KEEGAN, Mary
Born 1873; died 6 December 1918; buried 7 December 1918; age 45
Lower Hutt-born Mary KEEGAN seems to have been very much a full-time mother. Married to Patrick Keegan in Wanganui in 1894 when she was 21, she had her first child in that year and then a further 11, the last being born just 3 years before her death. Not all were recorded with the authorities, but the death record shows that seven of the brood were boys and five were girls.
Bringing up and caring for a large family would not have been unusual for her – she was the sixth child of the 11 raised by her parents, Benjamin and Jane JARVIS, née REED. Mary would have known from an early age about children’s role of helping to look after younger siblings and helping out with regular chores.
In the early days of their marriage, Mary and Patrick lived at Castlecliff, near Wanganui, where he worked as a fireman, possibly in the workforce supporting the port. Mary’s parents were also living near Wanganui from the 1880s onwards, with Benjamin working as a platelayer with the railways. Her mother, Jane died, in 1900, aged 54, but her father continued living there until his death in 1909, at 67.
By 1905, however, Mary, Patrick and family had moved south, and Patrick was working as an engine driver on one of the former sailing ships now serving as coal hulks in Wellington harbour. Initially he was on the Ottolian and from 1914 or perhaps earlier, on the Occident.
Mary, Patrick and their children all lived on board the hulks that Patrick was looking after, probably cramped and undoubtedly dirty, but perhaps with a strong sense of community among the hulk-keeping families. Living on a coal hulk when Mary was raising her children would have presented some special challenges: risk of fire, drowning, and being run down by other vessels among them.
The Evening Post on 10 April 1915 reported that 22 coal hulks were operating in Wellington harbour, ten (the Occident among them) owned by the Union Steam Ship Co. Most of the rest belonged to various coal mining companies. Mooring fees for the hulks brought important income to the harbour board. The Occident was one of the largest. Like all hulks, it had known better times. While a working cargo vessel, it had caught fire in Fiji. Badly damaged, it was brought to Wellington in 1901 and stripped down so that it could finish its days as place for bulk coal storage. Those living aboard would have deterred coal theft by cheeky scavengers trying to help themselves.
On 22 November 1918, the New Zealand Times reported that Vincent Keegan, 16-year-old son of the keeper of the Occident, was admitted to hospital with influenza. Three days later, the same newspaper reported that Mrs Keegan, two daughters and a son all had influenza and were taken to the temporary hospital at Wellington College. It seems that the children all recovered but Mary did not.
Mary was buried in the Roman Catholic section at Karori cemetery in Plot 119Q.
After her death, Patrick continued working as a hulk keeper on the Occident for many years. This was still his occupation and address in the electoral roll in 1938. The role of coal hulks was largely over by the time of WWII as coal was replaced by other fuels. About this time Patrick moved to Auckland and died there in 1949, aged 93, He was buried in Karori Cemetery alongside his wife Mary.
Researched and written by Max Kerr
Grave Information:
Section: ROM CATH
Plot: 119 Q
Born 1873; died 6 December 1918; buried 7 December 1918; age 45
Lower Hutt-born Mary KEEGAN seems to have been very much a full-time mother. Married to Patrick Keegan in Wanganui in 1894 when she was 21, she had her first child in that year and then a further 11, the last being born just 3 years before her death. Not all were recorded with the authorities, but the death record shows that seven of the brood were boys and five were girls.
Bringing up and caring for a large family would not have been unusual for her – she was the sixth child of the 11 raised by her parents, Benjamin and Jane JARVIS, née REED. Mary would have known from an early age about children’s role of helping to look after younger siblings and helping out with regular chores.
In the early days of their marriage, Mary and Patrick lived at Castlecliff, near Wanganui, where he worked as a fireman, possibly in the workforce supporting the port. Mary’s parents were also living near Wanganui from the 1880s onwards, with Benjamin working as a platelayer with the railways. Her mother, Jane died, in 1900, aged 54, but her father continued living there until his death in 1909, at 67.
By 1905, however, Mary, Patrick and family had moved south, and Patrick was working as an engine driver on one of the former sailing ships now serving as coal hulks in Wellington harbour. Initially he was on the Ottolian and from 1914 or perhaps earlier, on the Occident.
Mary, Patrick and their children all lived on board the hulks that Patrick was looking after, probably cramped and undoubtedly dirty, but perhaps with a strong sense of community among the hulk-keeping families. Living on a coal hulk when Mary was raising her children would have presented some special challenges: risk of fire, drowning, and being run down by other vessels among them.
The Evening Post on 10 April 1915 reported that 22 coal hulks were operating in Wellington harbour, ten (the Occident among them) owned by the Union Steam Ship Co. Most of the rest belonged to various coal mining companies. Mooring fees for the hulks brought important income to the harbour board. The Occident was one of the largest. Like all hulks, it had known better times. While a working cargo vessel, it had caught fire in Fiji. Badly damaged, it was brought to Wellington in 1901 and stripped down so that it could finish its days as place for bulk coal storage. Those living aboard would have deterred coal theft by cheeky scavengers trying to help themselves.
On 22 November 1918, the New Zealand Times reported that Vincent Keegan, 16-year-old son of the keeper of the Occident, was admitted to hospital with influenza. Three days later, the same newspaper reported that Mrs Keegan, two daughters and a son all had influenza and were taken to the temporary hospital at Wellington College. It seems that the children all recovered but Mary did not.
Mary was buried in the Roman Catholic section at Karori cemetery in Plot 119Q.
After her death, Patrick continued working as a hulk keeper on the Occident for many years. This was still his occupation and address in the electoral roll in 1938. The role of coal hulks was largely over by the time of WWII as coal was replaced by other fuels. About this time Patrick moved to Auckland and died there in 1949, aged 93, He was buried in Karori Cemetery alongside his wife Mary.
Researched and written by Max Kerr
Grave Information:
Section: ROM CATH
Plot: 119 Q