MARY ELIZABETH SMITH (POLLY)
Daughter of Bernard and Henrietta Maria Smith
Born: 8.11.1852, Perth, Western Australia (Perth 1954/52).
Married: Charles Philip REILLY on 1.2.1880 at the Roman Catholic
Church, Geraldton, W.A. (Perth 4834/80) He was born in Perth
(Perth 3634/51) and bapt 10.8.1857 at St. Mary's Cathedral by
Father Griver, and died on 16.10.1940 at North Perth, W.A., aged
84 (Perth 1918/1940). He was the son of Joseph Thomas REILLY who
was born on 23.12.1836 in Dublin, Ireland, died 13.10.1915 in
Northam, W.A. (Northam 93/1915) & Mary Lucille BURROWS who was born on 3.6.1835 in Perth, W.A., died 18.11.1902 in Northam, W.A.
(Perth 1778/02) and who married during 1855 in Perth, W.A. (Perth
812/55). Mary Lucille was the natural dtr. of Rachel BURROWS and
Charles R.R. NORCOTT. Rachel was the dtr. of Thomas BURROWS (a gardener) & married Michael HORNSBY, son of Thomas HORNSBY
(farmer) on 12.5.1849 at St. Mary's Cathedral, Perth, W.A.
CHILDREN
Edyth Lucille
Amy Gertrude
Cecily Violet Boyle
Agnes Daisy McEnroe
Leo Joseph
Jessie Veronica
"Undaunted Spirit" by Lucille Quinlan provides a series of
snippets from the life of C.P.Reilly.
The eldest son and the longest lived of the family (was) baptised
at St. Mary's by Father Griver on 10.8.1857. He was Charles for
his mother's father, Charles Norcott, and Phillip for his father's
brother, Phillip Reilly. His father's sister, Kathleen was
godmother and Richard Gallop - a York name that recurs in the
Reilly story - godfather. The Crimea war was not long over when
this child was born and he lived to see two world wars, dying on
16.10.1940, just nine days after his beloved Polly, Bernard
Smith's daughter, to whom he had been married for sixty years. He
was a talented, precise gentlemanly figure trained for a
commercial career but whose aspirations never quite fitted the
crude realities of modern business. He never ceased to be
astonished by the turns of world events.
In the years 1865-79 when the family was growing up, first over
the store in the Terrace and later over the store in Hay Street,
life might be full of hazards but it was conducted with order and
decorum. Domestic help was plentiful if often inefficient; but
grandmother had the born teacher's patience in training housemaids
and nursemaids. Charlie and Timothy (Quinlan) received a solid
elementary education at the Catholic Boys School under Cornelius
O'Mahony and Francis O'Callaghan., In 1872, said the Perth Gazette
of 19 September, "The pupils of the sixth class presented Master
C.P.Reilly with a prize on his leaving the school." He was to go
to Saint Patrick's College, East Melbourne, the following term to
complete his education under the Jesuits. No Catholic secondary
school for boys as yet existed in Western Australia. His father
and Father Matthew Gibney were now members of the Board of
Education and Charlie would have been relieved to escape the
annual embarrassment of being Examined orally by them, and in
public.
(In 1879 the family moved to the Eastern States but) Charles
Reilly was in his twenty-second year and soon to marry pretty
Polly Smith, who could not be torn from her loving family.
Besides, Charlie was doing well in a merchant firm up in
Geraldton.
*
*
At the time of his father's death in 1915 Charles had moved to
Kojonup. The 1914 Electoral Roll records him at "Illamia
Orchard", Kojonup, and gives his profession as "Orchardist and
Agent". Later, probably upon retirement, the couple moved up to
Perth and lived on the land left to Mary Elizabeth by her father
in Charles St., North Perth.
Jessie Barker related several stories about her grand-parents.
Leo, their only son was Jessie's father.
Mary Elizabeth would have a cold bath every morning, claiming that
the water was "tepid". On Sundays she would run, on her tiny feet,
to 6.00 a.m. Mass which was held at St. Mary's in Leederville.
Jessie, her daughter, would go to Mass with her. Jessie later
became Mother Mary Agatha of the Sisters of Mercy.
Family rumour has it that when their house was being cleared out
one of the sons-in-law took a box containing Mary Elizabeth's
jewellery and gave it to the Redemptorist Monks at the Monastery
in Vincent Street. As the eldest married daughter of John
Gresswell's eldest daughter Mary could have had a number of
Gresswell's pieces. This rumour could explain the apparent total
disappearance of his work in Perth.
One of the more romantic endings in this book is the family story
of the conclusion to the life of C.P. Reilly. He declined to
attend his wife's funeral and when the family returned to his home
afterwards they found him in a coma. He did not regain
conciousness and died a week after Mary Elizabeth.
The Catholic Record published obituaries for both these natives of
Perth. In the issue of 17.10.1940:-
LATE MRS. C.P. REILLY
Mrs. Reilly, who was the daughter of the late Bernard Smith, was
born in Howick Street (now Hay Street), Perth, on the site which
is now occupied by Bon Marche Ltd. Later her father acquired the
fine property in Adelaide Terrace known as "FERN HILL", and which
until recent years was the home of her remaining family. A pupil
of the Sisters of Mercy, Victoria Square, Mrs Reilly was for many
years president of the Children of Mary Sodality, only
relinquishing that position just prior to her marriage when a
presentation of a beautiful prayer book was made to her by the
members of the Sodality, and which is still treasured by her
husband.
On February 1 of this year, the deceased lady celebrated the
diamond jubilee of her marriage; sixty happy years devoted to the
love and care of her husband and children, for whom the deepest
sympathy is expressed in their irreparable loss.
Deeply religious, her life was one of steadfast devotion to the
practice of her faith. She commenced each day with Mass and Holy
Communion, so that when death came she was well prepared. During
her brief illness the Right Rev. Monsignor Moloney and Rev.
Father Boylan attended to her spiritual wants. The Sisters of
Mercy, of Arranmore, where her daughter (Mother Mary Agatha) is
Mother Superior, the Sisters of St. Brigid and St John of God, and
her husband and family were at her bedside when she passed away.
Mrs. Reilly is survived by her husband, one son, three daughters,
11 grandchildren, and three sisters (Mrs.Fred Church[sic] and the
Misses Caroline and Laura Smith).
On Tuesday evening her remains were removed to St. Mary's Church,
Leederville, and on Wednesday morning a Requiem Mass was
celebrated by Rt. Rev. Monsignor Moloney at 7 a.m. At 9.30 the
funeral service took place, when her remains were laid to rest in
the Catholic porition[sic] of the Karrakatta Cemetery. As the
coffin was carried from the church it was preceded by the Sisters
of Mercy and along the road leading from St. Mary's the children
from the Convent school formed a guard of honour. Very Rev.
Father Moss, of Nedlands, officiated at the graveside.
The chief mourners were Mr. C.P. Reilly (Husband), Mrs A.J.
Tuffley, Miss Vi Reilly, Mother M. Agatha (St. Mary's Convent,
Leederville), Daughters; Mr. Leo Reilly (Son), Miss Marie Odgers
(Granddaughter), Mr. V. Brady (Nephew), Mrs. C.R. Courtland
(Sister-in-Law), Mrs. Morrissey, Miss K. Reilly, Miss G. Lucas and
J. Reilly (Cousins), and Miss N. O'Mahony.
The pall-bearers were Inspector J Doyle, Messrs. C.R. Courtland,
D.C. Perrott, N. McLeod, D. McLeod, and S. Smith.
Among those present were: Very Rev. Dean Reidy, Messrs. J.V.
Hawtin J.P., J.F. Silverthorne, L. Gibbons, J. Cunningham, T.W.
Wright, N. Jackson, J. Fenton, M. Mannix, J.S. Casey, C.
O'Dwyer; Mesdames H. Bagg, R. McGregor, J.T. Reilly, W. Reader,
Branch, J. Devlin, Mannix, Le Page, G. Courtland, Miss K. Fenton,
and Miss Kathleen Morrissey.
The following wreaths were received: From her loving husband;
Arthur, Daisy and family; Les and family; Vi; Mrs E. Clinch and
daughter; Mrs W. Reader; Mrs Branch; Tom Reardon and family
(Bunbury); Betty and Joan Wishart; Mr. and Mrs. G. James; The
Employees of Broadway Dry Cleaners.
The funeral arrangements were carried out by Messrs. Bowra and
O'Dea.
In the same issue was a small, late note:-
We regret to announce the death of Mr. Charles Philip Reilly, of
251 Charles Street, North Perth, who passed away yesterday,
October 16, at the advanced age of 84 years. Mr. Reilly was
predeceased by his wife by only nine days, the report of her
funeral appearing on page 12 of this issue. On February 1 of this
year the couple celebrated their diamond jubilee. The deceased's
father, the late J.T. Reilly was largely responsible for the
establishment of the "Record". R.I.P.
The following issue of the Record contained a death notice which
could be used as a model for those wishing to assist future
genealogists:-
REILLY.- On October 16, 1940, Charles Philip Reilly, of 251
Charles Street, North Perth, Dearly loved husband of the late Mary
Elizabeth Reilly, beloved father of Edith (deceased), Daisy (Mrs.
A.J. Tuffley), Vi (Kojonup), Leo (Dumbleyung), and Rev. Mother
Mary Agatha (St. Mary's Convent, Leederville) loved Grandfather of
Marie, Pauline, and Louis Odgers, John, Charles and Leo Tuffley,
Jessie, Lucy, Patricia, Peg and Geoff Reilly; aged 84 years. Most
Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on his soul.
A lengthy account of his funeral also appears in the same issue of
the Record.
Died: 7.10.1940 - North Perth, W.A. (Perth 1986/1940)
Born 29.1.1883, Champion Bay, Western Australia (G'ton
23686/83).
Born 1884, Geraldton, Western Australia (G'ton 25057/84).
Born 1887, Perth, Western Australia (Perth 751/87).
Born 1887, Perth, Western Australia (Perth 752/87).
Born 1890, Geraldton, Western Australia (G'ton 938/90).
Born 1891, Geraldton, Western Australia (G'ton 285/91).
(In 1893) Bernard Smith and J.T.Reilly were both grandparents to
the Charles Reilly brood up in Geraldton, where there seemed to be
many opportunities. C.P.Reilly was now in business as a wine and
spirits merchant, had been a councillor since 1889, a Justice of
the Peace for several years, and was due to be Mayor in 1895.
There was talk of his standing for the next parliament but Charles
himself was reluctant.
(following the death of his mother) Charlie edited the paper ( the
Northam Advertiser) for a period and could have done so
indefinitely, had he any real desire for it. That was the hard
lesson Grandfather had to learn: the son who would have continued
his life's work had been taken from him and the son who was left
had no more inclination for journalism than he had for politics.
One has only to look at the photographs of C.P.Reilly from boyhood
on to identify the cast of features of some kind of dreamer, with
the traits of the artist or mystic or both, whom the hard
realities of life channelled into storekeeping and auditing,
untangling the muddles of District Roads Boards.
BORN IN PERTH 88 YEARS AGO
It is with sincere regret we announce the death of a member of one
of our grand old Catholic families. Mary Elizabeth, devoted wife
of Mr. Charles Philip Reilly, of 251 Charles Street, North Perth,
which took place at her home on October 7. This, the Feast of the
Holy Rosary, was one to which the deceased had through all her
long life a deep and fervent devotion.
