Grandmother's maiden name was Elizabeth Grace (Grace
being the surname). Hence the number of Graces in the family.
Grandmother came from the West Coast of Ireland,
from County Donegal and a village called ELPHIN. It was on the coast
and her father was a surveyor. She had two brothers and one sister. The
brothers were killed in the war and the sister married a missionary
named WILSON, who went to India and nothing further was heard of him or
indeed the family.
The lady of the village of Elphin was Lady Alicia
Minchen. Grandma used to do fine sewing for her. This name Alicia may
account for the number of Alicia's in the families. Alicia Broome is
the only one to use it as a first name as far as is known. Elizabeth
Grace came out to Tasmania with the family (in what capacity is unknown
) of SIR RICHARD DRY, who was a leading politician in Tasmania. It is
said he was equivalent to Wentworth of New South Wales. From the family
bible Grandmother and Grandfather were married 4th Mar 1844.
Grandfather William Patterson and Grandmother were married in
Launceston. He was the only surviving child of 19 children and as
Elizabeth Grace had no surviving brothers, and had lost trace of her
sister, she also had no relatives or knowledge of any. The Pattersons
lived in Launceston on the way to Cataract Gorge. One of their sons,
William was drowned in Cataract Gorge when about 11 years old.
The name of Elphin in Ireland is the reason for so
many of the family homes being called Elphin. There is an Elphin road
in Launceston and it is thought that Patterson Street in Launceston was
named after Great-Grandfather Patterson. Our House here (Albury) is
named Elphin and one day a man got quite excited over it and said that
Elphin is a tiny town on the North West coast of Ireland. Both
Grandparents were later buried at the foot of their garden about 19
miles from Albury. This now is under the waters of the Hume Weir.
Grandmother had a wonderful garden of fruit vegetables and flowers.
There were no pests in those days or Codlin moths. It is said that when
the family came from Melbourne in buggy and pair and wagon, she
obtained the root of a flower from a garden on the route and planted it
in her garden at Elphin, her home near Albury. This is said to have
spread and is now known as Patterson's Curse. In South Australia it is
called Salvation Jane because the flowers are like purple Salvation
Army Bonnets. In the spring the country-side is purple with the flower
and it often grows 4 feet high and beats down all other growth. It is
excellent feed while very young, and makes good hay, but when full
grown takes possession of everything. Aunt (Mrs Broome) was a skilful
Gardener, and said she could not remember it being in Grandma's garden
at Elphin, neither does my mother remember it. In Victoria it is not
seen for it is a noxious weed. Now if you go for a bus trip, they tell
how Mrs Patterson brought it from England. Flower stalls began selling
it in Melbourne as Riverina Blue Bell, but this was soon stopped for
the seed spread. It is really a lovely sight with the hills and
paddocks a bright purple.
Grandfather Patterson
William Patterson used to say he was almost a Cockney for he was
born within the sound of Bow Bells in London. The only surviving child
of 19. His father, our Great-grandfather (also William) lived in Prince
Rupert's Mansions London. Great-Grandfather would often be out late at
night and Grandfather at 11 years old would go to the door and let him
in and he used to feel very creepy pacing the suits of armour in the
hall. Great-Great-Grandfather was Sir William Patterson. I think his
wife was french. Somebody's wife was named Alicia, hence the Alicia's
in the family. I believe there is now a Prince Rupert's Road in a very
busy part of London. It would be interesting to find out if there
really was a place called Prince Rupert's Mansions.
Great-Great-Grandfather and son (our Great-Grandfather) came to
Launceston and G Grandfather had a College there and Grandfather used
to teach in it I think he was probably in his teens. It is not known
when Great-Great-Grandfather (Sir William) died in England which meant
that Great Grandfather inherited the title. ... left for England but
died in Calcutta and all his papers disappeared. He was very friendly
with a man on the ship and it is wondered if he might have taken the
papers and claimed the title. Aunt Annie (Mrs Broome) used to say she
did not thing there was much money with the title.
Uncle Richard, Aunt Annie, Uncle Willie (who was drowned) and my
mother (Elizabeth) were born in Tasmania and went to school there for
Aunt annie used to tell how every Monday she took one pound in her hand
to pay her school fees and my mothers at a Ladies Seminary. I think
Uncle Richard might have been named after Richard Fry. The family moved
to Melbourne where Mother and Aunt Annie had Music Lessons. Grandfather
had a hay and corn store and perhaps a drapers shop also. They lived in
Prahan Street. later they moved to Albury by buggy and wagon and
Grandmother drove the buggy. When Burke and Wills the explorers set out
from Melbourne, Grandfather and family drove out for some distance. The
younger Children, George, Eddie, Henry, and Berta (Mrs Emmett, Ruth's
Mother) had not much education. Most of it taught at home by
Grandfather and the older ones.
The family settled on "Elphin" a property 19 miles from
Albury, and there Grandmother and Grandfather died. Now "Elphin",
graves and all are under the waters of the Hume weir. The "Elphin"
family was a happy one, but Uncle Richard was inclined to order
the younger ones about, and they resented it. They were all musical and
all could sing. They played piano or organ, concertina and calopian
(whatever that was). The three older sister played three church organs
in the district.
Uncle Richard Married Mary Ann Hore, a neighbours
daughter. He died at 81 years. Aunt Annie married a Cornishman named
Broome and lived in Victoria not far from Albury. There is a fourth
generation living there now but their name is Drummond. Aunt Annie was
93 years old when she died. Mother (Elizabeth) died at 74 years, Uncle
Eddie was 88 and Uncle George(?) 56 Aunt Bertha (Emmett) was 56. Uncle
Harry died of typhoid at 47.
George seems to be the first to go to Queensland. Having
quarrelled with the girl he was engaged to, he left for Queensland,
otherwise there may have been no Pattersons in Queensland. Uncle George
was my mothers favourite brother. Aunt Bertha married a policeman named
Emmett, who afterwards turned farmer near Sydney. Uncle Harry married
Eliza Hore, sister of Richard's wife. All the family seems to have kept
to the land but Uncle Harry who had a machinery agency in Forbes, where
he died. Uncle Eddie married Eliza head, one of Melbourne's pioneer
families. Some years ago they had a reunion in a chapel which an older
head had built. the whole service was provided by heads. They had a
celebration lasting three days. They had lived on the present site of
Scotch College, Melbourne. My mother Elizabeth married Robert Wallace,
son of a leading grocer and citizen of Irvine, Ayrshire, Scotland.
Father came to Australia for his health. Finally settled in
"Rotherfield" 19 miles from Albury.
Maude Broome (Aunt Annie's daughter) remembers Grandfather
Patterson as a tall thin man. Grandmother was stout and short. Maude
says the Pattersons left Tasmania because of the boy who drowned and
also because of the death of another child. I know mother had a twin,
but I think it died t birth.
Aunt Annie (Broome) said Grandfather went to jail for a
few days rather than pay a file which he considered unjust, ....
thought it was right. He wanted to start Uncle George with his timber
mill so mortgaged sheep. Later he sold the sheep, thinking it quite in
order, because he had other sheep. They took it to court, a Grandfather
was fined. Aunt said it broke his heart and he died soon after. Aunt
said "he was a perfect gentleman". The story is told of old
"Cumberoona" (property name) Hore, who saw a man with a wagon on a hill
at what became "Elphin". Hore sent a man to order the wagon man away
off his property, which he thought he had selected in Melbourne, but he
had not. The man was Grandfather, who had selected it in Melbourne.
Said Grandfather, "I will improve it and sell it to you later on. After
Grandfather's death it became the property of one of the "Mugwee"
Hores, cousin to the other Hore. Now it is under the Weir. The story
told to us was that it was the "Mugwee" rather than the "Cumberoona"
Hore who thought he owned the property.
At the 1957 Albury Floral Festival Mr Fairbain, M.H.R. made this
remark.
"Those who plant trees and flowers leave something behind to
remember them by long after they have gone on."
The Pattersons could not have lived long in Melbourne, as Aunt Berta
was born at "Elphin" near Albury in 1861. Grandfather must have lived
at "Elphin" 21 years, and Grandmother 26 years.
All the foregoing in an exercise book in the handwriting of Phoebe
McQueen.
Notes LJR
Alicia' (Berta) : Her birth seemst to have been registered in South
Yarra. But the family may have been living at Elphin at the time. This
would be consistent with the Wallace sister's statement above.
William (P746) was a cockney. He was a turner and Draper. He was
the only surviving child of 19 children. Probabl bapt 22 May 1819
Marlebone IGI C035246.
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