Michael TEHAN
| First name | Michael |
|---|---|
| Last name | TEHAN |
| Country of Origin | IRELAND |
| Date of Birth | 1803 |
| Year of Arrival in Australia | 1861 |
| Submitted by | Robyn Mannes |
Story
Michael Tehan born 1803, was married in 1835 to Mary Loughlin born 1812 in Co. Kilkenny, Ireland, daughter of John & Annie Loughlin (nee Whelan).
It is believed that Michael had a farm in Co. Kilkenny, Ireland, dairying and potato growing and that he felt it was too small to support his large family of 10 children. As there were good reports of land in Australia from Irish migrants who had gone there, he sent his eldest son, James aged 22 years, to seek settlement in Australia. James sailed in 1858 on board the sailing ship ‘James Browne’ which sailed from Liverpool to Melbourne. James obtained a grant of land at Heathcote, Victoria and set up camp in tents near some elm trees and the holding became known as ‘Elmdale’.
On 30th August 1861 Michael and his eldest daughter Mary arrived on board the sailing ship ‘Lightning’ and joined James at ‘Elmdale’. On 26th July 1862 Michael’s 2nd son Patrick arrived in Melbourne on board sailing ship ‘City of Melbourne’. The next to arrive was 3rd son John and daughters Margaret & Anne on the ‘Southern Ocean’ in Melbourne in August 1863. About this time land was acquired at Corop near Rochester, Victoria. It was decided that Patrick would have the Corop land and James ‘Elmdale’ near Heathcote.John was next to obtain a grant of land at Nanneella near Rochester and as it adjoined a quarry he called his holding ‘Quarry Park’. Eventually after the sale of the Kilenny land, Michael’s wife Mary aged 48 years and Bridget 13, William 11, Jerimiah 9 and Michael (jnr) 7 arrived in Melbourne in February 1864 on the ship ‘Blanche Moore’.
After a jouful reunion with the whole family they lived at ‘Elmdale’ for a few months before moving into a newly completed family home, built by Michael and his sons, at ‘Park Plains’, Nanneella. The exception to the move was the 3 eldest sons, James, Patrick & John who lived at ‘Elmdale’ until James married Anne Ryan the same year. Patrick & John later moved into a home built on the Corop land.
Michael died in 1881 Rochester district aged 78 years and Mary died in 1904 in Rochester district aged 92 years.