Ellen HANRAN

Ellen Hanran and Her Husband Joseph Stanley

Baptised in Chester

Today the surname “Hanran” seems simple to understand, but over the years it has caused much confusion. Originally, the family name in Ireland was written “Hanrahan”, but once they became “world travellers”, the variations began—Henran, Hanaran, Hanaron, Hanoren, Hannan, Hannah, Hammon, and even the intriguing French variation of “Henri “ as evidenced on Ellen’s baptismal records in the Catholic parish of St Werburg, Chester, Cheshire, England.

Francis and Bridget Hanran were parents to three sons and two daughters (see Bridget’s death certificate). Ellen, the first daughter, was born on 19 March 1834 in Chester City in Cheshire, England. Ellen, or Helen, as her name appears in some records was baptised on 23 March 1834, her godparents being Patrick Callagan and Bridget Stullarm.

"Transported" to Australia

Baby Ellen together with her parents and older brothers sailed from Sheerness, England on 14 May 1835, on board the convict transport “Norfolk”. Francis, who was with the 28th (North Gloucestershire) Regiment of Foot, had been assigned to the guard to escort convicts to Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania) and later to take charge of convicts in New South Wales. From the ship surgeon’s report on Bridget’s ill-health during the voyage to Australia, we learn that Bridget was “a weakly woman, mother of three children, [and] one of 14 months, now at her breast” (daughter Ellen). Their second daughter, Catherine, was later born in Australia in 1842, only seven years before Francis’ death.

The family returned to England in 1840 on board the “Trusty” as Francis “had become infirm and subject to severe pains of the extremities ..... he is worn out and permanently unfit for the service”. Francis was awarded a military pension on 14th October 1840 and officially discharged from the army on the grounds of ill health.

Australia Beckons

Apparently life in Australia was more to the family’s liking, as Francis, Bridget and Patrick Francis (now aged 10) and Ellen (now aged 7) emigrated from England aboard the “William Sharples” on 24 October 1841¹, arriving in Sydney as bounty immigrants in the following January after a sea voyage of 95 days. The family resided near Sydney's Darling Harbour where Francis set up a business as a commission agent. At that time the wharves were a hive of activity and very much the city's commercial heart for the conduct of daily business. Transportation to the colony of New South Wales was abolished in 1840.

Sadly Francis died in 1849 at the very early age of 48.

Ellen (Hanran) and Joseph Stanley

Within a few years payable gold was being discovered in Victoria and to a lesser extent in New South Wales. Instead of convicts, the sailing ships arriving at Botany Bay were soon disembarking thousands of prospectors en route to the goldfields. Although his arrival has not been documented, this could well be the reason for Joseph Stanley's arrival in Australia. He and Ellen married on 23 December 1850 in Sydney's Pitt Street Scot's Presbyterian Church. Witnesses to their marriage were William and Catherine (Ogle) Trayner. Interestingly, the Ogle connection is a strong one because both of Ellen’s brothers (John [1848] and Patrick Francis [1864]) married Ogle sisters (Jane and Mary Anne).

Joseph was born in Hull, Yorkshire, England in 1821, and is recorded as having been a stonemason as well as a miner. Apparently Joseph was unable to read or write, as he signed the birth certificate of his youngest daughter Mary Isabel with an “X”.

Records suggest that Ellen and Joseph lived in Sydney (possibly at Camperdown) for a few years as they became parents of Bridget Ellen and Ellen Frances whose births were registered in Sydney in 1851 and 1854 respectively. Gold fever was gripping the colonies and no doubt acted as the catalyst to move the family to Ballarat where three more children were born—Joseph in 1856, Job in 1858 and Patrick Sydney in 1866. Ellen's brother "PF" is also reported to have been present at Ballarat at the time of the Eureka Stockade in 1854 and probably with his encouragement and Joseph's yet unfulfilled wish to strike it rich, the Stanleys finally made the break in search of their fortune. Michael, her eldest brother had married in Sydney in 1853 and by 1855 he, too, was on to the gold fields of Victoria where, after a very brief time, he died in 1855.

New Zealand Goldfields

Just as "PF" crossed the Tasman Sea to try his luck at New Zealand's goldfields, so too did the Stanley family, for shipping records show that Joseph, Ellen, and their surviving children Ellen, age 11, Joseph age 9, and Job age 7, sailed from Melbourne's Hobson's Bay in June 1866 aboard the "South Australian" to the port of Hokitika on the west coast of New Zealand's south island. Patrick Sydney, who was only a babe in arms, is not listed among the embarking passengers as it was the custom of the time that infants of that age were rarely listed. We can only assume that Joseph followed the gold to New Zealand², finding employment as a miner, as the family eventually settled in Greymouth, and before too long Ellen and Joseph's family increased with the arrival of seven more children, some of whom did not survive infancy.

A Family of Eleven or More?

Jennett (1870) was born in Hokitika, Westland, NZ; the twins Bridget and Catherine (1872), an unnamed child (1873), Charles Watson (1874), and Mary Isabel (1876) were born in Greymouth, also on the west coast of the south island of New Zealand.

Joseph died in Greymouth on 28th January, 1895, and was buried in Karoro, while Ellen lived until 24th April 1917. She is also buried in Karoro.

Ellen and Joseph’s 11 known children with birth and death dates are listed below:

01. Bridget Ellen, 1851-1854
02. Ellen Frances (later Watson), 1854-1906
03. Joseph, 1856-1940
04. Job, 1858-1928
05. Patrick Sydney, 1866-1939
06. Jennett, 1870-
07. Bridget, 1872-1872 (twin)
08. Catherine, 1872-1873 (twin)
09. ?, c1873-
10. Charles Watson, 1874-1927
11. Mary Isabel (later Brown), 1876-

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¹ According to the 1841 census for Lancashire the family was found to be residing in Liverpool.² Index to Outward Passengers to Interstate, UK, NZ and Foreign Ports 1852-1896. New Zealand's West Coast Times in June 1866 (Hokitika shipping monthly reports) announces the Foreign Arrivals:The SS South Australian left Hobson Bay on the 13th June 1866 in strong easterly breezes and fine weather, cleared the heads at 7.30pm and Bass Strait in the morning. On the 15th the wind hauled into westward and commenced to blow up, the sea rapidly rising and by the next day increased into a severe gale attended by a cross sea.On the 17th it blew a hurricane, the sea being terrific and as running the vessel with safety was impossible, she bought to wind under storm canvas and the engines stopped. She remained hove to until 7am the next day when the gale moderated, she was kept away again and at 4pm sighted land at Chalky Inlet and Dog Island light at 10pm. Not deeming it safe to run through the Straits in the dark hove-to until daylight, and then kept on course and the passage through safely effected.Bluff Harbour was reached at 7am on the 19th where she discharged 60 tons of cargo and left for Otago at 4.50pm arriving at Port Chalmers at 7am the next day. On the 23rd at 5.30 she left for a pleasant run of 16 ½ hours and anchored at Lyttelton. At 10am on the 24th arrived Wellington leaving at 5pm the same day experiencing a strong head wind and sea. Sailed for Nelson on the evening 26th, arriving at 4pm on the 27th. Left for Hokitika 8am the next day and rounded to off the bar at noon on the 29th, strong South Westerly breezes and heavy seas having prevailed throughout the passage.On communicating with shore she found the bar impassable so stood to sea and hove-to during a heavy gale on the 30th, which was accompanied by tremendous squalls and high sea.On the 1st July she ran in but although the weather was fine she was unable to communicate with shore, save by signal, through the heavy surf running. The day after the bar was pronounced passable. She was waited upon by the Lioness Steam tug and relieved of 150 passengers. The South Australian brings 40 tons of cargo for this port, which with weather permitting will be landed today.Suggested further reading: My Way, a biography by Bryce Stanley, dedicated to the memory of Jennifer Elizabeth Stanley (née Smith).

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