References
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Elizabeth McAlllister bur. at Toowong Cemetery | Australia | VIEW SOURCE |
Eliza Lyons told her family she was born at Cappaleitra on 9 Oct 1858 and her parents were James Lyons and Mary Kenny. (Mary had previously been married to John Rock.) No written record of Eliza's birth or baptism has been located.
Eliza had a brother Michael who was two years older. They emigrated together to Queensland, Australia in 1876. They boarded the 'Dilharree' in London, departed 12 May 1876 and arrived in Brisbane, Queensland 14 Aug 1876. Michael was 19 and Eliza was 17. Eliza found housekeeping work and Michael worked as a ganger on the railways.
Michael never married but Eliza married twice. Her first marriage was to Edward Farrell from Dartress near Articlave, Co Derry. Edward was a widower and when Eliza married him in 1880 she acquired two step-daughters. Eliza and Edward Farrell had a son and three daughters together. Their farm near the Brisbane River was wiped-out in a flood so Edward took labouring work. He died in 1890 as the result of a fall from a bridge he was working on. At the time their youngest child, Tess, was one year old. Eliza worked and kept the family together. She worked as a cook; she managed boarding houses in which her children also lived and worked.
On 28 Mar 1894 Eliza married John McAlister or McAllister but that union didn't last. People came to know Eliza as 'Granny Farrell' and many were surprised, when she died, to find out her surname was McAllister.
According to a family story, Eliza had a twin brother who was sickly and he remained at home in Cappaleitra with their mother Mary when Eliza and Michael left for Australia. It's said that Eliza and Michael were saving to bring their mother and brother over to Australia but their brother died before they had put enough money together; and then their mother didn't want to travel alone so didn't come.
Mary Lyons (formerly Rock, nee Kenny) died in Cappaleitrim on 26 Jan 1906 aged 88. Mary's daughter Margaret Kinsella (nee Rock) was with her when she died. And Eliza's children have passed her DNA down to lots of descendants in Australia.
| Additional Information | ||
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| Date of Birth | 9th Oct 1858 | VIEW SOURCE |
| Date of Death | 8th Oct 1939 | |
