Early this month, 80 yo John Gibson Crossman visited Braidwood, the birth place of his grandfather, Major General Patrick J.H. Farrell (US Army).
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It has been over 70 years since Patrick’s son, Major General Walter Greatsinger Farrell (USMC) of the American branch of the Farrell family visited Braidwood during WW2. Of course John’s mother, Helen is the daughter of Patrick Farrell while his father, Colonel Edgar G Crossman was the legal adviser to General Douglas MacArthur during WW2.
John is a graduate of Yale University (History) as well as Stanford Graduate School of Business. He is now retired and lives on a ranch in Bonita, California. During his working life, John was an extremely successful Financier and Venture Capitalist with ties to China & America.
Upon entering Braidwood over the Monkittee Creek bridge, John was detoured along Mackellar Street where the Farrell family settled in 1858. Unfortunately few old residences have survived.
With Helen Hart’s help at the catholic presbytery, John was able to see the register for his grandfather, Patrick’s baptism in 1863. Patrick was the son of Thomas Farrell and Ellen Connell. Both had arrived from County Limerick in Ireland. They had been working on the Mt Elrington Estate since the late 1830s. Thomas & Ellen married at Oranmeir in 1841. Her sister, Mary had earlier married John Clarke in 1839. Copies of these original marriages were given to John as a keepsake by Peter Mayberry.
At the Braidwood museum, John met Ros Maddrell and Olive Royds together with Peter Christie Smith, the new President of the Braidwood & District Historical Society. Both John & Peter signed Peter’s new bushranging book “The Clarke Gang” together with Judy Lawson nee O’Connell and Peter Mayberry to commemorate the re-uniting of the O’Connell/Connell & Farrell families in Braidwood.
Off to the Braidwood cemetery where John found the headstone for Thomas, Ellen and four of their thirteen children in the Catholic section. It lies fallen when many headstones were knocked over by vandals back in the 1960s.
Finally John, Judy & Peter M ventured by car to Mt Elrington via Farringdon Crossing. John was very thankful to John & Jo Wilson for their prior kind permission to visit. Their hospitality was a delight over the hour or so.
Although John’s grandfather, Patrick Farrell received a fair mention in the 1925 & 1966 editions of the booklet titled ‘Back to Braidwood’, our readers should be aware of his American ‘Who’s Who’ entry, in part reads as follows:
MAJOR GENERAL RETIRED
Education: 1892- Medical Degree Uni. of Ky.; married Sep 2, 1896 Edna Clare Greatsinger
Children were Walter Greatsinger (Maj Gen USMC), Helen Greatsinger (Mrs E G Crossman), Jerome Greatsinger (Maj US Army) [all three showed expert horsemanship] & Louise Greatsinger.
CAREER SERVICE-
1889-90- Col., Brig. Gen., Chilean War;
1901- Capt. Spanish-Am and Philippine Wars; commanded first company of US troops that landed in Philippine Islands, June 30, 1898. Citation for meritorious service under fire of the enemy; Silver Star medal and medal for Valor for gallantry in action; Major;
1908- Col., Cavalry;
1908-09- Comdr.–in-chief, Army of the Philippines Vets.;
1911- Surgeon-General of the Army of the Philippines;
1917-18- Comdr.-in-chief, Vets. of Foreign Wars of U.S.;
1909- Past Commander Am. Legion. Post;
1909- Organised the Boy Scouts of America;
1913- Promoted Boy Scouts thousand mile relay race Washington-Chicago;
1910-16- Professor of Military Medical Hygiene;
1918-19- Fellow American College of Surgeons;
1918-19- Commanding Officer of Advance Sector Hospitals, American Exp. Force France
Decorations- World War Victory medal, French Medaille Interalliee De La Victoire and Medaille On Ne Passe Pas, Verdun Defense. Surgeon General Military Order World War.
1925- Col ret US Army
1939- Brig. Gen., Adj. Gen Calif. Nat. Guard., dir. military and vets. affairs
Contributed by Peter Mayberry