Patrick O'Neill, farmer of Stanhope Homestead passed away on the 24th September 1874 at the age of 79 years. The cause of his death was "Granulated disease of the liver and kidneys". He was last attended to by Dr Ludwig Wilhelm Schulzen (stated on the death certificate to be William Schultzen), who was a local doctor of the time.
Patrick's wife had predeceased him by 9 years. The informant on his death certificate was his son, Patrick O'Neill Jnr who would have been aged 44 at the time. Patrick Jnr was living in the township of Greta, some 16km away, by today's roads.
Patrick's funeral was presided over by Father Michael McGrath, a young priest who would meet his death in an untimely accident some eight years later in Kiama at the age of 33.
Patrick Jnr performed the burial himself, the day after his father passed away at the Roman Catholic Burial ground at Lochinvar. The witnesses to the burial were Mary Smith and John Arthur Goulding, who I believe was the local constable.
Upon his death, four of Patrick's sons and two of his daughters were still alive. Three males and two females were diseased. I know one of the deceased females to be his daughter Esther, who died young at the age of 29 in 1869.
I have no record of the other children - perhaps they died before they emigrated to Australia. There are certainly some gaps in Esther Snr's childbearing years.
Patrick's tombstone is still visible at Lochinvar, although worn and damaged. Buried with Patrick, or at least commemorated by the same headstone, is his daughter Mary Ryan (nee O'Neill) who died on 22nd July 1895, at the age of 67.
With many thanks to another O'Neill descendant Janelle Collins for the excellent photograph.
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