Margaret was born in Tralee in 1808. On 5 Feb 1828 she married John Jeffcott in the Church of Ireland, Tralee, by Licence. Her parentage has not been established with 100% certainty but Margaret is thought to be a daughter of William and Elizabeth Hilliard who had a daughter named Margaret born in Tralee 28 Feb 1808. Margaret's husband, John Jeffcott (a carpenter) was from Kilcolman Parish where, according to his death certificate, his father was the Parish Clerk (COI).The couple's first two children, Eliza and Ann, were born at Milltown, Kilcolman Parish, on 8 Mar 1829 and 27 Feb 1831 respectively. The third child, Jane, was born 16 Jan 1834 in Hobart Town, Van Dieman's Land (now Hobart, Tasmania) because the family had emigrated to Australia. John Jeffcott, a carpenter, aged 28, his wife aged 24, and daughters Eliza 3, and Ann 1, arrived in Hobart Town on 8 Mar 1833 aboard the "William". They travelled as assisted immigrants.
It is likely that they encountered a severely depressed economy in Van Dieman's Land and were forced to try their luck elsewhere because three years later they were in West Maitland, New South Wales, where daughter Martha was baptised on 29 Jan 1838. Four more children were born in Maitland: Edward on 10 Mar 1839, William on 27 Jul 1842, John on 6 Aug 1844, and Thomas on 18 Nov 1846. Life was not easy for them here either.
Margaret must have been an incredibly resilient woman to cope with all the moves and the hardships, because her next child, Margaret Mary, was born 13 Jun 1849 in Adelaide, South Australia. Sadly, Margaret's namesake child did not make it to her first birthday, dying in Adelaide on 14 Jan 1850. The birth of a son, Robert, followed on 7 Jul 1851 in Adelaide.
But Margaret's travels were not over. The Jeffcott family's final move was to Castlemaine in Victoria, in company with members of the Plunkett family. The family must have found some economic stability in Castlemaine where John Jeffcott ran a pub. It's also likely that, in Castlemaine, they had the company of old friends and neighbours from home in County Kerry. Margaret Jeffcott (nee Hilliard) died in Castlemaine on 15 Jul 1873 at the age of 65 and her husband died the following year. Nine of Margaret's ten children reached adulthood and they left numerous descendants in Australia and New Zealand.
The photo portrait attached to this entry was found with no identification written on the back of it; but the family believe this is a photo of Margaret Jeffcott nee Hilliard.
| Additional Information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 1st Jan 1808 | |
| Date of Death | 2nd Aug 1874 | |
