Writing from Australia in search of McQuade family links

Editor,

I am researching my paternal grandmother’s line of McQuade of Westmeath and would be delighted if any of your readers could help.

This is the information I have.

Thomas McQuade married Elizabeth Bell on 13/9/1851 in Taghmon, Westmeath. From the marriage four children were born; Alice, 1854, Thomas, 1856, John and Elizabeth, twins born 1860. Elizabeth was my paternal grandmother.

When Thomas died, Elizabeth (Bell née McQuade) was married again, to Benjamin Rothwell, a retired policeman, on 10/2/1866 and two sons, Benjamin (22/1/1867) and William (3/6/1869) were born.

Benjamin went to the USA and William went to England.

Grandmother Elizabeth and sister Alice left Ireland in 1883 and arrived in Queensland, Australia.

Their brother John had arrived before them and had gone to the gold fields with a freight business.

Alice married and died tragically, leaving her husband and children. I have been to Western Australia to meet a present day member of the family.

Elizabeth married Ernest Wickham in Brisbane, Queensland and had two daughters and three sons and were my grandparents.

Both they and my father, Ivan, died in 1946, when I was two years old.

Possibly the name Forbes is a connection.

I am hopeful that someone will be able to help fill in the stories of the McQuade and associated families.

Please write to me at the address below or email cymf@bigpond.com.

Yours,

Lynette McCollum,

Cooktown Qld 4895,

Australia.