Patrick Dalton 1845-1878
Patrick was born in Tipperary. He was the son of William Dalton and Ann Doyle. Patrick married Johanna Costello in Melbourne in 1871 at St Patrick’s Cathedral. When he died in 1878 he had been in Victoria for nine years and was only 32. He left a wife and three young sons – William six, Michael three and Patrick one, all born in Bacchus Marsh – in desperate circumstances.
When his son, William, died in 1899 at just 27, his family asked for permission to bury him at Hopetoun with his father but permission was refused. Family sources have suggested that the grave was on the north side, close to the road. Patrick’s youngest son, also Patrick, married Jane Ellen Laing and had six known children who were all born in Bacchus Marsh.
Patrick’s wife, Johanna was born in Co Limerick and was the daughter of Patrick Costello and Ann Ryan.
An article in ‘The Express’ 23rd February, 1878 states, ‘Mr Patrick Dalton, a labouring man renting a few acres of land in Bacchus Marsh, died on Sunday morning last of brain fever, brought on, it is thought by his exertions in putting out bush fires in the Gordon district, where he was with a threshing machine. He has left a wife and three children with no provision for them except for a few cows and an unexpired term of the property rented by him. Mr M O’Connell in whose service Mr and Mrs Dalton were at the time, has collected money and promises of money for the widow during the week of about forty pounds’.
HOPETOUN CATHOLIC CEMETERY 