PATRICK CLIFFORD, born in c1852 in Ireland, came to Australia
with the 40th Regiment of Foot in 1852 aboard the SS Vulcan, under
the command of Col T.J. Valiant. We have no knowledge of CLIFFORD
family history prior to Patrick's birth. He had married ANN SHORTLIFFE in Cork in 1850 and she came to Australia
with him. According to the records Patrick was in Sydney for 3
months before we discover him again on the muster rolls in Melbourne
for 1856, 1857 and 1858. The intervening 4 years is a mystery
at the moment. It was during their time in Melbourne that two
children were born in the Spencer Street Barracks - Richard in
1855 and Rowland in 1857.
In April 1858, Patrick travelled to Adelaide, with the regiment,
on the Havilah. The next couple of years saw the birth of Jessie
Jane in 1859 and Helena in 1860. Patrick was made a corporal in
July 1860 and various musters show him being granted good conduct
pay. On the 10th February, 1862, in the Adelaide Army Barracks,
Patrick died of apoplexy.
We don’t know how Ann supported herself and her four children
in the following couple of years although we presume her association
with the barracks continued because on the 15th December, 1864,
she married PATRICK HYNES, a
private in the 40th Regiment. Patrick’s career mirrored
that of Patrick Clifford and they would have been well acquainted.
Private Hynes had more disciplinary confrontations,
often losing his good conduct pay and apparently whilst at the
Eureka Stockade (in 1854) he was even recorded as a deserter.
Ann and Patrick Hynes had one child, James Clifford HYNES born on the 15th January, 1867. Patrick
Hynes died at Parkside on the 15th February, 1887 of dysentery.
Ann died on the 25th May of the same year.
The
children from these marriages are-
Richard Clifford - born 1855.
He died of thirst in 1916 whilst prospecting in Western Australia.
Rowland Augustus Clifford – born 1856.
He married Mary Ann Elizabeth KING in 1876
with whom he had 6 children. He died in 1906
Jessie Jane Clifford – born in 1859,
married Joseph Stephen TAYLOR. Jessie, Joseph
and their 8 children lived in WA where Jessie died in 1937.
Helena Ester Clifford (Trevor’s great
grandmother) was born in 1860 and married William Stephen BOWN.
Helena and William had 6 children. She died in 1938
James Clifford Hynes – born in 1867.
He married Mabel Ruth Anderton STEVENSON and
died in Broken Hill in 1954.
