Michael O'Brien (abt. 1833 - 1925)

Born about 1833 in Drumintee, Armagh, Ireland

Ancestors

Husband of Eliza (Carew) O'Brien — married 29 Jan 1865 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Descendants

Died 21 Dec 1925 at about age 92 in Rochester, Victoria, Australia

Problems/Questions Profile manager: A O'Brien [send private message]

Biography

Michael O'Brien was born in Ireland.

Birth Michael was born about 1833 the son of Owen O'Brien and Bridget Finegan.^[1]

Residence In 1851, at the age of 16, Michael resided at Aghadavoyle, Armagh, Ireland. ^[2][3][4]

Michael O'Brien migrated from Ireland to Australia.

Immigration Michael immigrated to Australia, sometime between 1851 and 1865.

Marriage Michael (aged 31 years) married Eliza Carew (aged 21 years) on 29 January 1865 in at St Francis' Catholic Church, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The marriage witnesses were Richard Leahy and Joanna [Furlong?]. ^[5][6]

Accident and loss of eyesight In 1872, Michael O'Brien lost his sight in a blasting accident. On 16 August 1872, the Geelong Advertiser reported on the accident:

"A serious blasting accident occurred at Mount Gellibrand, on Wednesday afternoon, to a laborer named Michael O'Brien, while at work with some others on a contract let by the Colac Shire Council, for the formation of a road between some paddocks belonging to the Hon. Mr Strachan. They were cutting through some barriers of rock, and having made a bore about twenty inches deep, O'Brien was engaged tamping, when the blast suddenly exploded in his face. The injuries resulting were of a painful, as well as serious character, the whole of his face being closely perforated with the powder, his eyes swollen to such an extent that since the occurrence he has been completely blind; two of the fingers of his right hand smashed, and the palm of the left badly hurt. He was at once conveyed to Geelong, and yesterday (Thursday) morning admitted to the hospital. Hopes are indulged that the unfortunate man will be able to regain his sight, but as yet, owing to the inflammation that has supervened, the extent of the injuries to his eyes cannot be definitely ascertained. O'Brien can only attribute the explosion to the friction of powder, for although he used an iron rod, there was fully ten inches of the tamping material, composed of the outside crust of the rock, above the charge at the time it ignited. Fifteen years ago, while digging a well on a farm, he met with a similar accident, and on that occasion narrowly escaped being deprived of his sight." ^[7]

A related letter to the editor from the Bendigo Advertiser, 20 August 1872, page 2:

TAMPING AND ITS CONSEQUENCES.
(To the Editor of the Bendigo Advertiser.)
Sir, - For the benefit of those gentlemen who so strenuously oppose the idea of substituting a more simple and less danger-method, than the highly dangerous "tamping" of charges, I beg to call attention to an accident which occurred at Mout Gellibrand on Wednesday, by which one Michael O'Brien while engaged in tamping a hole of blast-ing received severe injuries, probably the loss of eyesight, and possibly the future use of his hands. O'Brien "can only attribute the explosion to the friction of the powder, for, although he used an iron rod, there was fully then inches of the tamping material above the charge at the time it ignited." This requires no comment from
S. W. V. ^[8]

A follow-up article in the Geelong Advertiser on 2 November 1872 detailed how fellow contractors donated money to help Michael and his family:

"A very praiseworthy act was done on Friday by a contractor, named Dixon, who applied to the Winchelsea Shire Council to allow him payment for ten yards of surplus metal, and promising, if they did so, to give the amount, £2, to his unfortunate fellow contractor, Michael O'Brien, who about six weeks ago lost his eye-sight through a blasting accident. This is indeed brotherly feeling, Dixon being only a poor man, and as the unfortunate man, O'Brien, has a large family, whom, owing to the accident, he can in no way assist, a hope has been expressed that more wealthy men, who have not yet done so, will forward contributions to the surveyors of the Winchelsea or of the Colac Shire Council. We understand that Mr G. F. Belcher will be happy to receive subscriptions in Geelong." ^[9]

From Geelong Advertiser, 2 November 1872, page 3:

WINCHELSEA SHIRE COUNCIL.
Friday, November 1st.
...
From Thomas Dixon, asking, in the interest of charity, that the council would allow him for ten yards of metal, the proceeds to be given to Michael O'Brien, the man who nearly lost his sight throngh a blasting accident. The council agreed to the request. ^[10]

At that time Michael and his family lived at Karngun, near Winchelsea, Victoria, on land adjoining that held by good friend James Watson. In 1873, both Michael O'Brien and James Watson selected adjoining blocks of land in the parish of Pannoobamawm and moved their families north in 1874. Michael and Eliza spent the rest of their lives in that area of northern Victoria. ^[11]

Dr Mark O'Brien (1913-2010) (son of John O'Brien, grandson of Michael O'Brien) wrote of Michael's later years in an O'Brien family history in 1987:

"The Seiersen girls spent much time with the old people and Josephine Renfrey (O'Brien) as a young girl did accompany them in this task. Josephine told me that Michael remained a very upright Irish Catholic - he loved his mother, had disagreements with his father who may have been a 'north' man and was hostile to his sister Bridget for marrying in the Presbyterian Church. During his last years his routine was: early morning Mass if somebody could take him, light the fires at home, gather the eggs, have breakfast and then walk around his surrounding verandah saying the Rosary - probably 15 decades." ^[11]

Death Michael died in 21 December 1925 at Rochester, Victoria, Australia. Aged 92. ^{[12] [1][13][14]}

Burial Michael was buried at Pine Grove (Pannoobamawm) Cemetery, Pine Grove, Victoria, Australia. ^[15]

Will In his Will, dated 8 October 1924, Michael gave...

"to the Parish Priest of St Joseph's Church Rochester, a sum of twenty pounds for masses for the repose of my soul...To the Parish Priest of St Joseph's Church, Rochester, a sum of twenty pounds for masses for the repose of the soul of my said wife"

A Codicil to the Will dated 26 November 1924 changed this bequest slightly:

"I direct that the two legacies of twenty pounds each left to the Parish Priest of St Joseph's Church Rochester shall be reduced to fifteen pounds each and I bequeath ten pounds to the Mother Superior Brigidine Convent Rochester."

Other bequests show a charitable nature and a concern that Masses be offered for the repose of the souls of others in his family:

"To the Parish Priest of Werribee a sum of ten pounds for masses for the repose of the soul of my brother Thomas O'Brien and my sister Mary O'Brien late of Werribee To the Treasurer or other proper officer of the Order of Crusaders of the Holy Land Commissariat, The Friary, Waverley, Sydney, a sum of nine pounds being one pound each for masses for the repose of the souls of the following persons - my father Owen O'Brien my mother Bridget O'Brien, my brother Hugh O'Brien, my brother John O'Brien and his wife Margaret both late of Bendigo, my sister Bridget Shaw late of Bunbury Western Australia, my wife Eliza O'Brien, and myself Michael O'Brien - and my son Michael late of Pine Grove. To the Treasurer of the Broadmeadows Orphanage a sum of six pounds ten shillings To Charles Gleeson of the Presbytery Rochester Student a sum of five pounds." ^[16]

Memorial prayer card

Memorial prayer card for Michael and Elizabeth O'Brien (front)

Memorial prayer card for Michael and Elizabeth O'Brien (back)

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Death - Certificate: Victoria, Australia, death certificate 15263(1925), Michael O'Brien, Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, Melbourne. Age at death 92 in 1925, so his calculated year of birth is about 1833. Michael's mother's name is incorrectly given as Mary McAllister rather than Bridget Finegan. Mary McAllister is believed by family oral history to be Michael's grandmother, the mother of his father Owen O'Brien.
2. ↑ Ireland Census Search Forms: "Ireland Census Search Forms, 1841 and 1851," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV9D-STLX : 6 February 2023), Michael Breen Or O'Brien in entry for Mary Breen Or O'Brien, Killevy, Armagh, Ireland; from database by FindMyPast and images digitized by FamilySearch; citing 1851 census, Aghadavoyle townland, household ID 18612, The National Archives of Ireland, Dublin; FHL microfilm 7,246,686.
3. ↑ Ireland Census Search Forms: National Archives of Ireland, "1841 / 1851 Census Search Forms," database, National Archives of Ireland. (http://censussearchforms.nationalarchives.ie/search/cs/details.jsp?id=18612 : accessed 28 April 2019), entry for Mary Breen or O'Brien, 1851, Aghadavoyle, Armagh.
4. ↑ Ireland Census Search Forms: Ancestry.com. Ireland, Census Search Forms, 1841-1851 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2021.Original data: Dublin, Ireland: Microfilm of original records held at the National Archives of Ireland. Microfilm of original records at the National Archives; Dublin, Ireland; Ireland Census Search Forms Search: Image 1191 of 1345. Accessed on ancestry.com.au, May 2022.
   • View Ancestry au Record 62026 #65066 (requires subscription).
   • View free Ancestry Sharing Link on ancestry.com.au,

   Name: Michael Breen
   [Michael OBrien]
   Age: 16
   Birth Date: abt 1835
   Residence Date: 1851
   Residence Place: Aghadavoyle, Killevy, Armagh, Ireland
   Residence Barony: Upper Orior
   Father:
   Owen Breen
   Mother:
   Brigid Finegan
   Household Members Age
   Mary Breen
   Michael Breen 16
   Thomas Breen 15
   John Breen 9
   Hugh Breen 6
   Brigid Breen 12
   Owen Breen
   Brigid Finegan
   

5. ↑ Marriage - Certificate: Victoria, Australia, marriage certificate 572(1865), Michael O'Brien and Eliza Carew, Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, Melbourne.
6. ↑ Marriage: "Historical index", database, Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages Victoria(https://my.rio.bdm.vic.gov.au/efamily-history/- : accessed 28 December 2022), entry for marriage of Eliza Carew and Michael O'Brian, 1865/572; citing marriage certificate of Eliza Carew and Michael O'Brian, married 1865, Victoria, Australia.Family name CAREW Given name(s) Eliza Event marriage Spouse's family name OBRIAN Spouse's given name(s) Michael Reg. year 1865 Reg. number 572/1865.
7. ↑ Newspaper - Article: "Town Talk," Geelong Advertiser, 16 August 1872, p. 2, cols. 5-6; image copy, National Library of Australia, Trove (http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article147371869 : accessed 27 April 2019), Newspapers.
8. ↑ Newspaper: "TAMPING AND ITS CONSEQUENCES.", Bendigo Advertiser, 20 August 1872, p. 2, col. 6; digital images, National Library of Australia,Trove(https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/87975336 : accessed 15 June 2024).
9. ↑ Newspaper - Article: "Town Talk," Geelong Advertiser, 2 November 1872, p. 2, col. 6; image copy, National Library of Australia, Trove (http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article150400113: accessed 27 April 2019), Newspapers.
10. ↑ Newspaper: "WINCHELSEA SHIRE COUNCIL.", Geelong Advertiser, 2 November 1872, p. 3, col. 3; digital images, National Library of Australia,Trove(https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/150400093 : accessed 15 June 2024).
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1} Family History: O'Brien, Dr M. Mark, Early O'Brien History, 1987, p.5. Photocopy held by A. O'Brien, 2024.
12. ↑ Death: "Historical index", database, Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages Victoria (https://my.rio.bdm.vic.gov.au/efamily-history/- : accessed 6 May 2022), entry for death of Michael O'Brien, 15263 / 1925; citing death certificate of Michael O'Brien, died 1925, Rochester, Victoria, Australia. Family name OBRIEN Given name(s) Michael Event death Mother's name Mary Mother's family name at birth MCALLISTER Father's name OBRIEN Owen Place of death ROCHESTER, Australia Age at death 92 Reg. year 1925 Reg. number 15263 / 1925. (Note: Michael's mother's name is incorrectly given as Mary McAllister rather than Bridget Finegan. Mary McAllister is believed by family oral history to be Michael's grandmother, the mother of his father Owen O'Brien.)
13. ↑ Newspaper: "WARRACKNABEAL.", The Age, 28 December 1925, p. 11, col. 3; digital images, National Library of Australia,Trove(https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/155671977 : accessed 15 June 2024).
14. ↑ Newspaper: "COUNTRY NEWS.", The Argus, 26 December 1925, p. 22, col. 4; digital images, National Library of Australia,Trove(https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2175539 : accessed 16 June 2024).
15. ↑ Burial: Find a Grave, database with images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/226840894/michael-o'brien: accessed 20 April 2024), memorial page for Michael O'Brien (–21 December 1925), Find a Grave Memorial ID 226840894, citing Pannoo-Bamawm Cemetery, Lockington, Victoria, Australia; Find a Grave Memorial Maintained by Bree (contributor 50529050).
16. ↑ Will: Will of Michael O'Brien, late of Rochester, retired farmer; PROV, VPRS 7591/P2, Unit 733, File 208/145.

• Newspaper - Probate Notice: "Classified Advertising", The Argus, 15 January 1926, p. 18, col. 6; digital images, National Library of Australia,Trove(https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3729056 : accessed 16 June 2024).
• Probate: "Australia, Victoria, Index to Probate Registers, 1841-1989," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JVHW-TWL : 2 March 2021), Michael Obrien, 08 May 1926; citing Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, series 208, record 145, Public Record Office, Victoria; FamilySearch digital folder 004105304.