 1860s New South Wales, and we had our own local gang in Braidwood. In fact the lawlessness here was so bad that there was a Royal Commission – the 1867 Royal Commission into the state of crime in the Braidwood district."
"This is a very nice book that tells the story well of convict transportation, Irish Catholic families, the large population on the Braidwood goldfields that moved away after the 1870s, and mining history."
"It also tells the usual story of chain sibling migration among Irish families –in the Madigan family, for instance, it was not only Michael Madigan who emigrated from County Clare, but also his two brothers, a sister and 2 nieces."
"The story of the Madigan family is one of prosperous lives and large families, while the story of the Greenwood family is tinged with sadness (at least at the beginning). Margaret Shanahan was transported to New South Wales, then married William Greenwood and settled down and had 11 children. Yet she was back in the Braidwood Gaol in 1867 (another sensational photo) and was in there off and on until at least 1882.
"But what had happened in 1867 to Margaret Greenwood that forced her to return to crime? Her husband was killed in an accident that year, and she was left with probably very little money and 11 children to support. And remember this was a time with no social welfare, so it seems likely that Margaret Greenwood had very little choice but to steal to feed her children.
"This is a very attractive book, particularly well illustrated and well written. Who would this book appeal to? I think family historians with connections to local areas mentioned would be particularly interested as would historians generally, because of the good historical context.
I would encourage you all to purchase a copy, if you have not done so, as it makes very interesting reading.
So far as Braidwood is concerned, I am very pleased that Myles has published this book, as it adds to our knowledge of Braidwood goldfields families, one of my particular interests."
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