Elizabeth (Lilly) Roche

Elizabeth Roche, known as Lilly, was born in Mallow, Cork on 11 June 1832. Her father was Thomas Roche whose business was farming, limeburning and stone quarrying. Her mother was Frances Matilda Martin. Lilly had one sister and three brothers who survived to adulthood, two of those brothers and the sister went to the States while the remaining brother, the youngest sibling Charles Hovenden Roche was a doctor in Cork City. Lilly married John McCarthy  at St Lukes Church of Ireland, Cork City on 20 November 1855. John was a master cooper from Fair Lane, Cork City, he was born about 1824 and was a widower when he married Lilly.

Lily as a young woman

They had three children, Francis Justin born 1859, Arabella Jane born in 1862 and Olivia Frances born 1864. Frank and Arabella came to Australia and Olivia moved to Washington, USA. John McCarthy died at 1 Fair Lane, Cork City on 4 October 1868. Lilly remarried Homan Haines Rice at St Lukes, Cork City on 22 December 1872, Homan was a clockmaker from Mallow and the family returned there. They had a son, Homan Rice born 23 May 1874 in Main St., Mallow. Lilly and Homan's marriage broke up and Homan junior and senior came to Australia with Arabella and her husband in 1884. It is not known when and where Lilly died. Her brother Robert wrote a memoir after 1880 where he stated she had gone to Peru, South America.

Contribution by great great granddaughter Sue McCarthy, Sydney