Hi Jan and Lorraine, Thank you to you both for your replies and suggestions. I would bet that Father Michael McGrath appointed in 1873 is our man. The Family Research Group who have gathered together and correspond through Emails over the past 6 odd months re investigating their family connections to the Jamieson, Hutchinson, Hughston, Venables, McGraths, Regans and Smiths all from around the Boorowa and Binalong districts. I noted Father McGrath's name on a copy of records of baptism's of children of some of these families we are researching, at S.S. Peter & Paul's Old Cathedral Goulburn, between 1865 to 1886 and note the name of the Priests, O'Neill, Duigan, O'Brien, McGrath, Dunne, Long, Walsh and Bermingham. I must admit I was surprised that the families made the trip to Goulburn, where we have found most married in Yass. I suppose the name McGrath is as common in Ireland as O'Brien, however I was hoping that Father Michael McGrath maybe Michael McGrath, who arrived in the Colony with his parents Patrick and Honora McGrath (nee Loughlin) and his brother Patrick who was 13, on the Bounty Immigration ship "Joseph Cunard" in 1841 . Michael McGrath was 15 in 1841, born circa 1826 in Noy, Tipperary Ireland. On 23rd April 1876 Father McGrath baptised Mary Jane Regan, the daughter of John and Jane Regan (nee Venables) and the sponsers were George Patterson and Ellen McGrath (nee Hutchinson). Ellen was the wife of Patrick McGrath, and they married in 1870 at Binalong. Once again, thank you so much for your assistance. Regards, Janice ----- Original Message ----- From: "Lorraine" <lorraine.purcell@bigpond.com> To: <aus-nsw-se@rootsweb.com>; <adoughty01@optusnet.com.au> Sent: Sunday, May 27, 2007 11:54 PM Subject: Re: [NSW-SE] Father McGrath of GOULBURN > Hi Janice, > Had a look in the book and the closest I can get to your dates is the > appointment of a Michael McGrath in 1873. He was educated and ordained in > St Patrick's College in Carlow in Ireland in 1873 and was sent to > Goulburn. - Could be your man....it doesn't say if he was Australian born > or not. Above is sum total of the biog details available in the book. > He had left the area before 1900. The period 1870 - 1900 is not covered as > in-depth as the period before or after. > Might be worth a letter/call to the Archdiocese in Goulburn. They may be > able to help. From my reading there weren't too any priests around. > The original Fr Michael McGrath was ordained in Sydney on 29 May 1839 and > came from Waterford, Ireland. He served in Goulburn until 1843 then was > sent to Norfolk Is. He came back to Windsor and the goldfields until 1852, > then went to Victoria and then back to Ireland where he died in 1899 in > Waterford. > If you are interested in some of the background to the history of the > church in the area it is a great book. Perhaps try to get it from your > local library on Inter library loan. "Planting the Celtic cross" by Rev > Brian Maher. It has lots on other priests and clergy in the area, and > includes a few chapters on the Nuns as well. > Happy hunting > Cheers > Lorraine > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Janice Doughty" <> > To: <AUS-NSW-SE@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Sunday, May 27, 2007 11:32 AM > Subject: [NSW-SE] Father McGrath of GOULBURN > > >> Hello Listers, >> >> I am hoping that SKS can assist me with a priest that was at the St Peter >> and Paul's Old Cathedral at Goulburn. He was there between 1875 and 1876 >> it >> seems, as he was the priest who baptised James Edwin O'Connell on >> 22.07.1875 >> and Mary Jane Regan on 23rd April 1876. > > >