John Ryan 1809-1868
John Ryan was the son of Patrick Ryan and Margaret Moloney of Ballinleenty Townland, on the outskirts of Tipperary town. He was the brother of Mary Ryan who married Daniel Finnin and lived at Anthony’s Cutting. The ‘Bacchus Marsh Express’ March 7th, 1868 reported: ‘An inquest was held by Dr Rae on Wednesday upon the body of John Ryan, aged 59, brother-in-law of Mr Daniel Finnin of Bacchus Marsh and cousin of Patrick Vallence of the same place, and also very well known in the district himself. He was engaged in ploughing on the 29th ult at the farm of Mr Thomas Ryan, ‘Greenhills’, near Melton. The parties in the farmhouse noticed that the horses were standing still, and that the deceased was coming towards the house. He had a wrench in his hand and came and sat on the verandah. He was seen to be covered with blood, and spoke incoherently. Dr Maxwell from Sunbury saw the patient on Sunday, and recommended his removal to the Melbourne Hospital, but his relatives brought him to Bacchus Marsh, where Dr Rae, on his way to Melton, saw him and came back to his residence, with a view of trephining the skull. On examination, however, he found that the base of the skull was so badly fractured that medical treatment would be of no avail. The unfortunate man was insensible from the time of the accident until he died, on Wednesday, at noon.
One of the horses in the plough was known to be in the habit of kicking and it is supposed that deceased was stooping to alter something about the plough when he received the injuries from which he died.’
I assume the Patrick Vallence who was married to Mary Ann Hearn was the cousin referred to in the notice.
HOPETOUN CATHOLIC CEMETERY 