James Ward (HN:127)

Death

Although just 47 years of age, James appears to have experienced declining mental health.

A case of lunacy was brought under notice last week, when James Ward, an old resident of Tamleugh, was brought into Violet Town, and sent to the asylum at Beechworth.

Grant of Administration

The Grant of Administration for James Ward is highly informative regarding the original Rathwood family of John Ward & Margaret O'Shea. James had no children, which meant his parents and siblings were all named in the Administration. The extract below from the document speaks for itself.

IN THE ESTATE OF James Ward late of Violet Town in the Colony of Victoria farmer deceased intestate

I William Ward of Hawke Street West Melbourne in the Colony of Victoria Laborer make oath and say

That the above named James Ward died on the twenty first day of March One thousand eight hundred and eighty nine at Violet Town aforesaid intestate

The said James Ward deceased left him surviving

• John Ward of Violet Town in the Colony of Victoria farmer a brother of the said deceased
• Margaret Ward of Murroa County Limerick Ireland mother of the said deceased
• William Ward of Erroll Street Hotham Melbourne Laborer
• Michael Ward of (address unknown) New South Wales farmer
• Bridget Maloney (formerly Bridget Ward) wife of (name unknown) of Murroa aforesaid farmer
• Margaret (name unknown) (formerly Margaret Ward) of address unknown North America and
• Thomas Ward of Murroa aforesaid farmer

brothers and sisters of the said deceased all of the age of twenty one and who were his only next of kin entitled by law to a share in his property.

That I am the eldest brother of the said James Ward deceased and as such I claim to be entitled to administration of his estate.

Although there are individual pieces of evidence that when assembled provide the connection for the above family members as they moved onto Australia or the US or remained in Limerick, this single document provides evidence that:

• Four sons of John Ward and Margaret O'Shea being William, Michael, James and John, emigrated to Australia
• Margaret Ward emigrated to North America
• Thomas remained in Rathwood on the family farm
• No other sibling survived until age 21, being Patrick, Thady, Mary and Thadius in addition to the known infant deaths of the first Patrick and Margaret.