The Brady Family Fued

I’ve been researching the Brady Family history, particularly my paternal grandfather’s family who settled in Australia in the 19^th century.

Our grandfather, William Henry Brady, was born in 1882 in Wangaratta, Australia, the third child of John Anthony Brady and Margaret (Fogarty) Brady. Both John and Margaret immigrated to Australia from Ireland

In 1877 they married in Melbourne and the Brady family settled on Templeton Street in Wangaratta, Australia. They had three children: John Anthony (junior), Margaret Frances Brady and William Henry Brady, our grandfather. John Anthony Brady was a “hawker” or traveling salesman. Margaret Brady operated a store and boardinghouse out of her house where she had a license to sell “colonial wine” (wine produced in Australia). She was also working for the Wangaratta Hospital as a “ward keeper.” It would appear that a ward keeper provided non-medical housekeeping services.

In my research, I found an article in the local paper, the Ovens and Murray Advertiser, 25 August 1884, reporting on a case in the Wangaratta Police Court, Thos. Brady v Margaret Brady for wages Thomas Brady claimed Margaret Brady had failed to pay him while he stayed with her so that he could consult with an “Indian Eye Doctor” (see attached). There were several Brady families in Wangaratta and surrounding towns at the time. More research is required to find if they are related.

Some fascinating details in this story. Mrs. Brady said that she agreed to let Thomas stay and supply him with “tea and sugar,” providing that he worked in the garden. “Tea and sugar” probably included all food. There was a famous Tea and Sugar train that traveled a thousand miles each week into the Outback to provision settlements that didn’t have access to stores.

Her son John, who would be about 17 at the time, testified that he saw Thomas “knocking about the place” and only “working for his tucker.” Tucker is Australian slang for food. You have heard the word used in the song “Waltzing Matilda” (https://youtu.be/TkSKEGf1AKA).

The case was dismissed by His Worship, the judge.