Patrick Shelley

Patrick Shelley, Jr. emigrated to Australia and died in the City of Rockhampton, Queensland on September 26, 1897. Patrick Shelley’s death record was obtained from the Queensland, Australia family history online database.
The record revealed some interesting facts that were researched further to gain a fuller picture of what happened to Patrick once he left Dromard in 1868. The document showed that Patrick died of mitral valve disease at Denison Street in Rockhampton on September 26, 1897. His brother-in-law, George Hayes, provided the information for the document. Mr. Hayes reported that Patrick was born in Clonmore, Ireland and was a dairy produce dealer. He reported Patrick lived in Queensland for 29 years. The brother-in-law’s occupation was tailor. Patrick married Bridget Hayes when he was about 40 years old at Woolly House, Rockhampton. Their child is reported as deceased at 2 months.  There are several other children who all died as infants.
Further research found that Bridget Hayes first married Edward Casey on November 28, 1872. Edward Casey died February 19, 1979. No Casey children were found in the Queensland database. Bridget became pregnant in 1881-1882 and her daughter Alice was born August 1, 1882, but the birth record does not show a father. However, Patrick and Bridget married on October 11, 1882. Patrick would have been 41 years old. Alice died several months later on December 3, 1882, and her mother, now named Bridget Shelley, died October 9, 1889. Patrick, a dairyman who lived in Mount Morgan, went on to live 8 more years.
Patrick and Bridget Shelley lived in the Town of Mount Morgan. It was founded as a gold mine town in 1882, and Patrick operated a successful dairy business. Mount Morgan is on the Dee River, 38 kilometers south of Rockhampton.
A newspaper article revealed the following:
From the Morning Bulletin (Rockhampton, Qld. Wednesday 27 October 1897 was the following notice pictured below. This was followed by a notice published in the Morning Bulletin (Rockhampton, Qld. Saturday 27 November 1897 page 5 that stated: “At the Supreme Court on Friday the Registrar (Mr. J.L. Blooi-Smyth), on the application of Mr. H. Grant (Messrs. B.A. Brumm and Grant), granted probate of the will of Patrick Shelley, late of Mount Morgan, dairyman, deceased to George Hayes, Rockhampton tailor, the executor named in deceased will (the co-executrix therein named Mary Campion, Mount Morgan, widow, having renounced, probate) the amount was sworn under 709 (Australian pounds).