Military subscriptions for Sacred Heart Church Sydney - McCrink

[RoserAncestors]

Trove has this 1857 article that (near the top right of the page) has a Hugh McCrink giving a subscription for, I think, the Church of the Sacred Heart (which I think may be the one in Darlinghurst):  http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/115562162

His subscription is listed under "Military Department". Does anyone know what this means, and if it means he had some sort of military role, how would I go about researching it?

I am not 100% sure but I think Hugh was from Killowen, County Down, modern Northern Ireland who stayed in NSW after arriving on the Araminta as crew (an "ordinary") in 1854, marrying an Irish assisted immigrant Mary Fitzgerald from Cork the next year at St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney.

[a chesters]

Have checked the War Memorial, and the National Archives, and found nothing, sorry.

Had a look at NSW Archives, as they were the military state in 1850's. I found an Insolvency Index for McCrink, Hugh, at Macquarie River, as a labourer, Sequestration 24/08/1859 File Number 04577.

Macquarie River area would place him in the mid west of New South Wales.

To me this would indicate he had left the military, and fallen on hard times.

Hope it is of some use.

AC

[RoserAncestors]

Thanks for that. I'm pretty sure the insolvency record has him at the Macquarie River that is now Albion Park, Shellharbour. It's in Kiama district where he has children around this time, and there are other links. I will get that insolvency record sometime soon so that may shed some light on it.

[majm]

Did your Hugh McCrink arrive as crew on the Araminta, 8th Aug 1854, aged 20 ?   

If so, the NSW SRO has an index listing for that
http://srwww.records.nsw.gov.au/indexes/searchform.aspx?id=43

and Mariners site has some scans of the manifest
http://mariners.records.nsw.gov.au/

Cheers,  JM

[majm]

In the 1850s and up until about 1870, The Military Department was part of the Colonial Secretary's Office.   

The responsibilities included such things as seeking funding from England for the various regiments stationed in Sydney.    The last regiment left Sydney in 1870.   In 1850s there were several 'hot spots' ..... the threat of Russia invading Sydney lead to the completion of Fort Denison, and of course there was the sub-continent's Mutiny which required NSW to send Walers (horses) to India     http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/resources/parks/guyFawkesHorsesV2App2.pdf

Cheers,  JM

[majm]

His subscription is listed under "Military Department". Does anyone know what this means, and if it means he had some sort of military role, how would I go about researching it?

You asked about researching “Military Department”

http://www.records.nsw.gov.au/state-archives/guides-and-finding-aids/colonial-secretarys-correspondence-guide/letters-received/special-bundles-1826-1982/special-bundles-1857-73


In the above online Guide I can find a reference that may help, or it may well NOT help as it could be an accounting statement rather than family history details about personnel.
“1855-57  Military expenditure” 

Contact details for NSW SRO (the archives are at Kingswood, an outer western suburb of Sydney)

http://www.records.nsw.gov.au/contact-us/contact-us

Adding http://www.records.nsw.gov.au/state-archives/guides-and-finding-aids/short-guide-3  (The Blue Books  containing info about the officers in the NSW civil and military departments )

Cheers,  JM

[RoserAncestors]

Thanks JM, I did have those Araminta references which I assume are him as the place is consistent with his birthplace on his death certificate, the year and age are about right and I can find no McCrinks arriving as passengers rather than crew around this time.

Thanks also for the info on the Military Department and the references in the Colonial Secretary papers - I see a couple there that are now on my list when I make it to Sydney next. Pity they closed the CBD viewing office.

[RoserAncestors]

Actually I think I don't need to wait to get to Sydney - it seems the Blue Books and a whole lot of other films I'd like to look at are at 40 libraries across the state and 2 are only an hour away. I never realised that so thanks again JM, I'm glad you pointed me in that direction.

[RoserAncestors]

Just in case anyone else is interested, I now think the Hugh McCrink who married Mary Fitzgerald at St Mary's Cathedral in Sydney on 14 May 1855 (my 4th great grandfather) could have been a soldier in the 11th (North Devonshire) Regiment of Foot who were in Australia on garrison duty until 1857.

It appears he may not have been the sailor who arrived as crew on the Araminta in 1854. I've come across a record on Findmypast from the British merchant seamen set that I can't completely decipher but which appears to record a home voyage for that Hugh McCrink from Killowen in 1855, unless I'm misinterpreting it.

I've also come across a record from the British Army 1851 Worldwide Index that has:

Hugh McCrink
Year 1851
Service number 2646
Rank private
Regiment or unit 11th (The North Devonshire) Regiment Of Foot
Period 01/01/1851-31/03/1851
Location Sydney Australia
TNA reference WO 12/2881

I'm going to look at the baptism of Hugh and Mary's first child Jane (recorded with the surname "McCrynk" on the NSW BDM index) in 1855 and hopefully there will be an occupation or some other clue listed. But I'm suspecting he may have been the soldier not the sailor.