Irlam, George

IRLAM, George (1835–1904) was born at Urmston, Lancashire, England, son of Thomas Irlam, a farmer, and Hannah Faulkner. After arriving in Queensland in July 1863 at Maryborough, he moved to the Central West. At Oakey Creek, on the Clermont to Alpa Road, Irlam acquired a property which he called Urmston after his birthplace, and where he constructed buildings which from 1869, he operated as the Lord Nelson Hotel. When he applied for a licence, he claimed he was married with an unidentified wife and child, but at least from the early 1870s he had formed a partnership with the already married, Mary Farrell, who had a daughter. In due course they had six children of their own. In 1876-1877 the hotel was renamed the Oakey Creek Hotel. Part of this building which survives is heritage-listed as a rare example of ant-bed construction. During this time Irlam operated also as a carrier, leaving Mary, with their growing family living an often-lonely existence. In May 1882, their youngest child died only two days after its birth and in September Mary committed suicide. Subsequently moved to Clermont and continued working as a carrier. During the 1891 Shearers’ Strike, while representing the Carriers’ Union, he was charged for threatening a youth with a loaded gun and sentenced to 2 months jail, seen as unfairly harsh. Irlam stood unsuccessfully for election to the Clermont Municipal Council. In 1893, he married Isabella Schon née Bruce. Following a stroke he was paralysed and died at Clermont in January 1904.

Migration and Travel

18639 July 1863: Arr Maryborough from, Liverpool, passenger on ‘David McIvor’

Self-employment:

1869-

Licensee, Lord Nelson Hotel, Oaky Creek (possibly the ant-bed building)

1876-

Licensee, Oakey Creek Hotel (presumed as above)

Carrier, Oakey Creek

-1896-

Carrier, Clermont

-1903

Receiving and forwarding agent, Clermont

Genealogy

[F] Thomas Irlam (1807–1886) b. 1807, Flixton, Lancashire, Eng; d. 11 Feb 1886, Barton Upon Irwell, Lancashire, Eng

[S / M] Hannah Faulkner (1804–1884) b. 1804, Urmston, Lancashire, Eng; d. 29 Mar 1884, Barton Upon Irwell, Lancashire, Eng

[C/B]George IRLAM(1835–1904) b. 7 June 1835, Urmston, Lancashire, Eng; d. 2 Jan 1904, Qld.
[S1 / M] unidentified; in Nov 1869: “married, having a wife and one child”
[S, – / M] Mary Gillin / Farrell (1839–1882) b. 1839, Antrim, Antrim, Ireland; d. 30 Sep 1882, Oakey Creek, Qld (suicide); prev. marriage: John Farrell, 7 Mar 1866, Qld, not divorced.
[SD] Elizabeth Farrell / McCarthy (1870–1935) b. 4 Mar 1870, Clermont, Qld; d. 16 Feb 1935, Collinsville, Qld.
[6C/1-2G] Mary Irlam (1872–1915) b. 10 Apr 1872, Clermont, Qld.; d. 11 June 1915, Toowoomba, Qld
[6C/1-4B] George Irlam (1874–1943) b. 17 Feb 1874, Clermont, Qld; d. 16 Feb 1943, Ingham, Qld.
[S1, 20 Mar 1897] Agnes Jane Girvan
[1-5B]
[6C/2-4B] William Irlam (1876–1905) b. 22 Mar 1876, Clermont, Qld; d. 9 May 1905, Toowoomba, Qld.
[6C/2-2G] Ellen Irlam (1878–1878) b. 20 Mar 1878, Clermont, Qld; d. 22 Mar 1878, Clermont, Qld.
[6C/3-4B] John Joseph Irlam (1879–1938) b. 26 July 1879, Clermont, Qld; d. 20 Nov 1938, South Brisbane, Qld.
[6C/4-4B] Edward Irlam (1881–1882) b. Nov 1881, Clermont, Qld.; d. 10 Mar 1882, Clermont, Qld.
[S2, 6 Oct 1893] Isabella Schon née Bruce (?‒1926) b. ? ; d. 23 Nov 1926, Qld; prev. married to George Andrew Schon

Other Activities

1891 Carriers’ Union delegate, Shearers Strike

References

Rockhampton Bulletin, 25 Nov 1869, 3;Western Star, 4 Oct 1882, 2; Coronial Inquest, 1 Oct 1882, ITM2726004, QSA; The Argus (Vic) 30 Mar 1891, 6; Morning Bulletin (Rockhampton) 22 April 1891, 5; Capricornian, 28 Mar 1896, 29; Telegraph, 13 Jan 1904, 3; Qld Heritage Register 602010.