WILLIAM MORGAN McSWEENEY 1850 – 1927
William McSweeney came from County Cork in Ireland and began work at Rakaia Terrace Station in 1875 as a general hand but later specialised as the blacksmith. His particular combination of skills made him hard to replace. His father was a blacksmith in Ireland and would have taught William. In the station records he is always recorded as ‘Sweeney’.
The first entry in the station journal is 21 October 1875: ‘Sweeney drafting.’ Other occupations are bagging oats, hoisting up wheat at shed, mowing grass in garden, gardening, agricultural work, plantation work, thatching and blacksmithing. In 1876 in the Ledger he is entered as ‘General Hand and Blacksmith at £70 per year’; in 1878 ‘at £80’; in 1883 his annual salary had increased to £110. He also received extra remuneration for harvesting, some years up to £20.
In 1883 William married Margaret O’Sullivan. In a letter from John Fountaine, the manager, to John Hall, 18 May 1883, is written:
'Sweeney married on Sunday week and brought his wife home last Saturday. Mrs Fountaine likes her very well, she is regular Irish.'
The Prestidges, local builders, built a cottage for William and Margaret and here is an inventory of goods and furniture provided:
Front bedroom – 1 double bedstead (wood) 1 straw mattress 1 chaff pillow 1 dressing table
Small bedroom – 1 iron single bedstead 1 chaff mattress 1 cork mattress 1 table 1 washstand 1 looking glass
Back bedroom – 1 iron single bedstead 1 flax mattress & chaff mattress 1 chaff pillow 1 table 1 looking glass 1 washstand, basin, jug (broken) soap and brush dishes
Kitchen – 1 dresser 1 table, 3 chairs 1 stove 1 tea kettle 3 saucepans 1 pot for stove 1 coffee pot 1 frying pan 1 pair bellows
Four children were born to William and Margaret while they lived at Hororata – John 1884-1894; Patrick Joseph 1886-1969; William 1887-1958; Mary Ellen 1897-1979. Margaret, known as Maggie, was one of the first women in Hororata to sign the women’s suffrage petition.
When he left in 1901 aged 51 he was given a specially inscribed gold watch – ‘William McSweeney from Sir John Hall in memory of long and valued service, 1901.’ With the £1,000 he had saved, William bought his own 300 acre farm near Kirwee.
Descendants of William and Margaret have enjoyed a family gathering at Terrace Station and visiting the property where their ancestors lived and worked.
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William McSweeney came from County Cork in Ireland and began work at Rakaia Terrace Station in 1875 as a general hand but later specialised as the blacksmith. His particular combination of skills made him hard to replace. His father was a blacksmith in Ireland and would have taught William. In the station records he is always recorded as ‘Sweeney’.
The first entry in the station journal is 21 October 1875: ‘Sweeney drafting.’ Other occupations are bagging oats, hoisting up wheat at shed, mowing grass in garden, gardening, agricultural work, plantation work, thatching and blacksmithing. In 1876 in the Ledger he is entered as ‘General Hand and Blacksmith at £70 per year’; in 1878 ‘at £80’; in 1883 his annual salary had increased to £110. He also received extra remuneration for harvesting, some years up to £20.
In 1883 William married Margaret O’Sullivan. In a letter from John Fountaine, the manager, to John Hall, 18 May 1883, is written:
'Sweeney married on Sunday week and brought his wife home last Saturday. Mrs Fountaine likes her very well, she is regular Irish.'
The Prestidges, local builders, built a cottage for William and Margaret and here is an inventory of goods and furniture provided:
Front bedroom – 1 double bedstead (wood) 1 straw mattress 1 chaff pillow 1 dressing table
Small bedroom – 1 iron single bedstead 1 chaff mattress 1 cork mattress 1 table 1 washstand 1 looking glass
Back bedroom – 1 iron single bedstead 1 flax mattress & chaff mattress 1 chaff pillow 1 table 1 looking glass 1 washstand, basin, jug (broken) soap and brush dishes
Kitchen – 1 dresser 1 table, 3 chairs 1 stove 1 tea kettle 3 saucepans 1 pot for stove 1 coffee pot 1 frying pan 1 pair bellows
Four children were born to William and Margaret while they lived at Hororata – John 1884-1894; Patrick Joseph 1886-1969; William 1887-1958; Mary Ellen 1897-1979. Margaret, known as Maggie, was one of the first women in Hororata to sign the women’s suffrage petition.
When he left in 1901 aged 51 he was given a specially inscribed gold watch – ‘William McSweeney from Sir John Hall in memory of long and valued service, 1901.’ With the £1,000 he had saved, William bought his own 300 acre farm near Kirwee.
Descendants of William and Margaret have enjoyed a family gathering at Terrace Station and visiting the property where their ancestors lived and worked.
Return to main page
