Tangental Families : The Dookie Mahers

This family of in-laws referred to by our Mahers as the ‘Dookie Mahers’ turns out to have closer connections to Kilmore and Springfield than first thought.

Thomas Maher b. 1843 Castlefarm, Hospital, Limerick, Ire. ; d. 1917, Dookie, Vic.

m. 1881 St Patrick’s RC Church, Kilmore, Vic.

Margaret Theresa Scanlon b. 4 Apr 1858 Williamstown, Vic. ; parents Thomas SCANLON and Mary Ann BATCH; d. 14 Aug 1948 Kilmore, Vic. bur. Kilmore RC Cemetery
Death notices and obituary

Children

1. Mary MAHER b. 1880 Cashel, Vic. d.1971 Kilmore, Vic.
2. Catherine Frances MAHER b. 1883 Dookie, Vic.; d. 21 Sep 1956 Kilmore, Vic.; m. 1917 Kilmore, Vic. Roderick John ‘Rody’ MAHER
3. John MAHER b. 1885 Cashel, Vic.; d. 1931, Geelong, Vic.
4. Margaret MAHER b. 1887 Cashel, Vic.; d. 1970, Woodend, Vic.
5. Thomas MAHER b. 1889 Cashel, Vic.
6. Ann MAHER b. 1891 Cashel, Vic.; d. 1901, Tungamah, Vic.
7. Michael Dennis MAHER b. 1893 Cashel, Vic.; d. 22 Jan 1990 Sydney, NSW
8. Patrick Matthew MAHER b. 1896 Cashel, Vic.; d. 1974 Box Hill, Vic.
9. Peter MAHER b. 1897 Katandra, Vic.
10. Laurence MAHER b. 1899 Tungamah, Vic.; d. 1970 Carlton, Vic.
11. Joseph MAHER b. 1902 Tungamah, Vic.
12. Francis Paul MAHER b. 1902 Tungamah, Vic.

Margaret Theresa Scanlon’s sister, Mary Ann Elizabeth Scanlon was married to Patrick Buckley, father-in-law of Rody Maher, in 1876 at St Patrick’s, Kilmore.

Ann Maher, b. Cashel, Victoria, died in Tungamah, Victoria, as a result of an horrific farm accident. They were clearing scrub and burning wood in the paddock when an ember landed in her hair and she ran screaming to her mother, thus, unfortunately fanning the flames. Her mother, Margaret Maher, tried to roll her in a blanket, suffering burns to her arms, but the 11-year-old died. Both she and her father, Thomas Maher are buried in the Catholic cemetery out of Dookie. (Kathryn McCrudden, correspondence 2019)

Place Note : Dookie and Cashel

Dookie is a rural township and district 27 km north-east of Shepparton in northern Victoria. The area east of Shepparton is mostly flat, irrigated farm land, but Dookie is set in undulating country with Mount Major to the south of Dookie township. … During the early 1870s farm selections were taken up and a township site at the foot of Mount Major was surveyed. It was named Dookie South, later Cashel, and adjoins the agricultural college. In 1886 the Dookie agricultural college was begun on the site of the Cashel Experimental Farm (1877) which grew a wide range of fruit, vegetables and cereals. Two years later the railway was extended from Shepparton to about 3 km north of Cashel. The town which formed around the station became Dookie. … The 1903 Australian handbook included a brief reference to Cashel: ‘Cashel (Dookie South) was once a thriving township the business and population having been transferred to Dookie’. Victorian Places

Whereis

Notices, Headstone and Obituary: Margaret Theresa Maher

The death occurred at his residence, Dookie, on Friday last, of Mr Thomas Maher, at the age of 75 years. Deceased had been in indifferent health for some time, and although he had received medical attention in the city, and later at his home, the trouble, which was an internal one, could not be conquered, and he passed away as stated above. The late Mr Maher was a native of Limerick, Ireland, and came to Australia some 55 years. He took up land at Dookie about 40 years ago, and had resided here ever since. He leaves a wife and large family of grown-up sons and daughters. The funeral, which was a fairly lengthy one, took place on Sunday afternoon at the Dookie Cemetery, the service at the graveside being conducted by Rev. Father Rohan. The mortuary arrangements wore carried out by Messrs Alexander and Torgrimson.
(Dookie and Katamatite Recorder, 21 Jun 1917, p. 3)MAHER.-On August 14, at the residence of her daughter (Mrs.R.J. Maher), Chapel St., Kilmore, Margaret Teresa, the beloved wife of the late Thomas Maher, late of Dookie, and loving mother of Mary, Catherine (Mrs. R. J. Maher), John (dec.), Margaret (Mrs,. T. Collery), Thomas, Anne (dec.), Michael, Patrick, Peter, Lawrence, Paul and Joseph. In her 91st year.
(Kilmore Free Press, 19 Aug 1948, p. 4)MAHER. — Requiem Mass for the repose of the soul of the late Mrs MARGARET TERESA MAHER will be celebrated at St. Patrick’s Church. Kilmore, THIS DAY, at 9.30 a.m. The funeral will leave the church at 3 p.m, for the Kilmore Catholic Cemetery.— D1GGLE and MAHER
(The Age, 16 Aug 1948, p. 4)

In loving memory of our mother Margaret Theresa Maher
died 14th Aug 1948 aged 91 ys
Catherine
loved daughter of above died 21st Sep 1956
RIP

The death of a very old identity of the Dookie and Kilmore districts in the person of Mrs Margaret Teresa Maher is announced with regret. The deceased was the widow of the late Thomas Maher and she passed away at the residence of her daughter, Mrs R.J. Maher, Chapel Street, Kilmore, on Saturday last, after an illness extending over several years.The late Mrs Maher, who was in her 91st year, was the third daughter of the late Thomas and Marie Ann Scanlon, of Springfield, well-known farmers in that district in the early days; her late father was previously a road contractor and resided at Geelong where the deceased was born. She came to Springfield as an infant and assisted her parents in farming pursuits and when a young woman married Thomas Maher, of Dookie, and they were pioneers of that district. There were 12 children of the union, two of whom predeceased her.On the death of her husband 31 years ago she carried on the farm at Dookie for some years and on retiring lived in Melbourne and Sydney for a number of years, coming to reside at Kilmore 9 years ago. The deceased was a wonderful mother, a great worker for her Church, and loved, and highly respected by all with whom she came in contact during her long lifetime.Left to mourn her loss are seven sons, Thomas (Sydney), Michael (Sydney), Patrick (Melbourne), Peter (Sydney), Lawrence (Melbourne), Paul (Sydney), Joseph (Melbourne), and three daughters, Mary (Sydney), Catherine (Mrs. R. J. Maher, Kilmore), Margaret (Mrs. S. Collery, Kerrie), together with 15 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. A sister (Mrs. O’Rooke, Melbourne) also survives her.

After the celebration of Requiem Mass at St. Patrick’s Church, Kilmore, the remains were laid to rest in the Kilmore Catholic Cemetery and, the funeral was largely attended. Rev. Father Elliott officiated at the services and the mortuary arrangements were carried out by Diggle and Maher, Kilmore. The casket-bearers were Messrs. Joe Maher, Tom Maher, Michael Maher and L. Maher. Pall-bearers, Messrs. J. Collery, J. Ahearn, T. Scanlon, J. Scanlon, T. Collery and J. Collery.

(Kilmore Free Press, 19 Aug 1948, p. 8)

Place Note: Springfield, Goldie & Forbes

The Scanlons of Springfield

Thomas Scanlon b. 1825 Shanagolden, Limerick, Ireland; parents Bartholomew Scanlon and Catherine McMahon; d. 16 Dec 1882 Springfield, Vic.; bur. Kilmore, Vic.

m. 22 Jul 1855 Shanagolden, Limerick, Ireland

Mary Ann Batch b. 1834 Limerick, Ireland; parents John Batch & Mary Cope; d. 1874 Springfield, Vic.; bur. Kilmore, Vic.

1. Catherine Scanlon b. 1858; d. 1942 East Melbourne, Vic.
2. Margaret Theresa Scanlon b. 04 Apr 1858 Williamstown, Vic.; d. 14 Aug 1948 Kilmore, Vic.
3. Mary Ann Elizabeth Scanlon b. 1859 Williamstown, Vic.; d. 21 Aug 1923 Kyneton, Vic.
4. Sarah Scanlon b. 1860; d. 1893 Bendigo, Vic.
5. Patrick Scanlon b. 1864 Carlton, Vic.
(this child isn’t noted in the text below, but he is listed with father’s name Thos Scanlon and mother’s maiden name Bath)
6. Bartholomew Henry Scanlon b. 1864 Riddles Creek; d. 1943 Kilmore, Vic.
7. Unnamed Female Scanlon b. 1865 Gisborne, Vic.
(father’s name Thomas Scanlon, mother’s name Mary Batt – perhaps died as an infant?)
8. Nora Elizabeth Scanlon b. 1866; d. 1935 West Melbourne, Vic.
9. Thomas P Scanlon
(if his second name was Patrick he may have been the Patrick above)
10. John Scanlon b. 1870 Springfield, Vic.; d. 1945 Werribee, Vic.
11. Alice Priscilla Scanlon b. 1872 Goldie, Vic.; d. 1944 Melbourne, Vic.
12. Ellen Scanlon b. 1873 Goldie, Vic.; d.1960 Carlton, Vic.

Notes from Romsey: A Veritable Garden of Eden

This text is reproduced as published and may contain some factual errors

In 1825 Thomas Scanlon was born to Patrick and Mary Scanlon in Shanagolden, County Limerick, Ireland. Thomas married Mary Batch, who was born in Ballyhahill, County Limerick.

In June 1854 Thomas and Mary left Ireland for Melbourne on the John and Lucy, arriving in September 1854. It is likely they spent time on the goldfields, but by 1864 the Scanlons were living at Riddles Creek. Thomas worked for Samuel Amess as a stonemason, building the bridges on the Melbourne to Bendigo railway line.
During this time, Mary had eleven children. Firstly there were four daughters: Catherine, Mary Ann, Margaret and Sarah. The first son, Bartholomew was born while they lived in Riddles Creek. The family was completed by the arrivals of Honora, Thomas, John, Annie, Alice and Ellen.

Thomas and Mary and their children settled on a 50-acre block of land they called ‘Happy Valley’, in Springfield. Thomas constructed roads in the Springfield and Kilmore districts.

Bartholomew was only eighteen when he lost both his parents. He bought the property from his family and supported his siblings until they left home. Bartholomew and his brother John continued for a while in their father’s road construction business, but Bart lost a lot of money on the contract for blasting the ‘Gap’ on the Lancefield-Kilmore Road.

John married Ellen Keenan of the Post Office Hotel in Romsey, and ran this business for some years until he retired in 1936. A public-spirited man and an excellent sportsman, John was honorary secretary of the Romsey Amateur Turf Club and the Romsey Coursing Club for many years. He was also a committee member of the Romsey Mechanics’ Institute, the Waterworks Trust, the West Bourke Agricultural Society, the football club, the cricket club and the gun club, of which he was club champion.

A keen businessman with a great sense of humour, John was also a highly respected judge of horses and dogs, and he and his brother Tom were both excellent football players for Romsey.

Tom went to the Western Australian goldfields and later purchased a farming property in Western Australia.

Bart Scanlon bought more land in Springfield and became progressively more involved in stock dealing. While establishing the Scanlon dynasty in Springfield, Bart married Bridget O’Dwyer, the daughter of Edmund O’Dwyer, the Springfield Shire Treasurer.

Bart and Bridget had eight children: Molly, who married Percy Smith; Alice, who married Roy Parks; Tom, who married Madge Cummins; Ann, who was unmarried; Peg, who married Horrie Green; Biddy, who married Jack Irwin; Ned, who married Rose O’Connor; and Jack, who married Mary Linehan.

Bart died in 1943 aged seventy-nine, and Bridget died in 1952.

(Mitchell, Peter. Romsey: a Veritable Garden of Eden p. 280-282)

In part three of his ‘Reminiscences of an Old Road’ in 1939, James Alipius Maher wrote ‘On down in the region generally described as Lower Springfield, the names Scanlon and Quirk remain’.