Mary Wade Family

William Charles Hume Buckley- Babington’s parents, and Grandparents,

Daniel Buckley, the father of William Babington was born about 1832 to parents, Thomas Buckley and Julia Donnahy in Cork, Ireland. Daniel’s father Thomas Buckley was born in Cork about 1802, he worked as a Miller.

Thomas Buckley got into trouble with the law when he stole provisions to help feed his family, he was given a sentence of seven years and he was transported to Sydney Australia on the convict ship ‘Blenheim’, he arrived on the 22nd of March 1834.

Thomas Buckley was married to Julia Donnahy, Julia was born about 1808 at Cork Ireland. Thomas and Julia had two children, Daniel born about 1832, and Catherine. Five years into his sentence Thomas applied to have his wife and children join him in Australia, this was accepted. Julia and her son Daniel arrived in Sydney on the ship the ‘Isabella 11’ on the 24th July 1840. Daniel was 8 years old at this time, his sister Catherine remained behind in Ireland.

One can only imagine their shock and grief on arrival, to be told that Thomas Buckley had died three months before, in December 1839 at Newcastle.

The new arrivals were required to leave their ships within ten days. Sydney had no cheap hostels, penniless girls with few possessions were camping in two large Government-owned tents in the Domain or sleeping in doorways, while they tried to find work. This was the situation Julia and her 8 year old son Daniel would have faced when they arrived in Sydney, with no one to meet them.

Caroline Chisholm was outraged to see how single women or widows who immigrated of their own free will were treated, Governor Gipps allowed Caroline Chisholm to use the deserted Immigration Barracks in Bent Street, which was a 45 foot long draughty Shed, it was built from wooden slabs with a dirt floor. Caroline Chisholm met every ship that arrived, taking girls, women and children who had no one to meet them back to the Barracks.

Caroline found these women work and a safe place to stay, Julia Buckley and her son Daniel were placed with George Babington as his housekeeper, they lived on the Sydney Road at Gunning N.S.W.. No record of marriage can be found, that of course is not to say they had not married.

George and Julia’s first child Elizabeth, was born on the 14th of June 1844, their second child George was born on the 6th of January 1846.

In 1849 George, Julia and their three children moved to Albury N.S.W. where George continued work as a Blacksmith. George died at Albury on the 16th of August 1853, he was 45 years old. Julia Babington found work as a Domestic Servant at Beechworth Victoria, she died at Beechworth on the 21st of July 1881, she was 73 years old.

Thomas Buckley and Julia Babington’s son Daniel remained in Albury, Daniel worked as a Blacksmith.

On the 25th of October 1857 Daniel Buckley married Ellen Sherry in the Roman Catholic Church at Albury by Father Cornelius Twomey, Daniel was 26 and Ellen was 21 years old.

Ellen Buckley lost many babies, some early in her pregnancies while others went full term, the first child to survive was a girl, Hanna Catherine, she was born in her home in Townsend St Albury in the year of 1865.

On the 24th of March 1870, William Charles Hume Buckley was born in his home in Townsend St. Albury, Daniel and Ellen now had two healthy children.

Sadly on the 16th of January 1874, Ellen Buckley died in her home in Townsend St. Albury, giving birth to twin boys, John and Daniel, only John survived, Ellen was 39 years old. Hanna would have been 9 and William 4 years old at this time.

Hanna Catherine Buckley died at Beechworth on the 1st of April 1881, she was only 16 years old. Hanna’s grandmother Julia Babington died three months later on the 21st of July 1881, also at Beechworth Vic.

In 1882, one year after the death of his daughter and mother, Daniel has left Albury, he left his son William with the Culnane family at Morven, and he and his younger son John have moved to Croydon in the Colony of Queensland, where he continued working as a Blacksmith. Daniel lived in Croydon for 11 years, until his death on the 4th of March 1893, he was 62 years old, Daniel never remarried.

At some point in his life William Charles Hume Buckley has adopted his grandfather’s name of Babington