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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