Hugh McKittrick 22nd August 1868 – 13th May 1903
By Cheryl Benson:- gbenson@iinet.net.au
Hugh McKittrick was born or baptised on the 22nd August 1868 in County Louth, Ireland. He was the son of Hugh McKittrick and Ellen Brennan. Ellen Brennan was the daughter of Michael Brennan and Rose Mallon. Patrick snr was Hugh’s uncle and Patrick jnr was his 1st cousin.
Hugh followed his Uncle Patrick to New Zealand but no immigration records for Hugh could be found. The earliest record I have found for Hugh was in the New Zealand Tablet, 4 November 1887 pg 16, article headed “TESTIMONIAL TO MOST REV. DR. MORAN”, amongst the list of contributors were Mr. P. Brennan £1, Mr. P. Brennan jnr. 10s, and Mr. H. McKittrick 10s. Hugh was 19 at the time.
The next record found for him in New Zealand is when he attended the fancy dress ball for the Reefton Football Club in 1889. Hugh was also involved with the Brennan’s in their investment adventures in New Zealand.
On the 6th May 1891 Hugh married Monica Gardner in the Catholic Church in Reefton with Patrick Brennan jnr as his best man. At the time of his marriage Hugh was employed as a clerk at Little Grey, Reefton, New Zealand Monica Gardiner was the daughter of Isaac Gardiner and Mary Ann Haydon, born about 1872 in Cobden, Greymouth, New Zealand. The Roman Catholic marriage was performed by local minister J M L Rolland, with witnesses Patrick Brennan jnr, clerk, of Reefton, and Mary Anne Clarkin, of Reefton. Hugh and Monica went on to have three girls, the first two being twins.
Mary Monica born Reefton, Buller, New Zealand, 25th March 1892, Reg no 15231, she was baptised 29 March 1892 by J B L Rolland, sponsors Peter Byrne, and Mary Ann Lee (nee Cusack). She died a spinster in 1978 and was buried on the 31st March aged 86yrs.
Mary Rose born Reefton, Buller, New Zealand, 25th March 1892, Reg no 15232, she was baptised 29 March 1892 by J B L Rolland, sponsors Edward Keily and Ann Byrne (McAvoy). She died a spinster in 1 March 1952 and was buried on the 3rd March aged 59yrs.
Ellen Cecily born Reefton, Buller, New Zealand, 29th July 1894, Reg no 9840, she was baptised 7 August 1894 by J B L Rolland, sponsors Francis McGuigan and Mary Ann O’Regan. She died a spinster in 16 Oct 1982 and was buried on the 19th October aged 87yrs.
All three girls never married and are buried in the same plot no 126 V at the Karori Cemetery, Wellington, New Zealand.
Hugh had left New Zealand as early as 1896. An advertisement appears in the Kalgoorlie Miner for Hannan’s Royal Open Call Stock Exchange Company, with Directors, John Quiqley, H. Branch, W.H. Harris, H. McMahon and P. W. Henry and the Secretary was Hugh McKittrick, Kalgoorlie. In September 1899 Hugh had joined the Hannan’s District Cricket Association and signed a ratepayer’s petition along with Patrick jnr.
Whether he was looking for a better life in Western Australia for his family and intended to send for them later or he split from his wife we will never know. The Western Australian Postal Directory(Wise’s) of 1900 lists him as living at the Locomotive Hotel, Wittenoom St. Piccadilly and the Trades’ Directory list shows him as the contact person for this hotel. Piccadilly was a suburb of Kalgoorlie at that time. In following year he was no longer manager of this hotel but he also no longer shows up in either directory from then on.
A Publicans General License for the Broken Hill Hotel in Hannan Street Kalgoorlie is granted to him in May 1902. In this application he states that he had held a Publican’s General License at Mt. Higgins for about 17 months, and a Wine and Beer License at Kalgoorlie for 12 months.
“Mulwarrie is an abandoned goldfields town site located about 55 km south west of Menzies. The area was locally known as Mt Higgins when in 1900 the Mt Higgins Progress Committee wrote to the Lands Department requesting a town site be declared. A survey was made later that same year, and the town site gazetted as Mulwarrie in September 1900. It is presumed the name, first used by the surveyor in 1900, is a local Aboriginal name of unknown meaning. He joined the United Irish League in July 1902. On the 12th November of 1902 Hugh applied to take over the Publicans General License for the Commercial Hotel from his cousin Patrick Brennan. The license was granted in December 1902.
Come March 1903 Hugh, who had by now managed several leading hotels for the Hannans Brewery Co. in the district, left for Leonora to take over the management of the Grand Hotel for the owner, Mr. John Moher, who had taken off for a trip to the “Old Country”. It appears that Hugh never managed a Hotel for very long. The Kalgoorlie Licensing Bench sat in March 1903 and amongst the general publicans’ licenses on transfer was one for a George Carroll for the Commercial, Kalgoorlie. Hugh had transferred the license to George Carroll before leaving for Leonora.
Leonora is 237km north of Kalgoorlie. Gold was discovered in the Leonora district in 1894 and a town site was gazetted in 1898 although by this time there were many houses and businesses. By 1902 Leonora and Gwalia were connected by a steam tramway.
Only two months later Hugh committed suicide, apparently after receiving news from home. The inquest came to the conclusion that his suicide was caused by ‘temporary insanity’. At first he was buried on unconsecrated ground but when the owner of the Grand Hotel, Mr. Moher, returned from his trip, he ordered that his body be exhumed and buried in the church grounds and given a proper burial with the usual services. No records could be found for his grave in Leonora.
Kalgoorlie miner Thursday 14 May 1903 pg 4 – Suicide of a Hotelkeeper at Leonora
Mr. Hugh McKittrick, manager of Moher’s Grand Hotel was found shot this morning in circumstances that indicated suicide. The deceased was highly respected and the affair has cast a gloom over the town. He was about this morning directing business affairs in the house, and visited the police station with some communication, which probably unnerved him, as he appeared somewhat anxious when he returned home. Shortly afterwards, he locked himself in his office, and, it would seem, shot himself through the heart. Constable Campbell was quickly on the scene. The door was broken, and the body was found lying on the floor. A revolver and several blood-stained knives were found beside the body. Death was instantaneous. Deceased was partly undressed, and his coat and vest were lying in different portions of the room. An examination showed that the unfortunate man apparently tried to open a vein near the thigh, and then to cut his throat, and finally used the revolver. Deceased was a married man. His wife and four daughters are in New Zealand. An inquiry was opened and adjourned till Monday next.
Hugh’s wife Monica remarried in 1917 to Mark Fagan M.L.C. Monica died on the 1st March 1932 aged 58 yrs and is buried in the same cemetery as her daughters, the Karori Cemetery, Wellington, New Zealand, Plot no 193 W. Her second husband Mark died 3rd December 1947, aged 74 yrs, and is buried with her. Her headstone names all three of girls
Moya Sharp
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