Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Confoys and Goulburn, NSW, Australia

Goulburn, NSW, Australia seems to be the first noted location of the Confoys in Australia.  I have not yet found out any of the history of why this might be so.  Any information will be useful.  There is a street called Confoy Place in Goulburn and a Carr-Confoy sports field also in Goulburn.  The Confoy in this case is evidently Jack Confoy a locally famous bicycle road racer whom seems to have won almost every race he was in that was reported in the newspapers.  Some of his victories follow:
From the Goulburn Evening Penny Post, Monday, 24 August, 1936

From the Goulburn Evening Penny Post, Monday, 27 September, 1937


Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Confoys from Ireland to Australia and the United States

Here is what I know so far on the Confoys in Ireland.  The family is from Castlebar, County Mayo, Ireland.  There are no Confoys left in Ireland today or by 1900 even.  Evidently the entire family of an age that could have children left for Australia and the United States about 1858.  The first Confoy that I can find in Australia. is Patrick Confoy.  His obituary from Goulburn Evening Penny Post, 3 October, 1896 follows:
Is his brother, T. Confoy, Timothy or Thomas Confoy?

In the United States, I know that my grandfather is Jules James "Whitey" Confoy (1908 - 1974), my great-grandfather is William H. Confoy (1869 - 1922), my great-great-grandfather is Timothy Confoy (1825 - unknown) and Timothy's father was a Patrick Confoy (unknown) who I believe never left Ireland.  Timothy had a brother Thomas, a sister Mary, a sister Rose, a brother Edward, and a sister Catherine "Kate" Confoy (1836 - 1897) whom married Benjamin A. Myrtetus in the United States and whose offspring are in the United States today.

Is the Patrick Confoy born in 1844 that died in Goulburn, NSW, Australia, the brother of Timothy and the son of Patrick that remained in Ireland?  Any information will be helpful as I believe this to be the case.