34. Images Tell Stories - Part 4

Mr Thomas Edwin MacNevin - Police Magistrate, Coroner & Author
 
Thomas Edwin MacNevin P.M
1844-1907

Last night, I finally found him!!!
I found an image of a family member that I have been searching for over 5 years. A "eureka" moment.

Born in Dublin - Ireland under a Catholic following, Thomas's parents were Richard Charles MacNevin & Julia Waring.
Thomas was born a few months before a very difficult time in Ireland, The Great Hunger or The Famine. I was to learn a while ago, how much Thomas's Father applied himself to one of Ireland's greatest tragedy's.

Richard was a noted Solicitor/Barrister and was based at 8 Middle Gardiner Street. One could only image, that things didn't hit them as hard, as it was in the Western part of Ireland.

Richard wrote a book, on how to deal with the lands and or the absentee landlords in a civil lawful way. It was a guide on how to sell or obtain lands through the judicial process.
I am in 2 minds on how the book was written, I don't know if Richard wrote it from his heart and the best for Ireland (or the UK), or if he wrote it to help out the Landlords of both sides of the UK (did the hierarchy of Parliament get in Richards ear??).

The resultant of the Famine, created a mass evacuation of people leaving such a green land and moving offshore to escape it's horrid conditions. If you stayed or couldn't leave, you faced almost a horrid death by starvation, or indeed put to work in building infrastructure to earn your keep. A nation's population was culled by a disease - and yes, by all accounts, the Government at the time are also to blame for such a tragedy, by not helping it's people in Ireland.
Thomas's Father and Grandfather (Daniel), were very deeply rooted to the Catholic Cause, as they were very close to the Great Emancipator - Daniel O'Connell. Assisting him in his adventures, whether it be politically or by friendly motives. Towards the end of Daniel O'Connell's life, the MacNevin's turned against him, almost in despising/disowning him. I am trying to see if anything of this nature, filtered down to Thomas, from his Father and Grandfather. Thomas would have been too young to understand it, but he would have learnt about in in future years.

Thomas's Uncle - Thomas MacNevin Esq, was a Poet and an Irish Nationalist, who formed part of the Movement known as "Young Ireland". He worked with Davis, Duffy, Dillon and a few others to name a few. But his Uncle Thomas, died just before the failed 1848 uprising (he was mentally affected by Davis's death).

I am still learning about the resultant of the Famine with this family, but these MacNevin's are helping me in such a way, that it is going much deeper into the Core, of what was going on.
Famine, Daniel O'Connell, Young Ireland Movement, it's all there with this family.

Thomas's upbringing in the Solicitor/Barrister/Law world, was probably his ultimate building blocks to his career as a Judge later in life. Nothing is known about his early life in Dublin.

Whilst in Ireland, Thomas's mother (Julia) dies and Richard remarries to Anne Hamilton. It wasn't until a few months ago, with some help, that I finally figured out where the 2 ladies fitted in to Thomas's life as initial thoughts that we were descended off Anne.

In 1864, his Father - Richard dies and it somehow seems that Thomas decides to head to Australia. Not sure why, but can only imagine that his stepmother may have decided he needed more of a Manly influence?
With help, it was told to me that Thomas's Maternal Uncle - Caulfield Waring, was in Queensland at the time.
This was the area that Thomas first landed.
Soon after he landed in Queensland, he meets Edith Ashworth Snape and marries her.
Thomas and Edith then move to Sydney about a year after they were married and it's where their children are brought up.
They have 7 Children, but only 5 survive childhood. Richard Thomas, Charles Edwin Ashworth, Edith Mary, William Augustine and Philip Bowen. A boy and a girl were born, but I think they may been stillborns?

In 1889, Edith died.

But just 2-3 years later, Thomas remarried to Alice Maud Juckes. Believe the marriage produced no children.

Philip Bowen MacNevin
with his daughter Dorothy May MacNevin
(My Great Grandmother)

The youngest son of Thomas & Edith, Philip Bowen, is my 2nd Great Grandfather and in a way, he is a very mysterious person.
I am in belief that Philip and the family, may have become estranged, as I can find no communication with them, during his life. Philip never became what his Father was. Philip seemed to hit the Shipping/Naval style of life as a waiter/pantry hand/labourer of sorts, both on local and international ships. I can trace a point in time, where Philip was in Sydney around the time of his Father's death, but that's about it.

Throughout his career, Thomas E. MacNevin, becomes quite involved with the judicial system whilst in Sydney. He almost gets the Under Secretary job to the Head of the Justice Department, but is overlooked for that role. He becomes a Police Magistrate and a Coroner. He writes a booklet, to help the Police and Coroner's on how to do their jobs. I'm pretty certain he learnt this skill from his Father.
His court appearances were mainly at the Parramatta Court House, but he did spend time at other, closely located Court Houses. 

Something that I have learnt a lot about and has been sitting in the wind with this line of MacNevin's, is that I don't see any sentiments of hard core Irish Nationalism coming through. In all of the court cases I have seen with Thomas presiding, none of the Irish Nationalism or Young Irelander sentiments, come through on his decisions. I am trying to differentiate Thomas and his Father, with his Uncle on being part of the Young Ireland movement.
It seems that Thomas Edwin, most definitely held un-biased opinions or decisions with the court cases.
Almost as if both Protestant and Catholic persons that were tried in his court, were treated equally in handing down a sentence.
Thomas was held in very high regard with his peers.

Thomas died in 1907, in Sydney. He is buried in Rookwood Cemetery.

The historical significance to this family, is quite mind boggling. And the countless hours of research to find them, is all worth it.