KEESHAN / KEESHAM – Michael 49th Regiment – Enrolled Pensioner Force WA

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British Crimea Medal Alma Inkerman Sebastopol Clasp

Name	KEESHAN / KEESHAM – Michael
Regiment (s)	49th Regiment
Regiment Number (s)	2787
Date/Age/Place/Trade or Profession at Attestation	9th December 1848 / 19 years / Templemore Ireland Labourer
Description – Height Complexion/Eyes/Hair/Scars	5 Ft 9 in Fair / Grey / Brown / None
Overseas Service/Duration	Ionian Islands – 2 years 1 month Turkey – 5 months Malta – 1 year Crimea – 1 year 10 months West Indies Barbados – 3 years 2 months East Indies – 4 years 1 month
Length of Service	21 years 76 days
Rank/Date/Place of Discharge	Private / 22nd February 1870 / Colchester Essex England
Campaign Medals	Crimean War Medal with Alma Inkerman and Sebastopol clasps Turkish Crimean Medal
Intended Residence at Discharge	Tipperary Ireland
Pension Districts	1870 Halifax 1873 Greenwich 1874-1895 Western Australia
Pension Paid	1/0d per diem 1887 Increased to 1/2½d per diem for service Enrolled Force
Date of Departure and Place England or Ireland	1st November 1873 Gravesend England
Ship and Date of Arrival Western Australia	NAVAL BRIGADE 18th February 1874
Date/Place of Birth	c1828 Barna Moneygall Kings Ireland
Date/Place of Baptism	Not yet known
Father Date/Place of Birth	KEESHAN John
Mother Date/Place of Birth Marriage	Not yet known
Siblings	Not yet known
1^st Wife Date of Birth or Baptism	FAULKNER aka LEARY Mary Jane c1834 Gibraltar
Date/Place of Marriage	13th March 1865 St. Peters Athlone Roscommon Ireland
Children by 1^st Wife	William Joseph B c1859 Lancashire England D 24th May 1874 Perth Western Australia bur Roman Catholic East Perth Cemeteries Western Australia Elizabeth B c1865 Mullingar Ireland (Mother Faulkner) M FRANK(S) John 27th April 1885 Fremantle Western Australia D 9th February 1922 Claremont Western Australia bur Roman Catholic Section Karrakatta Cemetery Western Australia Michael B 11th July 1867 Bp 11th July 1867 Deesa Bombay East Indies D 27th April 1901 age 33 Fremantle WA Buried Fremantle Cemetery WA Patrick B c1869 East Indies D 5th July 1888 age 19 Fremantle WA Bur 5th August 1888 St. Patrick’s Skinner Street Cemetery Fremantle WA Ephraim John B c1871 Halifax Yorkshire England D 1887 Western Australia Bur 9th August 1887 St. Patrick’s Skinner Street Cemetery Fremantle WA Peter John 1873 Halifax Yorkshire M Mary NICOLAY 24th December 1889 Perth WA D18th June 1918 Carnarvon WA James B 1876 Perth Western Australia (Mother Faulkner) D 7th March 1877 Perth Western Australia bur East Perth Cemeteries Western Australia
Father of 1st wife Date/Place of Birth	LEARY Ephraim Felkin
Mother of 1st wife Date/Place of Birth Marriage	Not yet known
Land Grants Western Australia	None
Occupation after Arrival	Not yet known
Newspaper Articles	The Perth Gazette and West Australian Times – Local and General News 12th June 1874 – page 2 Shooting of William Joseph Keeshan The Evening Times (Fremantle WA) Thursday 5th July 1888 page 3 Death of Patrick Keeshan The West Australian Thursday 19th December 1889 page 3 Death of Michael Keeshan The West Australian Wednesday 6th February 1895 page 4 Funeral Notice Mary Jane Keeshan The West Australian Saturday 27th April 1901 page 5 Funeral Notice Michael Keeshan jnr Northern Times (Carnarvon WA) Saturday 22nd June 1918 page 4 Death of Peter Keeshan Northern Times Saturday 13th September 1919 page 2 Memorial notice Peter Keeshan The Daily News Monday 13th February 1922 page 5 Obituary Elizabeth Frank
Departure from Western Australia	Not applicable
Date/Place of Death/Burial	December 1889 Manning’s Field Fremantle Western Australia Buried 17th December 1889 St. Patrick’s Skinner Street Cemetery Fremantle WA (Gulielmus)
Date/Place of Death/Burial Wife	February 1895 Western Australia Buried 5th February 1895 St. Patrick’s Skinner Street Cemetery Fremantle WA
Will or Probate	None known
Further Information	British Army Worldwide Index 1851 Michael Keeshan 2787 Private 49th Foot location Fermoy Cork, Ireland and Corfu Ionian Islands 1861 Michael Keeshan 2787 Private 49th Foot location Portsmouth In the 1861 census Michael Kushan (sic) an unmarried man is with his regiment at the Aldershot Barracks. 1871 Census Michael Keeshan age 41 a pensioner working as a labourer in a wool warehouse is living with his wife Mary Ann age 37 born Gibraltar and their family. William Age 12 was born in Manchester Lancashire – although it is not stated he was possibly a step son. Elizabeth age 6 was born 1865 at Mullingar Ireland, Michael age 4 was born in the East Indies as was Patrick age 2. Son Ephraim aged just 6 weeks was born 1871 at Halifax. His wife Mary Jane used both the names Faulkner and Leary when baptising her children but she married as Leary and gave that as her father’s name. Her father’s name is given as Ephraim Felkin Leary, possibly was “Ephraim Faulkner Leary” giving rise to name confusion . November 1880 Michael Keeshan’s name is on the Nominal List for the Enrolled Guard and he was living at the No 1 Fremantle Barracks with his wife and 5 children and bought furniture at the barracks sale. He was employed at the Fremantle Magazine between 1st March and 30th June 1881; he does not appear to have been enlisted in the Guard. Son Peter John Keeshan enlisted in the AIF on 3rd November 1915. On his attestation form he said he was age 42 born in Halifax Yorkshire (born 1873). He was a widower without children and gave his next-of-kin as his sister Mrs Elizabeth Frank of Shenton Road Claremont WA. He had previously served in the Volunteer Force WA. He gave his occupation as a ‘bushman’ He returned to Australia on the Balmoral Castle 1st February 1918 suffering injuries.