MACOBOY, Michael Henry (c 1857-1904)
MACOBOY, Michael Henry (c 1857-1904)
Michael Henry Macoboy was the son of Judge, Michael Francis Macoboy (1812-1872), who was alleged by many folk historians to be the Judge Macoboy (or McEvoy) held up by the ‘Wild Colonial Boy’ in the Australian folk ballad of that name.
Although no enrolment entry exists for Michael he features in the Geelong College Annual Prize Lists from 1868 to 1870. In 1868, he took 1st Prize in Latin in the 1st Class and in 1869 won 1st Prize in Writing in the 2nd Class. In 1870, he won 1st Prizes in Elocution, Writing and Singing and a 1st in Drawing in the 2nd Class. He also came 3rd in Euclid (Euclidian Geometry) in the 3rd Class that year. The family were listed at Mornville, Carisbrooke up until 1868 before being listed as of Sandhurst (Bendigo) in 1869 and 1870.
His father, Judge Macoboy, was born in Cork, Ireland in about 1812, the son of David Macoboy or possibly McOboy (1777-1846), and graduated in law from Trinity College, Dublin. He practised in Dublin from 1842 onwards, becoming a barrister and gaining national prominence in the Kelly and Clanicarde cases. He emigrated to Victoria in 1855, commenced practice as a solicitor in Melbourne and, in 1858, within a few years of arrival, became one of eight judges of the newly expanded County Court where he served until his death in 1872. From 26 July, 1859 to 10 July 1860 he was the Judge for the County Courts of Amherst and Wedderburn. From 9 November 1860 he was the Judge of the County Court and Mines Court at Inglewood. By 1863 he was at Maryborough where he remained until reassigned to Sandhurst (Bendigo) in 1867. It was alleged that the real life Judge Macoboy was held up by a bushranger at Beechworth in about 1862 and that this event was incorporated into the Australian version of the Ballad, ‘The Wild Colonial Boy’.
Other than family anecdotes there is little other evidence to support this event.
Michael Macoboy was the second son of Judge Macoboy and born in Dublin. He joined the Victorian Lands Department in about 1892 and was a Lands Officer in Bendigo at the time of his death on 2 July 1904 at the relatively young age of 47 years. He died of pneumonia while under treatment in Melbourne. He married Mary nee Longstaff (1868-1952) in Victoria in 1891 and had 5 children. His only son, Michael Francis Macoboy (1895-1915) died tragically young.
His brother, 'Frank' James Macoboy (1853-1935), also appears in the Geelong College prize Lists of 1867 to 1869. There is no record of the two younger brothers, children of Anna Theresa Redmond (c1831-1888, the second wife, whom the Judge married in Victoria in 1861, James Harold Redmond Macoboy (1864-1926) or Herbert Rudolph Redmond Macoboy, attending the College.
In a curious addendum, Henry Michael O'Hara (1853-1921), also born in County Cork, and who probably attended the College from about 1868 to 1871, was the son of Anna Macoboy (-1867), Judge Macoboy’s sister, and Henry O’Hara (-1866). He was brought up in Australia by John Maddern (c1817-1902), also from County Cork, and his wife Margaret Heloise Macoboy (c1820-1874), another sister of the Judge.
Michael Henry Macoboy was the son of Judge, Michael Francis Macoboy (1812-1872), who was alleged by many folk historians to be the Judge Macoboy (or McEvoy) held up by the ‘Wild Colonial Boy’ in the Australian folk ballad of that name.
Although no enrolment entry exists for Michael he features in the Geelong College Annual Prize Lists from 1868 to 1870. In 1868, he took 1st Prize in Latin in the 1st Class and in 1869 won 1st Prize in Writing in the 2nd Class. In 1870, he won 1st Prizes in Elocution, Writing and Singing and a 1st in Drawing in the 2nd Class. He also came 3rd in Euclid (Euclidian Geometry) in the 3rd Class that year. The family were listed at Mornville, Carisbrooke up until 1868 before being listed as of Sandhurst (Bendigo) in 1869 and 1870.
His father, Judge Macoboy, was born in Cork, Ireland in about 1812, the son of David Macoboy or possibly McOboy (1777-1846), and graduated in law from Trinity College, Dublin. He practised in Dublin from 1842 onwards, becoming a barrister and gaining national prominence in the Kelly and Clanicarde cases. He emigrated to Victoria in 1855, commenced practice as a solicitor in Melbourne and, in 1858, within a few years of arrival, became one of eight judges of the newly expanded County Court where he served until his death in 1872. From 26 July, 1859 to 10 July 1860 he was the Judge for the County Courts of Amherst and Wedderburn. From 9 November 1860 he was the Judge of the County Court and Mines Court at Inglewood. By 1863 he was at Maryborough where he remained until reassigned to Sandhurst (Bendigo) in 1867. It was alleged that the real life Judge Macoboy was held up by a bushranger at Beechworth in about 1862 and that this event was incorporated into the Australian version of the Ballad, ‘The Wild Colonial Boy’.
Other than family anecdotes there is little other evidence to support this event.
Michael Macoboy was the second son of Judge Macoboy and born in Dublin. He joined the Victorian Lands Department in about 1892 and was a Lands Officer in Bendigo at the time of his death on 2 July 1904 at the relatively young age of 47 years. He died of pneumonia while under treatment in Melbourne. He married Mary nee Longstaff (1868-1952) in Victoria in 1891 and had 5 children. His only son, Michael Francis Macoboy (1895-1915) died tragically young.
His brother, 'Frank' James Macoboy (1853-1935), also appears in the Geelong College prize Lists of 1867 to 1869. There is no record of the two younger brothers, children of Anna Theresa Redmond (c1831-1888, the second wife, whom the Judge married in Victoria in 1861, James Harold Redmond Macoboy (1864-1926) or Herbert Rudolph Redmond Macoboy, attending the College.
In a curious addendum, Henry Michael O'Hara (1853-1921), also born in County Cork, and who probably attended the College from about 1868 to 1871, was the son of Anna Macoboy (-1867), Judge Macoboy’s sister, and Henry O’Hara (-1866). He was brought up in Australia by John Maddern (c1817-1902), also from County Cork, and his wife Margaret Heloise Macoboy (c1820-1874), another sister of the Judge.
Source
Argus (Melb) 27 June 1856 p7; Argus (Melb) 27 July 1859 p5; Argus (Melb) 5 March 1872 p5; Argus (Melb) 4 July 1904 p4: Argus (Melb) 12 July 1888 p1; Argus (Melb) 12 Nov 1946 p7; West Coast Times (NZ) 14 March 1872 p3; Law Institute Journal; PROV Will of Michael Henry Macoboy, Probated 30 July 1904, PRO File 91/487. PROV Will of Michael Francis Macoboy, Probated 28 March 1872, File No 9/683.