John McPhee Family - Blue Vapours

Matthew Middleditch married Catherine
Gorman on 4 October, 1831 (Ref.No. 1761)
Matthew Middleditch, Convict, came on the
ship “Chapman” to Tasmania in 1824. He was
tried at the Norfolk Quarter Sessions on 10 Dec
1823, and sentenced to seven years gaol. He was
transported for pig stealing. He spent some time
on a hulk. Once for housebreaking, he had spent
eighteen months in Ipswich. His mother was at
Nature Place, Stanton, Bury St. Edmunds. John
Middleditch his Uncle, kept the sign of the Ram,
Norwich. Matthew lived last in England at Stanton.
Catherine Gorman, Convict, came on ship
“Providence” to Tasmania in 1826. She stole
tablespoons from her master, and received seven
years gaol sentence on 30 June 1825. Francine
Smith, a descendent, said: “You will notice she left
a child at home with her mother. We wonder what
happened there.” Here is what was recorded on
the official files:
Catherine Gorman, Mid-London, Gaol Delivery
30 June, 1825 – 7 years. 5ft 4 ¾ ins, brown hair,
light grey eyes, age 27, servant of all work, cook,
get up linen, wash. Native place London. Single
with child. Offence – stealing tablespoons from
her master.
Catherine Middleditch (nee Gorman) died in
1876 aged 83.
Born London. Father and Mother unknown. Ref.
No.11966
John T McPhee and the Gartland Family
Children of Matthew Middleditch
and Catherine Gorman
Children of Matthew Middleditch and Catherine
Gorman were:
William Middleditch. Died at Williamstown Vic
in 1887, aged 58 (Ref.No. 15966)
George Middleditch. Born in Tasmania in 1832
The two brothers came from Tasmania to
Melbourne on the ship “Shamrock”.
George Middleditch married Mary Anne
Fitzpatrick in 1864. Ref.No. 625
Mary Anne Fitzpatrick was born in 1842 at
Armagh in Ireland.
Mary Anne’s parents were Hugh Fitzpatrick and
Elizabeth McMahon, from County Tyrone. Mary
Anne Fitzpatrick came to Australia in 1857.
George Middleditch is noticed in the book:
“Victoria and its Metropolis 1888”, page 675.
Here is an extract from that book:
Middleditch, George, Williamstown, was born
in Tasmania in 1832, and came to Victoria in
1851, where he was employed at Cole’s wharf in
the first slaughter-house built in Melbourne. He
afterwards went to the Forest Creek diggings, and
then to Bendigo where he worked in Ironbark
Gully, and stayed there about seven years. He
was next employed for three years in the Mallee
country. About 1871 he went to New Zealand
and engaged in farming there, but returned to
Melbourne in 1877, and took up a selection in
Gippsland, where he remained until 1887 when
he came back to Melbourne and purchased the
Beach Hotel at Williamstown, containing about
ten rooms, where he has since commanded a
steady trade.”
He died in 1888 at the Alfred Hospital, Prahan,
aged 53. In Ref.No. 3241 George’s father is shown
as Matthew Charles Middleditch. There were ten
living children when George died, and their ages
were as follows:
Lizzie (later Pullen) 23 years, George 21, Tom 19,
Kitty (later Carey) 18, Maud 14, Arthur 12, Bert 9,
Teanie (later Pike) 6, Margaret (later Day) 3.
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