ABPA - Australian Bush Poets Association

A simple but honest man a victim of circumstance !

Patrick Pacey was transported along with 175 other prisoners on board The Waverly Star which arrived in Sydney harbour on 17 June 1839. No deaths were recorded on the trip and Patrick was not mentioned in the ship sick list so it is assumed he arrived in good health.

Patrick was granted a ticket of leave from Maitland on 7th July 1843 and his ticket of freedom on 13th September 1845. How the family fared while Patrick served his sentence is not known. Patrick applied in 1847 for his wife and children to join him. When the children left to join their father in 1849 Patricks wife Ann was not with them so it is presumed she died although no record has been found. Also absent was his son James who died of dysentry as a private in the 19th Regiment Of Foot.

Patricks children. Patrick, Robert, Mary, Margaret and Ellen set sail and arrived in Moreton bay in September 1849.

Patrick senior had purchased a shop and residence near the corner of Queen and George street in Brisbane where he ran his Taylor buisness and supplied milk to local buisnesses.

On the 9th on July 1860 Patrick left the yards to search for a lost poddy calf and his body was found the next morning on rocks in the river. His death was recorded as from apoplexy ( stroke ). Patrick was clinging to his dog which had drowned and it was assumed he had glasped the dog in an effort to save himself.

Note Patrick had had a few grapes but was perfectly sober.( See it is in my gene's Heather ). Patrick was buried in Paddington Cemetary ( where Lang Park stands today)

Patrick Juniors wedding waistcoat is on display in the Brookfield Museum . A picture is posted on the museum site .

Robert, Patricks youngest son joined his sister Margaret and her husband Edward Kelly on the journey to Gracemere near Rockhampton in 1856 employed as a stockman and was on of the first seventy people to purchase blocks of land in the first Rockhampton land sale in 1858.

A little bit of the story

The book They Came From Carlow is held in the historical section of the Queensland State Library

Robert Pacey ( The Fifth )

So there's an Edward Kelly in your family !! I knew it !!!

Good story Bob, it's very valuable that you have retained that bit of family history. Jack Thompson reckons that if you can find convicts in your ancestry then you are Australian royalty.

Not only that Nev, Margaret married Edward and Ellen married Dan Kelly . Not the one's we all know fortunately.

Robert was also drowned in the Firzroy river whilst droving cattle with the Archer Brothers.


PAT PACEY THE TAILOR


Patrick Pacey was a tailor he was Irish born and bred.
In the county name of Carlow that was where he lay his head.
Whilst out looking for employment in Carlow one election day.
Pat was caught up in a riot one might call it an affray.

Pat was injured by an officer then charged him with assault.
the case it went to court and trial but not with good result.
Pat had signed a statement he claimed he had read and understood.
but it was found that Patrick could not read the charge of perjury then stood.

The judge he read the verdict not a thing was left to chance.
A simple honest man was Pat caught out by circumstance.
Transported then for seven years upon the "Waverly Star.'
The destination was Brisbane town in Australia oh so far.

Pats wife Ann and seven children left for themselves to fend.
Through many years of hardship they would battle to the end.
Pat served four years and was set free hard times would test his mettle.
To return to Ireland he would not in Brisbane would he settle.

In the year of 1849 Pats family came to start anew.
His poor wife Ann had passed away his oldest son James too.
Pat opened then a tailors shop for his family to provide.
On the Queen and George street corner that was where his trade he plied.

Then in the year of 1860 Patrick Pacey passed away
Found drowned in Brisbane's river while looking for a poddy stray.
They buried Pat at Paddington at a place now called Lang Park.
No headstone to his memorywas there his grave to mark.

Pats children then spread far and wide to tame this wide brown land.
To Brookfield and Rockhampton these pioneers would stand.
I sometimes think what might have been had Pat not chose to stay.
For many generations on the Pacey name stands proud today.

Were it possible to meet this man I would call his name out loud
and thank him for my family tree of which I'm so proud..
And Pat will never be forgotten though his feats were not so grand.
He simply helped his family thrive free, in this great land. .

BOB PACEY
1998

Bob that's a very interesting piece of history. They sure did it tough.

Heather

Great to know that you have been able to trace so much of your families history Bob. Great story.

Cheers

Maureen

That's a great ballad Bob, excellent work.



What do you think of doing it in longer lines like so; four of these lines to each stanza.

Patrick Pacey was a tailor, he was Irish born and bred.
In the county, name of Carlow, that was where he lay his head.
.....................
......................

Whilst out looking.......etc.

Although after saying that I realised that Coleridge used almost the same format as yours for the famous ballad, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.

Whatever.

and you'd save on paper Bob

I tend to write most in the same format and then shrink the print into a smaller size and set them into columns so that they can be featured on one page. The first verse and the last go as the header and the footer and that way I can frame them.


No particular reason nev just lazy i guess.


Bob

G'day Bob.

Looks like you have been searching through old records, mate.

You and your family and ancestors are true blue.

And you are keeping on with the proud Australian tradition.

I agree with Neville a well written ballad,

Regards,


John

Thanks John I have been very lucky I went to Brookfield to view Patrick juniors vest which apparently was a peace offering from his dad after a fall out over the fact that he was to marry a protestant girl.

I met a few of my local relatives and one Roslyn Nicol had done all the hard work and produced a book with the entire history even where the family was thought to be French and changed the name from Peasey to escape the guillotine.

I now have my own copy including the trial transcript.

My late Auntie Pat also gave me two pictures framed which are about 900mm x 800 mm of Robert and his wife Flora pacey.

Treasured possesions to be handed to my son at the right time.

My son and his two boys and myself are the only surviving male children of the Pacey family who are direct decendants of Robert, Patricks youngest son.

Bob