Catherine Caroline HANRAN

Catherine Caroline Hanran and Her Husband Joseph William Moses

Francis and Bridget were parents to three sons and two daughters (see Bridget’s death certificate). They were Michael, John and Patrick Francis, Ellen and Catherine. Much is known about the lives and the descendants of John and Patrick Francis Hanran, both born in Ireland, as they were prominent in public life in Ipswich and Townsville, in Queensland. Their lives were chronicled in “The Hanran Pioneers and Their Descendants–Our Irish and Australian Links” published in 2000, by Raymond and Sheila Thurlow. Ellen, on the other hand, was born in Chester, Cheshire, England during the time that Francis was awaiting departure to Chatham to rendezvous with his regiment and await further orders as guard to escort the convict transport Norfolk to the then Colony of New South Wales. The Hanrans arrived in Australia in September 1835 with Ellen aged 14 months. By 1840 Francis had “become infirm and subject to severe pains of the extremities, aggravated by exposure to cold or atmospherical changes; he is worn out and permanently unfit for the Service”. Francis and his family returned to England on board the "Trusty”. He was awarded a military pension on 14th October 1840 and officially discharged from the army.

The Only Australian-Born Child of Five

The family was destined to return to these shores to rejoin their sons Michael and John who had remained in Australia during their year away in England. Francis, Bridget, Patrick Francis (now aged 10) and Ellen (now aged 7) emigrated from England aboard the “William Sharples” on 24 October 1841. Their youngest child Catherine, having the privilege of being the only Australian-born child, was born in Sydney in 1842 during the few short years Francis spent as a self-employed commission agent on Sussex Street, in Sydney’s Darling Harbour. Sadly, Francis died suddenly in 1849 at the very early age of 48. After his demise, Bridget remained in Sydney to take care of her young daughter, Catherine who, at this stage, was a mere seven year old. After an absence of 13 years in the goldfields—seven in Victoria and six in New Zealand, Patrick Francis returned to Sydney to marry in 1864. No sooner had he returned than he was managing the Nelson hotel, corner of William and Duke Streets, Woolloomooloo. Within a year, Bridget, who was residing at the Nelson Hotel, died on 29 August 1865.

John, having married in 1848 had, by this time, settled in Queensland. Ellen, having married two years later and now living in Ballarat, Victoria, the young twenty year old Catherine now without any family ties to Sydney, moved to Ipswich, Queensland possibly at the same time that “PF” and his wife ventured north, en route to Townsville. It was while Catherine worked as a domestic for her brother John and his wife Jane (Ogle) in their “North Star” hotel in Ipswich, that she married Joseph Moses, a Coachman, on 6 August, 1866, in St Paul’s Anglican Church, Brisbane Street, Ipswich, one year after the death of her mother Bridget in Sydney. The older brother, Michael, is also known to have been in Ipswich in 1850 but it is not clear when he arrived or when he left to return to Sydney where he married in 1853.

A closer look at Catherine and Joseph’s Queensland marriage certificate reveals a couple of irregularities that he may not have disclosed to her before marrying. Firstly, at “thirty” years of age, Joseph would have had to be born in 1836, whereas the Tasmanian register records his birth as 1829. Also it is on record that he arrived in Sydney as a youngster with his mother Sarah (née Brown) from Hobart Town in 1833 aboard the “Enchantress”. Secondly, although Joseph stated on his marriage certificate that he was a “bachelor” at the time of his marriage to Catherine, there is evidence that his first marriage was in 1850, to Emma Mary Armfield in the Presbyterian Church in Yass, NSW. This is where his father Moses Moses was publican of the Yass Inn, once described as “the best hotel out of Sydney”. To date, no evidence has been found of Emma’s demise nor of any divorce proceedings. There were three children from this marriage—Sarah (1852), Isaac (1857) and Moses Moses (1859), all born in NSW.

Melbourne, Glen Innes, Armidale ...

Catherine and Joseph were living in Melbourne when their three sons were born—Joseph Albert Moses in 1867; Sydney Abraham Moses in 1869 (Collingwood); and Francis Patrick Moses in 1873. Joseph’s work at this time was as the manager of the Melbourne Omnibus Company which was formed in 1857.

Joseph’s involvement in the coach business steered the family in 1875 to Glen Innes, NSW where he was appointed General Manager, Cobb & Co. Apparently they were quite successful, as Joseph was soon listed as a ratepayer in the town and in 1881 was lessee of the renamed Tattersalls' Hotel in Armidale. Catherine, we learn later, had an interest in some land in Pond Street (now West Avenue) in Glen Innes at the time of her demise. This land now houses the “New England Club”. One might have to assume here that Catherine’s real property interest was acquired as a beneficiary of her father’s Will of 22 February 1849 which provided for the distribution of a one-third share to each of Patrick Francis, Ellen and Catherine upon their mother’s demise (1865).

After 18 months of ill-health, Catherine was aged only 37 when she succumbed to “consumption” on 30th November 1879 in Armidale. Although burial was advertised to take place in Armidale, there is no clear record today of her place of interment. 

Catherine's funeral notice follows:

“We regret to have to chronicle the death of Mrs J Moses, wife of Mr J Moses, General Manager for Cobb and Co. The deceased lady departed this life last Sunday morning, after ailing for some time from an incurable complaint. The funeral, which took place on Monday afternoon, was numerously attended, and the burial service was impressively read by Father O’Connor.” (Armidale Express, 5th December 1879)

Catherine died intestate.