Margaret Hudson Australia Day 2013

I started my blog 2 years ago with an Australia Day post on John GALLIGAN, my first ancestor to arrive in Australia.

This post, inspired by Helen V Smith's 2013 Australia Day challenge will be about John's wife Margaret HUDSON, my first female direct ancestor to arrive in Australia.

Believed to be Margaret HUDSON

Margaret HUDSON was born 1 January 1867 in Ballinatray, Gorey, Wexford, Ireland.  Her parents were James HUDSON and Jane FITZSIMMONS.  I know Margaret married in Brisbane, Queensland in 1888 so I looked for an arrival prior to that date.  Her death certificate in 1942 indicated she had lived 60 years in Queensland.  Therefore she had arrived approx 1882.

I think that she most likely arrived on the Zamora which left Plymouth 1 April 1882 arriving Brisbane 14 July 1882 with the shipping list showing

• Matthew HUDSON age 22
• Ann HUDSON age 18
• Margt HUDSON age 16

Margaret's wedding to John GALLIGAN in 1888 was witnessed by Annie HUDSON (and I've subsequently confirmed Annie was in Australia via her marriage to Thomas SKELLY & death certificate in 1919 which confirmed her parents and said she resided 39 years in Australia ie arriving 1880).  

But was there a brother Matthew?

The answer is yes and the Queensland police service file and insanity file at the Queensland State Archives have confirmed the family relationship. However,  I have found no trace of Matthew after 1888.

I wonder if Matthew knew John GALLIGAN who was also a constable in the Queensland Police?  There was certainly a period where they both served in the Brisbane city area.  Perhaps he introduced the couple.  Guess we'll never know.

Had he known it was Constable Galligan, he would not have assaulted him

Continuing my exploration of Trove I find another article from The Brisbane Courier 7 August 1886 detailing an assault on John Galligan

A ROUGH-LOOKING fellow named Frank Clifford was again brought up at the City Police Court yesterday morning, charged on remand with having assaulted Constable Galligan, in Queen-street, on the 2nd August. The prisoner, it will be remembered, was "brought up on the previous Friday, but "had to be remanded, as Constable Galligan was not considered by Dr. Hobbs, Who examined the constable, to be in a fit state to give his evidence. From the evidence adduced yesterday it appears the prisoner was creating a disturbance near the Queensland National Bank, and Constable  Galligan went to arrest him, when the prisoner struck him three times in quick succession, causing serious wounds about the eyes. While being brought to the watchhouse the prisoner slipped his arm out of his coat and ran off in the direction of Elizabeth-street, but was arrested by Constable Roche. When brought up to the watchhouse, the prisoner remarked that he was sorry, as, had he known it was Constable  Galligan, he would not have assaulted him. Dr. Hill stated the wounds were of a serious nature, and that the constable was still unfit for duty. The prisoner was further remanded until the 13th instant.

The Brisbane Courier then reports on the City Police Court 13 August 1886

Mr Pinnock severely cautioned the prisoner, and said he had a good mind to send him for trial. On hearing this the accused began to cry, and said if the bench would let him off this time he would clear out of the town. When asked if he had any witnesses to call he replied in the negative, but a young man came forward from among the spectators and said he was the man whom prisoner was fighting and that the accused was drunk at the time. The prisoner was sentenced to one month's imprisonment with hard labour for the assault, and was fined £2 or forty eight hours imprisonment

Does the punishment fit the crime?

1 month imprisonment for assault, 2 months imprisonment for the uniform, 3 months imprisonment for obscene language - does seem a bit back to front!

The sentencing The Queenslander 24 March 1883 

City Police Court.

MONDAY, MARCH 19.

JOHN STARCH alias Bourke, was fined £5, or three months' imprisonment in default, for using obscene language; for assaulting Constable Galligan he was sentenced to one month's imprisonment with hard labour, and for destroying that constable's uniform he was sentenced to two months' imprisonment with hard labour. Thomas Bohen, alias Irish, was similarly dealt with for assaulting Constable Galligan, and destroying his uniform, and for rescuing the previous prisoner he was fined £5, or one month's imprisonment with hard labour. Peter Clark, charged with assaulting Constable Galligan and rescuing the prisoner Starch from him, was remanded till the following morning.

Tuesday, March 20. Peter Clarke, charged with having assaulted Constable Galligan, was discharged on the application of Senior-detective Anderson, who stated he had ascertained he was the wrong man.

And the Queenslander 31 March 1883 reports finding the right man

City Police Court.

FRIDAY, MARCH 23.

GEORGE Roots, a powerful-looking man, was charged with having, in conjunction with the prisoners Starch, alias Bourke, and Bohen. alias Irish, assaulted constable Galligan last Friday afternoon. Senior-detective Anderson prosecuted. The prisoner, on being asked to plead, said, "Well, I was in the company or the persons who committed the assault, but I did not strike the constable." Mounted-constable Beatty then gave evidence to the effect that he had arrested the prisoner on warrant, on Thursday morning, at Durun dur, twenty miles from Caboolture. He made no answer when the warrant was read to him. At this stage Roots was remanded till Tues day for the production of further evidence. Bail was allowed—the prisoner in £10 and one surety of £10.

I encourage you to check out Trove.  I have signed up & now I can tag any articles so I can easily find them again.  Some of the OCR (optical character recognition) produces some unusual results but it's very easy to make corrections and once done they stay there for all to enjoy.  So get searching.

A most brutal assault

Searching Trove on the National Library of Australia website for Constable Galligan has produced a number of interesting articles.  To make sure that I'm referring to my Constable (John) Galligan I searched the Queensland State Archives and found 4 Galligan police staff files with the following service dates:

• My John 1882-1913
• Unrelated as far as I know
• James 1868-1877
• Morgan Francis 1886
• Another John 1907-1972

So to the Brisbane Courier 17 March 1883

A most brutal assault appears to have been committed upon Constable Galligan about 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon, in Albert-street, by three cowardly roughs. From what we have been able to gather it seems that the constable had occasion several times during the afternoon to caution a well-known character, John Starch, against behaving in a disorderly manner, and also for using disgusting language. About the time mentioned the man Starch was reclining in a yard off the street, and as he had been using obscene language the constable requested him to go home. The cowardly fellow rose and dealt the constable a vicious blow in the eye. This was the signal for two of his pals-Irish and another-and the three ruffians attacked the constable, and brutally maltreated him. They left him quite in a helpless condition, with the blood pouring from his face, and blinding him. Galligan was afterwards taken to the police barracks in Roma-street, where he was examined and prescribed for by Dr. Hobbs. His left eye is completely closed, and the whole of his face bears strong proof of the scandalous treatment he received. He will be unfit for duty for several days at least, and will probably have to go to the hospital. Two policemen were told off in plain clothes, and succeeded in arresting two of the offenders -Starch and Irish. Both men have been punished before for similar.

It was even mentioned in the Melbourne Argus on 19 March 1883

Constable Galligan was brutally assaulted and seriously injured on Friday afternoon by three roughs, one of whom he was attempting to arrest.

His services are much needed

Following the reference from HE King "he is a good man & will I think make a good bobby" John Galligan was sworn in as a recruit on 13 February 1882.  Then in July 1882, being well drilled and of good conduct, recommendation was made that he and 3 others be appointed Constables, "particularly as their services are much needed at present".

According to the Queensland Police website

Conditions were arduous and police often worked a seven day week, although they were entitled to every second Sunday free, they rarely benefited from this arrangement. A police officer worked a minimum nine hour day and often more when the situation warranted it. Leave was infrequent.

John's first station was Brisbane (Roma Street).  He almost certainly lived in the barracks, at least until his marriage in 1888.  From the State Library of Queensland -

Roma Street Police Barracks, ca. 1883

[John Oxley Library, neg. no. 65395]

The Roma Street Police Station and Barracks were erected in 1879/1880.

"This building provides barrack accommodation for about forty-five men and room for officer-in-charge. The lower floor contains cells to provide for the use of the station, if needful, as a lockup."

Queensland Legislative Assembly, Votes and Proceedings 1880, Vol II p.1007

Australia Day 2011: John Galligan joins the Queensland police

Happy Australia Day 2011

As part of the Twigs of Yore Australia Day suggestion to find the earliest piece of documentation about an Australian ancestor I have selected this letter written by my ancestor John Galligan in 1881 "respectfully applying for a situation in the Queensland Police Force".

I first obtained this letter early on in my research after hearing from relatives that John had been a policeman.  It  came in reply to a letter I wrote to the Queensland Police Department.  The covering letter to that reply said "I hope the material forwarded provides new data and further avenues for investigation." It most certainly has.

This letter in John's own hand and hopefully accurate on the facts tells us

• John was in Brisbane in 1881
• John could read & write
• John had been in the country for the last 7 years - if I was absolutely certain his arrival was on the Clara in 1875 then the shipping list would be the earliest piece of documentation  
• John was 27
• John was 5 feet nine 
• John had worked for Hon HE Ring who was the speaker of the Legislative of Assembly (Queensland Parliament).  At the time there were 42 members (there are now 89).

Visiting the Queensland State Archives in 2009 I thought I may as well look at John Galligan's police file which I had seen in their index.  My expectation was it would be the same as what I already had.  Instead there were a few surprises including his application to get married to Miss Maggie Hudson residing with her father in Montague Road South Brisbane.   This sentence has opened the door to new Australian & Irish research on the Hudson family.