Australian Royalty: Genealogy of the colony of NSW

Baptised 5 Apr 1818
Edward son of Thomas and Penelope Ireland a farmer of Dymock

Assisted (bounty) immigrant who arrived in NSW aboard the ship Fairlie in Nov 1841
Edward Ireland, unmarried, native of Eldersfield Worcestershire. son of Thomas and Penelope, father alive, a carpenter and wheewright age 23, Episcopalian, could read and write

Name: Edward Ireland
Marriage Date: 1851
Marriage Place: Prospect, New South Wales
Registration Date: 1851
Registration Place: Prospect, New South Wales, Australia
Spouse: Sarah Pike
Volume Number: V

Edward Ireland of this parish a bachelor
and Sarah Pike of this parish a spinster
were married in this church by banns this 11 day of Feb 1851
Edward and Sarah both signed the register
in the presence of Susannah Hilldson of Toongabbee and Richard Pike of Toongabbee who both signed the register

Married 17 Apr 1873 at St Johns Church
Edward Ireland a widower, born England, blacksmith, age 52, residing Penrith, son of Thomas Ireland a farmer and PenelopeGoodchap (maiden)
Elizabeth Fisher a widow born Parramatta, age 55, residing Penrith, daughter of Robert Owen a tradesman and Elizabeth Bloomfield (Maiden)
In the presence of Richard Green and Sarah Kenny

"Hanged Himself in a Fowl House
An old resident of Penrith named Edward Ireland committed suicide Wednesday morning by hanging. He was found by his wife, dead, suspended from a rafter in the fowlhouse.

Death of an Old Resident
BY HANGING.
When a report was spread round Penrith early on Wednesday morning that Mr. Edward Ireland of Penrith had committed suicide by hanging, very few placed any credence in it, the general opinion being that the old gentleman would be the last man in the town to attempt such a thing, especially as he was considered to be a large possessor of this worlds goods and generally of an easy going nature. The rumour, however, proved only to be too true. The old man had been slightly unwell for a few days, but there was nothing to suppose that he contemplated such a rash act. At 4 o'clock in the morning he roused his wife asking her for a candle, after lighting it he went into the next room and partially dressing himself, went out into the back yard. His wife heard nothing more nor did she again see her husband alive. At half past six, on going to feed some poultry she found him hanging in an out-house by a double clothes line, his feet being about three feet from the ground. Her screams attracted the attention of Mr. W. Parkes who resides next door, and he came at once and let the body down.
Mr. Edward Ireland had been a resident of the town of Penrith upwards of 32 years - he was 76 years of age at the time of his death. Previous to coming to Penrith he carried on a business at a placed called The-Fox-Under-the-Hill, near Prospect, as a blacksmith and wheelwright, and whilst there Mr. Thomas Doyle, who was with the old man for about 12 years, became his apprentice. After the railway opened to Penrith - that is the first opening when the terminus was fixed near Parker-street, he established a business as wheelwright and blacksmith in the premises adjoining the present Wesleyan Parsonage. Here he remained some three years until the terminus was fixed where Penrith station now stands, when he took up old Natty Norval's lease of the whole of the land from the Chinaman's Bridge to Joyce's Hotel. He established a business then in the shop not long since vacated by Mr. Fred Lucas, where he carried on business for some time, until his brother, Mr. Jesse Ireland, gave up the corner grocery and provision store until recently occupied by Mr. F. Vine. He took over his brother's business but it did not altogether suit him, and after a time he sold out to Mr. George Nash, who carried on a very successful business there. Mr. Ireland again started in the blacksmith and wheelwriting [sic] line, until bought out by Mr. J.W. Rawson, where the first start of the business now so successfully carried on by Mr. W. Neale, was made. He purchased numerous properties mean time, and since then has devoted the whole of his attention to building fresh houses, repairing old ones, and collecting his rents. His first wife died about 18 or 20 years ago, and he married the present Mrs. Ireland (then Mrs. Fisher) about 15 years ago. By his first wife there were two sons, George (the second), died many years ago, and Edward, who left a widow and several children about two years ago. The eldest daughter is the wife of Mr. Hare, formerly of Penrith, the other is married to Mr. W. Mitchell, and they reside very near the spot on which the old man first started business in Penrith.
The inquest was held on Wednesday afternoon, before ... when the following evidence was elicited:-
Charles Henry Scott, sworn, deposed: I am a duly qualified medical practitioner practising in and residing at Penrith; at a little after seven this morning I was sent for to the house of deceased who was stated to have hanged himself; upon my arrival I found the deceased lying upon his back in an outhouse at the rear of his premises, life was extinct, there was a strangulating mark about half an inch wide encircling the upper part of the neck; the face and neck were deeply congested and the eyes staring; the tongue of a deeply congested color, there was no post mortem rigidity present indicating that death had taken place within five or six hours of my viewing the body; the cause of death was strangulation by hanging.
Constable V.E. Shortland, sworn, deposed: At 7 a.m. this morning, a boy named Herbert Orth came to the Police station and informed me that Edward Ireland had hung himself; I immediately came down to the house of the deceased and went to an outhouse at the back of his residence, where I saw him lying on his back on the ground, and Mr. Parkes, fruiterer, who lives Next door, in charge of the body; I was handed the rope produced by Mr. Parkes who told me that he had cut the body down, and that deceased had hung himself with the rope which I now produce; I was then assisted by Mr. Mitchell, the deceased's son in law, to carry the body into a bedroom at his residence; I searched the body and found a purse containing 1 pound 1 shilling silver, and 11 pence in coppers, 2 pencils and a small piece of check.
William Parkes, sworn, deposed: I am a fruiterer carrying on business and residing at Penrith. I knew deceased Edward Ireland, and I have just viewed his dead body; about half-past six this morning I hearn Mrs. Ireland screaming out; I went round as quickly as I could to the yard where she was to see what was the matter, and I saw deceased hanging to the rafters by a rope; Mrs. Ireland was standing inside the door of an outhouse almost under deceased; I untied the knot and lowered him down; he was quite dead then and cold; I then sent for the Sergeant of Police; Dr. Scott was sent for prior to this; have known deceased for nine or ten years; am no relation of his; for the last few months have he was a bit strange in his manner; have heard him complain of a law suit he had with a person respecting the purchase of land; I live in the next house and knew nothing of any domestic troubles; deceased was inclining to be penurious and the loss of any money would be likely to prey on his mind.
By the Foreman: Deceased was four or five feet from the ground when hanging.
Alfred James McKay, sworn, deposed: I am manager of the Penrith Branch, Bank of New South Wales; I know deceased, and have had business transactions with him, he called on me about a week ago and asked for all his deeds that were in the bank for safe custody to be given to him, he took them away to Sydney and brought them back again on Monday last and left them at the bank' he seemed then perfectly sane; on the first occasion when leaving deeds certain instructions were left respecting his will in case of death, when he re-deposited the deeds; I asked him if same instructions were to apply to what I took to be a new will, he said "yes" those instructions were that the will was to be handed to names written on the envelope, named as executors; among some of the papers I discovered a memorandum from Mr. Ireland to the following effect: "ask if Mrs. Ireland can compel me to support her - get carpet bag." I know he got the carpet bag because he brought it into the office - on the back, back, Barrack street; on Saturday last he brought his Savings Bank pass book into me and requested that I should send it to Sydney so that the interest due might be added to the account, this was done and he called and got the book yesterday; from his business transactions with me he appeared perfectly reasonable and I know he was not in monetary difficulties; I have what I believe to be the deceased's will in my possession at the bank.
Elizabeth Ireland, sworn, deposed: I am the wife of the deceased Edward Ireland, and reside with him in High-street, Penrith; deceased was bout 76 years of age, and was born in Worcestershire, he leaves two daughters, both married; deceased has been very poorly, and has slept on a sofa for a night or two; he came into my room about 4 o'clock this morning, he said, "mother, I want your candle, mine has burnt out;" I said "the candle is on the drawers;" he took it and lit it in the next room, and put his big boots on; I got up when the clock struck six, and after dressing myself I did not see him in the house; I went to an out house to get some fowls' food, and there saw deceased hanging from a rafter; of late we have been living on friendly terms; the wife of deceased's son was always bothering him; he gave her 10s. a week and house to live in, and she did not cosider that enough; he told me the woman was constantly abusing him, but never intimated that he would make away with himself, the last thing I thought of; we never lived unhappily; his son's wife said he would have to support her; the document, I believe, refers to his son's wife.
The jury without retiring brought in the following verdict:
We find that the said Edward Ireland, at Penrith, in the district of Penrith, in the Colony of New South Wales, on the 17th January 1894, died from suffocation caused by hanging, and we further find that the hanging was his own act."