Family background
Patrick O’Connell was born in about 1832 in Castleconnell, County Limerick, Ireland, the son of James O’Connell and Bridget. He married Mary Ann Kenny (1824-1897) on 20 July 1859 at Sydney. They had no children and lived at 31 Cooper Street, Redfern.
O’Connell died at his Redfern home on 20 May 1905. According to the coroner’s inquest report, he died from ‘poisoning by Belladonna accidentally self administered’. The Sydney Morning Herald reported O’Connell had been suffering from rheumatism and mistook the bottle for a cough mixture. He was buried with his wife in the Old Catholic Mortuary, Rookwood. He left a will and his estate and assets were assessed at £3,424.
Occupation & interests
After several years of adventures on the gold fields of the colony Patrick O’Connell came to Sydney and started business as a grocer
Local government service
Patrick O’Connell was an alderman on Redfern Council, representing Surry Hills Ward in 1874-88.
References
‘Municipal Elections’, Evening News, 11 February 1874, p.2, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/107144604
‘A Fatal Mistake’, Sydney Morning Herald, 23 May 1905, p.6, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/14679342
Registers of Coroners’ Inquests and Magisterial Inquiries, 1834–1942, State Archives of NSW; Series: 1396; Roll: 1783