The Considine’s came from Sixmilebridge in the parish of Kilfinaghta, County Clare.
Michael Considine is the patriarch of the family. He married Bridget McMahon (unverified) around 1810.
A Michael Considine appears in Quin court records on the 18th Nov 1851 appearing as a defence witness for Thomas Cullen, a paper manufacturer from Sixmilebridge, who was charged with using insulting and threatening language to the Officer of Excise at Sixmilebridge.
There are four children we know born to them, most likely all in Sixmilebridge where Michael was a farmer. There may be other children, but as baptism records for this parish are not available we can only guess.
There are certainly other Considine individuals who appear in later Sixmilebridge records.
The four known children are: Patrick (c1812), Bridget (c1817), Margaret (c1818) & Ellen (c1820)
All four of these children immigrated to Australia.
Patrick and Ellen arrived via the Strathfieldsaye on 30th Jan 1838. Patrick was with his wife, Honorah and six year old son, Michael. Ellen is recorded as an 18 year old housemaid, sister of Patrick.
Both Patrick and Ellen settle in the Goulburn area and have children born there.
It is logical to assume that they immigrated and settled in Goulburn on the recommendation of their sisters, Bridget & Margaret, who already lived there.
It is not known when Margaret or Bridget arrived, though we know Bridget married in 1836 so it was obviously before that.
Bridget & Margaret may have immigrated to NSW together, and may have been part of the Irish single woman migration that took place around that time.
Bridget arrived on the `Duchess of Northumberland’ on 3rd Oct 1836.
In just over two months later, she marries the ex-convict Robert Humphries. We know these single Catholic women were brought out to NSW as housemaids and servants, and were also expected to marry soon and start a family. They had four children all born in Goulburn.
Of Margaret, the first record we find of her is also in Goulburn, in 1839, when she gives birth to an illegitimate child named Henry. Henry’s death record shows his name as ‘Henry Faithfull’, with his father as William Faithfull. This would suggest that Margaret was living at ‘Springfield’ farm, near Goulburn, in 1838 when she falls pregnant to William Faithfull, one of the family living at the farm.
The 1841 NSW census records those living at ‘Springfield’ farm at that time. Both the Moore family and the Faithfull family are shown as residents of the farm, with a total of 32 people living there, including farm hands/servants etc. One of those is undoubtedly Margaret, who by this time had married John Moore from the farm. She bore nine children to John Moore. Research done by others has her in Goulburn area at least until 1844, before moving to Victoria with her husband and family. She died in Wangaratta in 1895.
Of Patrick we know that he and Honorah had four other children born in Goulburn before he died there in 1853, with Honorah dying the year before. It is not known who took care of the young children.
Ellen also married in Goulburn, in 1839. She married Christopher Grere Cook. They had seven children born in Goulburn before moving to Wangaratta, and having another four children. She died in Wangaratta in 1902. They also appear in the 1841 NSW census.