Ann Many or Manny
| Town/City | Ballarat |
|---|---|
| First name | Ann |
| Last name | Many or Manny |
| Country of Origin | Ireland |
| Date of Birth | circa 1835 |
| Year of Arrival in Australia | ? 1855 |
| Submitted by | Margaret Lewis |
Story
Ann Many or Manny was born in the townland of Montrath, parish of Rahugh, near Kilbeggan, County Westmeath, Ireland, circa 1835. She was the daughter of Patrick Many, a miller, & Mary nee Casey. When aged around 20 years old she immigrated to Victoria, and may have been the Miss Manning listed as a Cabin Passenger on the ‘Mermaid’ which arrived in Melbourne on 18th May 1855 from Liverpool. Once in Melbourne she worked as a servant before her marriage. At present there is no evidence that any other members of the family also came to Australia.
On 19th December 1859, Ann Many married Patrick Moran at the Church of St. Francis, Lonsdale Street, central Melbourne. Patrick was a 22 year old Irish bachelor, who was also a native of County Westmeath. At the time of his marriage he was working as a labourer in Sunbury. Patrick signed the register with his mark while Ann signed her name Ann Many.
Ann\’s first child John Moran was born in 1860 at Jackson\’s Creek, near Sunbury, Victoria. No two of her eight children were born in the same place, with the family no doubt moving on with the availability of work and the opening of new mining areas. In 1862 her daughter Mary Ann was born at Riddles Creek, Victoria, but by the time her birth was registered the following year the family was living at Tipperary Gully, Sandhurst (now called Bendigo). Her son Nicholas said he was born in Sandhurst in 1864, however his birth was not registered. Soon after his birth the family moved to New South Wales.
They moved initially to The Gib, near Nattai, present day Mittagong. Her daughter Bridget was born there in 1867. Bridget died of fever when she was 10 months old, and the family was living in the nearby Lithgow Valley. Bridget was buried at Hartley. The following year, 1869, the family was still in the Lithgow Valley when Ann\’s daughter Catherine Moran was born.
By 1871 the family had moved further north to Wingen, NSW, where Marsella Moran was born. However they did not stay long there and were in Hill End by 1873 when their youngest daughter Bridget Mary was born. In 1878 Ann\’s youngest son Patrick Joseph Moran was born in Frogmore, Burrowa, NSW. Patrick Junior died of pneumonia in Cobar, NSW, shortly before his 4th birthday.
In Cobar Ann\’s two eldest children were married. The extended family then moved to Sydney for a brief while before heading north to the mining town of Ravenswood, North Queensland in 1885 or 1886. After a few years there Patrick and Ann moved to nearby Charters Towers. In 1895 Patrick became the licensee of the Albion Hotel, Mosman Street, Charters Towers for a year, taking over from his son John Moran.
The family remained in Charters Towers for a few more years and it is likely the her husband Patrick was working at the Day Dawn Block and Wyndham mine in 1897 when a Patrick Moran was injured when a portion of the lode rock fell and caught him just after he and his mate had finished the stulling.
By 1903 Patrick and Ann had returned to Ravenswood where their son John was the licensee of the Railway Hotel, Barton Street. Patrick worked as a grocer, also in Barton Street.
In 1908 Ann lodged a claim for an Old Age Pension. She was listed as being 71 years old, born in Ireland and living in Queensland for 23 years. Her residence was Ravenswood and she was granted a full pension of 10 shillings per week from 30th September 1908. Her husband Patrick also applied for a pension the same day and was given a full pension as well. In their retirement Patrick and Ann lived in Sunset Street, Ravenswood.
On Boxing Day 1911, Ann\’s husband Patrick Moran died in Ravenswood following a short illness. Ann then remained in Ravenswood for a couple of years before spending time with her various married daughters Ð Mary Ann (Mrs. Stephen Rhule) of Wolfram, Catherine (Mrs Alexander George Thompson) of Herberton, Marsella (Mrs Joseph Gibbins Hook) of Warwick, & Bridget (Mrs Patrick Joseph Guinane) of Townsville.
While staying with her daughter Marsella, Ann died at Mill Hill, Warwick, Queensland, on 30th May 1916 after a short illness. She was buried in Warwick, but a year later her body was disinterred and then reburied in Ravenswood with her husband Patrick. A memorial was added to Patrick\’s gravestone in Ravenswood which reads ‘Also his wife ANNE, born at Rath Hugh Ireland 1838, died at Warwick Q 1916. In death they were not divided.’