FatherMichael O'Connell b. c 1830, d. 28 Oct 1912
MotherEllen O'Halloran b. c 1839, d. 1 Jun 1896
Pedigree

Birth, Death, Marriage

Patrick O'Connell was born on 15 October 1871 in Tylden, Victoria.1,2 
He married Ellen Streefkerk, daughter of Bernardus Streefkerk and Ellen O'Loughlin, on 4 February 1906 in Fitzroy, Victoria.3 
He died on 15 February 1910 in Yarra Bend, Victoria, at age 38.4 

Family

Ellen Streefkerk b. 13 Nov 1887
Children
ChartsO'Connell, Michael, descendant chart

Story

Patrick was born in Tylden, halfway between Trentham and Kyneton in Victoria, on 15 October 1871. He was the 8th child of Michael and Ellen.2
 
By 1905, he was working for the Victorian Railways as a line repairer at Tallarook.4
 
Marriage and Family
Patrick O'Connell and Ellen Streefkerk were married at the Congregational church, 101 Gore St, Fitzroy on 4 February 1906.4
 
They had three children, Thomas, Patrick and Daniel. The April 1906 birth registration for Thomas shows their marriage as 4 November 1905 (five months earlier, rather than the two months that it was really was). Thomas died at two months old.

The birth registration for son Patrick had Patrick snr's age as 27 (instead of 35) and their marriage as 4 October 1905 (instead of February 1906). On the birth registration for Daniel, their marriage is again recorded as 4 October 1905.4
 
Family Life
In 1905, Patrick was working in Tallarook (between Seymour and Broadford), but the following year they married in Melbourne and this is where son Thomas was born. When Thomas died two months later, they were in Nagambie about 25 km north of Seymour. In mid-1907 when Patrick jnr was born, they were living in Yea about 35 km south-east of Seymour. They were still in Yea two years later.4
 
Sudden Illness and Rapid Decline 
On 7 October 1908 Patrick senior was admitted to the Yarra Bend asylum (also known at the time as the Yarra Bend Hospital for the Insane). The admission notes record loss of memory, general incoherence, refusing to work, no attempt to provide for wife and family, and left work at 10am and was discharged.

He was admitted by Ellen's father Bernardus Streefkerk who was living in Nagambie. Ellen had 15 month old Patrick jnr to look after at home and was just pregnant with Daniel who was born eight months after Patrick snr's admission.

Within a week of admission, Patrick was recorded as 'in unsatisfactory health, with general paralysis, facial lesions and loss of memory'. Presumably, given his rapid physical deterioration Patrick had suffered a stroke or was suffering from a degenerative disease at the time of his admission (rather than a mental condition). In December he was transferred to hospital, and by January 1909 he was confined to chair and continued to decline. By September he was at times confined to bed, then later that month bedridden. He soon became emaciated.

Patrick died 15 February 1910 at ten minutes past midnight. He was buried two days later at the Fawkner cemetery.4
 
At the 17 February inquest, the coroner found that Patrick died from 'double pneumonia and chronic cerebral changes of a general paralytic type'.

Ellen visited Patrick on 5 February, and he was visited regularly by friends who were informed of his death. Patrick’s brother Michael wrote a letter dated 21 January 1910 to the Asylum asking that he be notified when Patrick dies.5,4
 
The inquest also reported that 'the official visitor' saw Patrick in January. This may relate to moves to close the facility: 'Since his appointment as Inspector-General of the Insane, Dr Jones has never ceased to condemn the retention of the Yarra Bend Asylum and to advocate the erection of a new and more suitable building'.5,6
 
Contact with Patrick's O'Connell Family
Michael's letter to the asylum, asking to be notified when his brother Patrick died, may have been the last contact between wife Ellen and his O'Connell family.

A grandson of Michael had reported that Patrick went off to find work and was never heard from again. While researching, a great-grandson of Michael spoke to Patrick's grandson who said that widow Ellen felt strongly that the O'Connells had left her without help in her time of need and so there wasn't any connection to the O'Connell family.7,8
 

Citations

  1. [S50] William O'Connell, personal communication, May 1996.
  2. [S270] Victorian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, registry and index, 'Patrick OConnell' entry, birth registration no. 26894, 1871.
  3. [S270] Victorian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, registry and index, 'Patk OConnell' and Ellen Streefkerk entry, marriage registration no. 1798, 1906.
  4. [S524] Patrick O'Connell story, research report, October 2014.
  5. [S534] 'Patrick O'Connell', VPRS 24 Inquest Deposition Files, unit 851, item 1910/258, inquest, 17 February 1910.
  6. [S171] 'News of the day', The Age, 1854-, newspaper, 24 January 1910, p. 6, viewed 10 June 2019, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/196089970
  7. [S512] Christopher Knott, personal communication, 27 February 2019.
  8. [S50] William O'Connell, personal communication, 13 April 1996.