I vividly remember the visit but not the discussion. I was eleven years old at the time, and laden with showbags as we all were, we were impatient to leave. As such, I paid minimal attention to the conversation that transpired between my parents and this mystery relative.
What she said, however, was electrifying.
She made three points (1) Our paternal grandfather, Arthur Phillip O'Hanlon (Feb 1894 - June 1969) was illegitimate. While we already knew that Arthur had added the 'O' to his surname, this was news to us. (2) His biological father had been some sort of 'solicitor' - hence the so-called 'brains in the family'. (3) Additionally, shortly after his birth, Arthur had been placed on the doorstep of his father's house as a means of forcing the gentleman in quesstion to acknowledge his paternity. Key members of the Hanlon family - as they were known - were subsequently charged by the police for child desertion. The case went before a magistrate before being dismissed. As illegitimacy was a deep social stain in those days, Arthur's mother - Catherine Ann Prentice (nee Hanlon 1876 - April 1951) had pretended to be his Aunty for the remainder of their years together. On his 1936 Wedding Certficate, as we later found out, Arthur had transformed his grandparents (Phillip Hanlon & Catherine Hanlon nee Lynch) into his parents. In those days, such claims were not easily refuted.
My parents conveyed this information to his widow, Patricia Josephine Antonia O'Hanlon nee Gibb (March 1910 - September 1992). She was flabbergasted. Indeed, her father, Charles Patrick Gibb, had demanded to see Arthur's bank-balance before agreeing to the union - he forgot to scrutinise the baptismal certificate, which would have brought the 'fraud' to light - if so, the wedding would have been vetoed. Patricia commented that she had always been puzzled by the intimacy of the relationship between Arthur and his Aunty Catherine (who owned two shops at the SOuth Melbourne market [one being 305 Coventary Street]). Like her father, if she had known that Arthur was illegitimate, she would not have married him.
Our knowledge of this affair was contained to these rudimentary points until sometime in the early 1990s when Mary Jane Creed nee O'Hanlon (b. March 1972), a grand-daughter of Arthur, delved into the matter. She exhumed a newspaper article from June 1894 which contained a report on the First Trial, wherein a Mary Ryan (so far unidentifiable in terms of the family tree) and Mary Hanlon (aunt of Catherine Ann and sister of our great great grandfather Phillip Hanlon, born in Ireland [County Wicklow] in February 1843 and died in Footscray in July 1911) were charged with abandoning Arthur. The same newspaper also identified Arthur's father: his name was Richard Connolly. He had been newly married at the time to a Alberta Bertha Emily Emery.
The Argus Tuesday 13 September 1892 Marriages
‘Connolly – Emery On the 12 ULT(?) at Fitzroy by the Rev. N Kinsman, Richard, eldest son of Mr Patrick Connolly of Footscray, to Alberta (Bertie), eldest daughter of Mr E G Emery Footscray.’
Who was Richard Francis Connolly? Born in Maidston in 1873, he was the son of Patrick and Margaret Connolly, both of whom were Irish immigrants. Their other children were as follows: Anastasia Catherine (1869);John Patrick (1875 - was born in Braybrook, spending 2 years of his life in WA and the remainder in Victoria. He died aged 27 on 5 November 1901 and is buried in Footscray Cemetery, presumable joined by his mother in later years. His place of death was 112 Creswick Street Footscray);Mary Lucy (1877) and Margaret Anne (1881). It should be noted that Richard Connolly lied about his age on the wedding certificate (much like his son Arthur was to do when he married in 1936): Richard was 19 at the time, not 22. HIs reasons for doing so are unclear.
Patrick Connolly is decribed on his son's wedding certificate as a hotel keeper and the evidence certainly bears that out:
The Argus 22 December 1883
“E G Lovett of the Royal Hotel and P Connolly of the Bayview Hotel were fined 20s each for Sunday Trading.”
and The Argus 23 November 1887:
“Notice of Application for a Victuallers Licence. I, Patrick Connolly of the Bayview Hotel, Footscray, hotelkeeper, do hereby give notice that I desire to obtain , and will, at the sitting of the Licensing Court for the Licensing District of Footscray, to be held in Melbourne on the sixth day of December, 1887, A CERTIFICATE authoring the issue and renewal of a VICTUALLERS’ LICENCE for premises situation in Footscray, containing eight rooms, exclusive of those required for the use of my family and servants. Dated the 22nd of November, 1887. P Connolly.”
He was the licencee of the Bayview Hotel (on the corner of Moore & Hopkins Streets) from 1887 to 1893 - and a wealthy man. It was burnt to the ground in 1986. Here is a photo of it in latter years:
Margaret Connolly, a native of Kilkenny, lived in Victoria for 42 years before dying on the 8th of February 1908 at 62 years and was later buried in the Footscray Cemetery. She married Patrick when she was 22. Her parents were Richard Luttrell and Anastasia.
Who were the Hanlons, the other half of the equation? They - and other kinsmen - had immigrated as a group to Australia in 1871: there were Hanlons, Lynchs and Ryans. Philip Hanlon, a stonemason by training, was a native of County Wicklow. Born on 02/02/1843, he was the son of Philip Hanlon and Ann Devoy. According to family tradition, both he and his son Philip (who shared his profession) both worked on St Patrick's Cathedral in Melbourne. He married Catherine Lynch, the daughter of Edward and Mary Lynch (nee Hogan), who was a native of Dublin (the wedding occured in Ballarat). They had six children: Philip Junior (childless); Catherine Anne (our great grandmother); Mary; James Hubert; Elizabeth and Louisa. Catherine Hanlon (nee Lynch) died of pneumonia in February 1882, leaving behind a young family.
Here is a photograph of James Hubert Hanlon:
In the years that followed, both Elizabeth and Louisa joined the Josephite Order. Here is a photograph of them, with Elizabeth standing:
Whereas Louisa (known as Sister Loretta of the Holy Rosary) lived until 1961, her older sister died relatively young:
Death of a Sister of St Joseph – the Garland of St Joseph February 1 1929
“Sister M Lourdes died at St Joseph’s Convent, Mount Street North Sydney after a long time of ailing. Some months ago, Sister came to Sydney in company with Miss Anne MacKillop, who was the only surviving sister of Mother Mary of the Cross, whose Cause for Beatification is now under consideration. It is a singular fact that on the same day Sister M Lourdes and Miss MacKillop were called to their reward – the latter in Victoria. A native of Melbourne, Sister M Lourdes entered religion some 29 years ago, during which she worked well and zealously, and was much beloved by all who knew her. Requiem Mass was celebrated for the deceased Sister on Monday morning by the Rev. Father Carroll, who addressed the Sisters present, recalling the touching words used by his Eminence Cardinal Moran on the occasion of the death of Mother Mary of the Cross. The burial took place at the Gore Hill Cemetery, where Rev Father Maguire, of Longueville, said the prayers at the grave, assisted by Father Carroll. RIP.”
In a letter dated 18/03/1964, Arthur wrote to his son and his daughter-in-law:
"Your Aunt, Sister Lourdes , was in Q’Land at the turn of the century. 1905 approx. She was teaching at Alpha, well out from Rockhampton; the tropics adversely affected her, and she died comparatively young. She was finished as HSAD (?) teacher at Newport."
Let us return to the main narrative. A son, John Francis Connolly, was born in 1894 to Richard Connolly and Alberta. Whatever bliss was imparted by the birth of their firstborn was quickly dissipated when Alberta found a baby boy lying on the doorstep, Alberta had called the Footscray police, who subsequently laid charges.
On the day of the hearing, Alberta was called to the witness-box and asked to recount the night. Shortly afterwards, a frail looking Catherine Anne also made her way to the witness box, affirmed the broad narrative and revealed the circumstances of his conception. When the magistrate asked for Richard Connolly to step forward, he was informed that the twenty four year old had fled hastily to Queensland. This information caused the judge to label him a 'cur', and wish he were present in court so he could be duly punished for his prodigal ways. The case was adjourned until two weeks. Here is an account of the Second Trial.
The Argus July 10 1894
Alleged Child Desertion
An adjourned case was heard at the Footscray Court yesterday before Mr Perry PM and a bench of Magistrates against Mary Ryan and Mary Hanlon, aunt of Annie Hanlon, a delicate-looking girl, of having deserted the infant of the last-named by leaving it at the residence of the father, a young married man, on June 18. The case had been postponed for 14 days to allow the girl-mother to proceed against the putative father, Richard Connelly (sic) of Buckley Street Footscray, but that person in the interim had left for Queensland and could not be served with a summons. The Bench decided that, as the baby had been offered to Mrs Connelly, and was left carefully wrapped up on the doormat for the care of its father, there was no criminal intention, and the accused was discharged.
Footscray at the time was a small village. The Hanlons lived in Donald Street. Richard Connolly's dwelling was in Buckley Street, and his parents (Patrick and Margaret Connolly) lived at 67 Moore Street. There must have been some uncomfortable meetings on a near daily basis.
No information illuminates the next few years. Tired of his blatant infidelites, Alberta divorced Richard some six years later:
The Argus Saturday August 31, 1901
Alberta Connolly sought to obtain a divorce from Richard Connolly, turf speculator and horse owner, on the grounds of adultery and cruelty. Mr Woolf, (instructed by Messrs Gilbert, Bates & Moir) appeared for the petitioner.
The party were married in Melbourne in 1892 and a child was born in 1894. They lived together in various places in the vicinity of Melbourne for a little over two years. At the end of that time, a woman brought a child (Comment: Arthur Phillip O’Hanlon) to the house, of which she said the respondent was the father. The respondent did not deny it, and the petitioner then left him, returning to the home of her parents. It is alleged that the respondent had committed misconduct with various persons both in Sydney and Melbourne and had at different times treated the petitioner with cruelty. Evidence was given that (the) respondent had also been in the habit of visiting a certain house in Carlton.
Mr Justice A’Beckett granted a decree nisi, with costs, giving the child to the petitioner. He also made an order for alimony at the rate of 30 (shilling?) per week.
Soon afterwards, Alberta married Bert Nettleton of Leeds in June 1903, the ceremony itself occuring in Natal, South Africa, shortly after the cessation of the Boer War.
Richard's paternal instincts, however, were less well developed than his drives. The court order notwithstanding, he failed to support even his legitmate son with so much as a farthing:
The Argus, 9th of May, 1908.
“A rather unusual application, arising out of divorce proceedings, was made to Mr Justice Hood in the Practice Court Yesterday. In June 1901, a decree dissolving the marriage of Richard Connoly and Alberta Connoly was pronounced, and an order was made for the husband to pay to his former wife permanent alimony at the rate of 30 / per week. Shortly afterwards Connoly left the state and made no payments whatever under the order. He left no property behind in Victoria. The arrears amount now to something about £500. Connoly’s mother died in March last interstate and left property in Victoria. Connoly’s share in this property amounts to some £600. Application was made yesterday, on behalf of his former wife, who has married again and is now Mrs Nettleton, of Kampola, of British Central Africa, and is at present on a visit to Melbourne, that this interest of £600 should be attached to satisfy her claim under the order for alimony. Mr Justice Hood made an order appointing the National Trustees Company of Australia Limited as the receiver of the money. Mr Hayes (instructed by Messrs Gillott, Bates and Moir) appeared for Mrs Nettleton.”
The Argus 9th of October 1908 - Question of Alimony.
In December 1901,a decree nisi for dissolution of marriage was obtained by Mrs Alberta Connoly (sic) against her husband Richard Connoly (sic). An order for alimony pendente lite at the rate of 30 / per week had been previously made, and permanent alimony at the same rate was ordered after the decree absolute had been made. The respondent since the date of the decree resided in England, with an exception of a short visit to Victoria in 1904. He has never paid any of the alimony ordered, nor the costs of the suit, and the amount now owed by him is £637. His mother died recently, leaving an estate valued at £3000, of which the respondent is entitled to about £642. Yesterday Justice Hood made an order appointing the National Trustees Company a receiver to obtain the respondent’s interest under his mother’s will to satisfy the claim of the petitioner, who is now Mrs Alberta Nettleton, for the moneys owing under the judgement in the divorce suit. In making the application, counsel read a letter which had been received by the respondent’s son from his father, in which (Richard) Connoly (sic) said that he had just returned from a business trip to America, and had fixed up a business that would bring him in £40 per week. He hoped in the course of a few weeks to have a business commanding anything from £5000 to £10,000. He had received the papers about appointing a receiver from the petitioner’s solicitors, but would not fight the matter. In conclusion, he said ‘You can have the money, my son (BOH: John Francis Connolly) and I hope it will do you some good.’ Mr Hayes (instructed by Messrs Gillott, Bates & Moir) appeared for the petitioner.”
It all came to an end - in a way - when Catherine Anne Prentice died in April 1951, having spent her last days in the Royal Park Hospital for Mental Hygiene (presumably she suffered from dementia). To the last, the masquerade was perpetuated. While CAP had adopted a girl - Clare Willey - she bequeathed her entire estate to Arthur and it was no mean sum: two shops at the South Melbourne market; an extensive jewellry collection and she may have owned a pub as well (the proverbial 'Tower Hotel'). This decision, quite rightly, did not sit well with her step-mother, who never forgave either of them. To expiate his mother's son - his own conception - Arthur then donated the entire estate to the Franciscans of Box Hill (it is rumoured that the chalices these followers of St Francis currently use in Mass are studded with her jewels). Arthur was not a wealthy man when he made this decision (he was a lifelong railway guard). The capital involved would have transformed his life and that of his family. Even so, whatever the wisdom of such a decision, he resolutely donated every last shilling to Mother Church.
Arthur buried his mother at the Box Hill Cemetery. When he himself died in June 1969, he was laid to rest in the same plot. There, they lie together in perpetuity. Before his death, he took my sister Elizabeth and I to this plot as if wanting to show us off to his mother. Ashes and ashes, and dust to dust.
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