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| S.S.Tomki berthed at Lismore Wharves, 1905 |
In 1872, due to sectarian unrest in Kiama, the family moved 750 kilometres north to a farm at Shark Creek, near Maclean on the Clarence River.
In 1885, Ellen (now in her early twenties) was swept off her feet and onto her back by a young farm hand called James Sweet, and accompanied him to Lismore, a town of some fifteen hundred souls on the banks of the Richmond River, about 130 kilometres to the north.
On November 8th of that year, following a thoroughly modern period of gestation, they rejoiced in the arrival of a baby boy, Charles John Driscoll. And in a dramatic display of the failure of a young Irish woman to learn from experience and the lack of efficacy of late 19th century contraception, their relationship was blessed by the birth on March 14th 1889 of a baby girl, my grandmother, Florence March Driscoll.
Her birth certificate, like that of her older brother, listed her father as " ", an innovation later plagiarised (outrageously without tribute) by Prince, between his "The Artist formerly Known As Prince" and "The Artist" phases.
Unfortunately, James Sweet's cavalier attitude to wedlock was accompanied by a similar disregard for the responsibilities of parenthood.
On 13th March 1889, the day before his daughter was born, James Sweet appeared in the Lismore Police Court "E. Driscoll v. J. Sweet - for maintenance", and again on the 27th March - "E. Driscoll v. J, Sweet - support of child".
An order to pay maintenance of 5 shillings a week was brought down.
Four years later, on 15th March 1893, a warrant was issued by the Lismore bench for the arrest of James Sweet, aged 33, charged with deserting his (now) two illegitimate children. The complainant was Ellen Driscoll, at Lismore.
In the 15th March 1893 edition of the NSW Police Gazette, he is described as "5 foot 8 inches tall with very fair complexion, fair hair and moustache, minus a front tooth, supposed to have gone to Sydney".
James Sweet ceased contributing to the public record when his children were 7 and 4, and was never heard from again.
Ellen, left without financial support, managed as best she could for the next fourteen years, providing for her two children by whatever domestic work she could obtain, relying on charity for food and shelter.
She was helped by the Lismore Ladies Benevolent Society, an organisation started by twelve Lismore ladies in 1890 with the aim of raising money for people in need.
It is unfortunate that the circumstances of Ellen's departure from Maclean in 1885 and the resultant breakdown of her relationship with her emotionally rigid, devoutly Catholic father prevented her from seeking help from her family in Maclean.
On 20th August 1907, the following article appeared in Lismore's Northern Star newspaper:
"Yesterday, Mrs Syer, Secretary of the Benevolent Society, received the following message from North Coast Steam Navigation Co's Sydney office: "Regret to report Mrs Driscoll was missed from S.S. Tomki yesterday, evidently by jumping overboard. Search was made and ship detained, without success."
Mrs Ellen Driscoll has been a resident of Lismore for a lengthy period, and is well known to many of our townsfolk. She had been a hard-working, industrious woman up until recently. Her son, Charles, at present resides in Sydney, and the daughter, Florrie, resided in Lismore. Of late she had not been in good health and was in poor circumstances, and the good ladies of the Benevolent Society did all in their power to assist her, even providing her with a home. A fortnight ago she went to the Lismore Hospital and came out shortly afterwards much better. She then suggested taking a trip to Sydney to see her son, who was in employment, and a first class ticket was procured for her. Together with her daughter they joined they joined the Tomki in Ballina, the steamer crossing out on Sunday afternoon last. Before she left for Sydney she was at times mentally worried, but was cheerful when leaving, and intended staying with her son in Sydney. Whether the journey upset her or she became distracted is hard to say, as beyond the information in the telegram there are no particulars available. Mrs Driscoll was 43 years of age."
The SS Tomki, an inanimate metal structure made by man, but demonstrating more compassion and sense of shame than Ellen's father or his heartless, unforgiving Catholic god, wrecked itself on the Richmond River entrance on 14 September 1907, three weeks after Ellen Driscoll's tragic death, and died of sorrow in the surf at Ballina Beach.
Wreck of the S.S.Tomki, Ballina Beach - The Northern Star archives
In 1885, Ellen (now in her early twenties) was swept off her feet and onto her back by a young farm hand called James Sweet, and accompanied him to Lismore, a town of some fifteen hundred souls on the banks of the Richmond River, about 130 kilometres to the north.
On November 8th of that year, following a thoroughly modern period of gestation, they rejoiced in the arrival of a baby boy, Charles John Driscoll. And in a dramatic display of the failure of a young Irish woman to learn from experience and the lack of efficacy of late 19th century contraception, their relationship was blessed by the birth on March 14th 1889 of a baby girl, my grandmother, Florence March Driscoll.
Her birth certificate, like that of her older brother, listed her father as " ", an innovation later plagiarised (outrageously without tribute) by Prince, between his "The Artist formerly Known As Prince" and "The Artist" phases.
Unfortunately, James Sweet's cavalier attitude to wedlock was accompanied by a similar disregard for the responsibilities of parenthood.
On 13th March 1889, the day before his daughter was born, James Sweet appeared in the Lismore Police Court "E. Driscoll v. J. Sweet - for maintenance", and again on the 27th March - "E. Driscoll v. J, Sweet - support of child".
An order to pay maintenance of 5 shillings a week was brought down.
Four years later, on 15th March 1893, a warrant was issued by the Lismore bench for the arrest of James Sweet, aged 33, charged with deserting his (now) two illegitimate children. The complainant was Ellen Driscoll, at Lismore.
In the 15th March 1893 edition of the NSW Police Gazette, he is described as "5 foot 8 inches tall with very fair complexion, fair hair and moustache, minus a front tooth, supposed to have gone to Sydney".
James Sweet ceased contributing to the public record when his children were 7 and 4, and was never heard from again.
Ellen, left without financial support, managed as best she could for the next fourteen years, providing for her two children by whatever domestic work she could obtain, relying on charity for food and shelter.
She was helped by the Lismore Ladies Benevolent Society, an organisation started by twelve Lismore ladies in 1890 with the aim of raising money for people in need.
It is unfortunate that the circumstances of Ellen's departure from Maclean in 1885 and the resultant breakdown of her relationship with her emotionally rigid, devoutly Catholic father prevented her from seeking help from her family in Maclean.
On 20th August 1907, the following article appeared in Lismore's Northern Star newspaper:
"Yesterday, Mrs Syer, Secretary of the Benevolent Society, received the following message from North Coast Steam Navigation Co's Sydney office: "Regret to report Mrs Driscoll was missed from S.S. Tomki yesterday, evidently by jumping overboard. Search was made and ship detained, without success."
Mrs Ellen Driscoll has been a resident of Lismore for a lengthy period, and is well known to many of our townsfolk. She had been a hard-working, industrious woman up until recently. Her son, Charles, at present resides in Sydney, and the daughter, Florrie, resided in Lismore. Of late she had not been in good health and was in poor circumstances, and the good ladies of the Benevolent Society did all in their power to assist her, even providing her with a home. A fortnight ago she went to the Lismore Hospital and came out shortly afterwards much better. She then suggested taking a trip to Sydney to see her son, who was in employment, and a first class ticket was procured for her. Together with her daughter they joined they joined the Tomki in Ballina, the steamer crossing out on Sunday afternoon last. Before she left for Sydney she was at times mentally worried, but was cheerful when leaving, and intended staying with her son in Sydney. Whether the journey upset her or she became distracted is hard to say, as beyond the information in the telegram there are no particulars available. Mrs Driscoll was 43 years of age."
The SS Tomki, an inanimate metal structure made by man, but demonstrating more compassion and sense of shame than Ellen's father or his heartless, unforgiving Catholic god, wrecked itself on the Richmond River entrance on 14 September 1907, three weeks after Ellen Driscoll's tragic death, and died of sorrow in the surf at Ballina Beach.
Cornelius Driscoll, the sanctimonious old shit, died on the 27th of October, 1905, aged 72 years.
If his god had any commitment to love, forgiveness or compassion, old Corny was in line for a bit of rectal brimstone.
I intend to visit the Maclean Catholic cemetery to piss on his grave.
EPILOGUE:
The Lismore Ladies Benevolent Society, which did so much to support and help my great-grandmother, celebrated its 128th anniversary this year.
The organisation was started in 1890 with the aim of raising money to provide care, comfort and compassion for those in need.
Without the generous help of these wonderful ladies (who were the unwitting agents of Chaos Theory), Florrie wouldn't have made it to Sydney to meet the handsome young man who would become my grandfather, you could have been doing something worthwhile (like mowing the lawn or cleaning the toilet) instead of wasting your time reading this crap, my wife probably would have married that twerp Dougie Boyle, and the world would have been deprived of the beauty of my daughters.
Handsome young man.a
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