James (Bouchier) Coffey
- Born
- 1828-01-01 12:00:00
- Died
- 1901-07-12 12:00:00
- Gender
- Male
- Place of migration
- Migrated to/Born in Australia
James Bouchier Coffey is my great-grandfather. We believe that James was born about 1828 in the then County Galway, Ireland, a child of Michael Coffey and Bridget Bouchier, and that his father Michael was a farmer. We believe that it is most likely that he hailed from the parish of Whitegate (formerly Clonrush), in the south-east corner of County Galway (which was transferred to County Clare around the turn of the 20th century). Michael Coffey appears in the Tithe Applotment Books of 1830 (TAB) as an Occupier in “Minor Brady's bogland”, Townland of Whitegate.
James' uncle (Michael's brother) Hugh Coffey/Coffee is recorded in the TAB alongside Patrick, Rodger and John Coffee, as Occupiers each of c.48 acres in the Townland of Baurgarriffe (now Bargarriff). He is also recorded in Ballyhinch in the 1851 census and in Griffiths Valuation, and he died in “Ballahinch” in 1864.
James Bouchier Coffey married Eliza Hogan in Brooklyn, Kings, New York, USA on 11th April 1858. We are fairly sure that James and Eliza then sailed from New York on 3rd May 1858 on board the clipper ship “Mary Bangs”, and arrived in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on 7th August 1858. By August 1859, James and Eliza had settled in Amphitheatre in central Victoria. They lived in and around Amphitheatre for nearly 20 years, and then in Melbourne, primarily the suburb of Richmond. They had eleven children: ten were born in Amphitheatre and surrounds, and their youngest child was born in Melbourne in 1880. James died in Melbourne in 1901.
James’ brother Patrick also emigrated to Australia, and the two brothers set up a store together in Amphitheatre, amongst other ventures. Patrick married Hannah Maria Leyden on 9th July 1861 in Pleasant Creek, Victoria. He also died in Melbourne in 1901.
