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The Kilpatricks and their relations, the Fairman and Crawfords, emigrated in large numbers from the area around Stranorlar, Donegal.

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Kilpatrick Family

Mary Jane Kilpatrick (1848-1924)

Mary Jane Kilpatrick was born in Teevickmoy, Donegal, Ireland. Here parents were George Kilpatrick and Janet Fairman. They were Protestants whose ancestors came from Scotland.

She married Alexander Pollock from nearby Liskeran Hill at Stranorlar, Donegal in 1870. One month later they left Ireland via England for Australia on the "Young Australia". They arrived in Moreton Bay (Brisbane) on 25 August 1870. Both Alexander and Mary Jane had close relatives who had earlier emigrated

She bore eight children, seven boys and one girl - with only five (all boys) surviving infancy. For details of where she and Alex Pollock lived in Australia and of her children - see the Pollock file. She died at Balldale in the Riverina on the 16th September 1924 aged 76 years and is buried at Hopefield Cemetery.

Her Parents

George Kilpatrick (1810-1895)

George Kilpatrick was born in Donegal and married Janet Fairman circa 1832 in Donegal. Their marriage went for 62 years. His parents were:

• John Kilpatrick
• Mary Stewart

• John & Alexander Kilpatrick farmed an 18 acre plot
• George Kilpatrick (16 acres)
• Robert Kilpatrick (11 acres); and
• Thomas Kilpatrick (39 acres).

George was a farmer in Donegal for most of his life. He arrived in Australia, as an elderly man on 30 July 1874 with his wife, four children and thirteen other relatives aboard the "Great Britian" [this sentence needs verification].

According to Allan Thompson : "... a large number of the Fairman family and their Thompson, Crawford and Kilpatrick cousins emigrated from Donegal, Ireland to Victoria, Australia; including nineteen who migrated aboard the S.S. Great Britain in 1874".

Thomas Kilpatrick - George's son / Mary Jane's brother, first settled in Victoria back in 1856.

Shortly after arrival George Kilpatrick purchased a farm at West Mooroopna where he remained until his death 31 October 1895. He is buried with his wife at Mooroopna. This online map from 1908 shows two adjoining blocks of 376 acres between Mooroopna North & Undera (once known as Mundoona) - belonging to M.J. Kilpatrick. This is his son's farm and is likely to be where George & Janet had lived.

Janet Fairman (1810 - 6 Feb 1898)

Janet Fairman was also born in Donegal. Her parents were:

• Thomas John Fairman (his father was Matthew Fairman born ca.1735)
• Elizabeth Crawford (1788-1871)

They were born and buried in Donegal.
[Note that (confusingly) Thomas John Fairman's younger sister, Elizabeth, married a Thomas John Crawford. See Alan Thompson's website.]

Janet Fairman was the eldest of six children. Her brothers and sisters were:

• Catherine Fairman (1815 - 14 Dec 1897). She married James Thompson and lived in Drumnacross, Donegal. See Alan Thompson's website for their children.
• Elizabeth Fairman (b. ca. 1816). She married George Armstrong.
• William Fairman (b. ca. 1818)
• Thomas John Fairman (1819 - 11 Feb 1902). Stayed in Donegal. For more information see Alan Thompson's website
• Matthew Fairman (1826 - 26 Oct 1900). Stayed in Donegal. For more information see Alan Thompson's website

The other children seemed to have all remained in Donegal.

[This listing from the Presbyterian congregation of Convoy, Donegal 1822 may indicate a correction is required to the above: "Thomas Fairman, wife nee Elizabeth Crawford. Children: Jane (9),Catherine, John, Thomas, Elizabeth" of Trintabee. It may also be another family.]

Alan Thompson has also written

As far as I have been able to discover, the earliest Fairman descendants to arrive in Victoria were Robert Fairman CRAWFORD and Richard CRAWFORD (sons of Thomas John CRAWFORD and Elizabeth FAIRMAN) and Thomas KILPATRICK (son of George KILPATRICK and Jane FAIRMAN) who emigrated from Donegal, Ireland and arrived in Victoria together in 1856 aboard the Mermaid. The families all initially selected land in the Lower Goulburn district of Victoria.

Janet died 6 February 1898 at the home of her daughter Mary Jane Pollock (Kilpatrick) at Kyabram, where she had been living since her husbands' death,

More information on earlier descendents of Janet Fairman can be found at Alan Thompson's excellent site on Fairman family history

The Kilpatricks in Ireland

The Kilpatricks may have been in the Teevickmoy area for a very long time. According to Pynnar's Survey 1618 of the Land Grants Given in 1608, Barony of Raphoe, Peter Benson was granted 1,500 acres of land in Dongegal and on May 1, 1616 he leased several portions of his lands as follows "--Qr. of Tevickmoy to Sir Ralph Bingley, Robert Kilpatterick, James Kilpatterick, and Archiband McMathe."

Crawford, Kilpatrick, Stewart Families and the Plantation

Although the now online 19th century family history Crawfords of Donegal, is situated mainly in a more south-western part of Donegal and doesn't directly link in with Elizabeth Crawford - it is a very interesting resource on the Plantations and the links back to Scotland. It mentions, on page 33: John Crawford of Lischieran [Liskeran] in the parish of Stranorlar, another grandson of Alexander Crawford of "The Point", who is described in the Act of Attainder of James II (1689) as John Crafford, gent, Co. Donegal.

The Tithe Applotment Survey of 1833 lists the following Crawfords at Tivickmoy - James Crawford (either two blocks of land or 2 James Crawfords); and a plot of 75 acres farmed by John and Andrew Crawford. It also lists the following Kilpatricks at Tivickmoy - George (16 acres); Robert (11 acres); Thomas (39 acres); and Alexander and John (18 acres). Also a Robert Kilpatrick at nearby Dunwilley (15 acres).

The 1857 Griffith's Valuation lists George, David and James Kilpatrick on 3 separate farms at Teevickmoy.

Thomas Kilpatrick and the Stranorlar migrations to Victoria.

Mary Jane's brother, Thomas Kilpatrick (1836-1904), was the key figure in the migration of the Kilpatricks and others (probably even the Pollocks) to Australia.

According to his obituary, he started as a young man in the cattle business between the Irish and English markets with considerable success. He journeyed to Victoria on the "Mermaid", landing 28 February 1856. He spent three to four years "colonial roughing" before returning to Ireland to marry Esther Wilson (1836-1920) and re-enter the cattle business at Stranorlar.

Thomas Kilpatrick returned to Victoria for good in 1874 bringing with him his parents, his wife and family and a number of other relatives. He selected land in the Goulburn Valley of northern Victoria at Kaarimba. However he soon moved back to business at nearby Numurkah as an auctioneer and grain buyer. He then established the firm of Kilpatrick and Co. at Nathalia.

This map of Kaarimba from 1884 shows Thomas Kilpatrick's farm of 320 acres between Kaarimba and Waaia.

Thomas and Esther had eight or nine children:

• Matthew Kilpatrick (I think this first son died early)
• William James Kilpatrick (1862-7 January 1904 at his residence "Arizona", Nathalia)
• Thomas Kilpatrick (1863-1934). Thomas (jr) (1863-1934) was a leading cattle man in Queensland, established a butter factory at Daintree near Mareeba, and was a local government councillor for 30 years. He has been dubbed the King of the Gulf
• Eliza Jane Kilpatrick (1864-1917 (Vic cert 14508); married John Campbell in 1891 who died in 1915). They lived at "Roseneath", Bunbartha.
• George Kilpatrick (1866-1916 at Urana, NSW). I believe he married Maria Hatty in 1897 at Jerilderie, whose childen included Thomas W (1900), Georgina (1902) & Alexander (1904).
• Matthew Kilpatrick (8 Dec 1875-13 Jan 1949 at Randwick). He farmed in the Berrigan/Oaklands district. He was the member for Murray in the NSW Legislative Assembly from 1920-1927 and for Wagga from 1927-1941. He was the Country Party whip for some time. Picture of Matthew Pollock.
• Mary Ann Kilpatrick (1876-21 June 1898 at Kyabram)
• Richard Thomas Kilpatrick (1878-3 Dec 1947 at Shepparton - cert 17330). He become a Member of the Legislative Council for Shepparton from 1928 to 1946. I believe his wife was Margaret Culliton and children included Bon, Carmel (Mrs J Furphy - ie John Seely Furphy), and Bobbie (Mrs Emmet Spring).
• Charles Wilson Kilpatrick (1881-1883 at Kaarimba

Esther died in July 1920 at her son Richard's house at Numurkah [The Argus 31 July 1920].

Other Brothers and Sisters of Mary Jane Kilpatrick

• Mary Kilpatrick. Listed by informant Kaye Kilpatrick as firstborn. It is likely she died young as name was "re-used" for Mary Jane.
• John Kilpatrick. Likewise likely to have died young.
• Matthew James Kilpatrick (1845-1911). Married Maysie Wemyss (1859-1919) in 1879. Was a farmer at North Mooroopna in the Goulburn Valley. They had six children.
• Elizabeth Kilpatrick (1854-1943). Married Glasgow-born John Bruce Wilson (1851-1925). They initially farmed in the Goulburn Valley before moving into NSW to farm between Finley and Berrigan (1894) and Boree Creek near Lockhart (1902).
• Catherine (Cassy) Ann Kilpatrick (1857-1899). Married William Swan at Mansfield, Victoria in 1877, and died in the Tocumwal district in 1899 (NSW cert 15384).

Thanks

Thanks to Kaye Kilpatrick and Alan Thompson

More information is available, so if you are interested contact me on neiljpollock@yahoo.com