Biddy McCoy - NZ Woman of the Wild West: In celebration of International Women's Day, 2019
Biddy McCoy (McLoy) -
Born Mary Anne Clerkin in 1820's;
From County Fermanagh, Ireland.
‘Claim to fame’: Had a somewhat undeserved reputation as a 'wild woman' across Western Southland in early days.
Most people in Southland have heard of the fearsome Biddy McCoy, who had apparently poisoned her partner and gone to prison for it; but when you dig a little deeper into the story, that is not actually true and the difficulties that Biddy faced as a child during the Great Famine of Ireland and her ensuing transportation and sentence served in the rough convict days of Tasmania, along with the loss of her husband at an early age - leaving her unsupported with young children, show that her wild and wilful reputation may have well merely been her trying to survive by desperate measures in desperate times...
'Biddy' McCoy was born Mary Anne Clerkin, but was called Biddy. Her father one John Clerkin was a farmer and her mother Ann, had been a McDill before her marriage. At the age of 19 years it was reported that Biddy was
single, a Country Servant and could not read or write, which was quite usual at the time. The Native Place for Biddy was listed as County Fermanagh, Ireland. We only know all this from well documented Convict Records of Biddy, as this sad saga starts to unfold:
In 1847, in Ireland, Mary Anne (or Biddy) as she was known, was tried and convicted at age 19 of stealing a goose; this was during the years of the great famine, where 2 million starved to death. She was then transported to Tasmania to serve a 7 year sentence.
© Artists impression of Biddy McCoy/McLoy, from her criminal records description; used with permission from family
Biddy continued to offend after transportation, receiving many extra sentences/warnings, from solitary confinement in the cells to hard labour and even a lengthly extension of her original sentence for even more larceny (theft). This is hardly surprising, after being shipped to the other side of the world at 19, with no family or support. It is hard to imagine being punished, for most probably, just wanting something to eat. And it is easy to imagine young Biddy not taking kindly to the perceived unjust treatment of her for her only crime - of being hungry.
(ABOVE - Publicly available "Clipart" depicting the stolen goose and Biddy's hungry family)
Biddy met and married John McCoy (written a McLoy on marriage certificate), in Tasmania on 9/3/1853, he was another convict. John himself had been transported in 1838, for stealing curtains. It is not known how or when the two met, but they were both listed as living in Launceston when their Banns were read on 31st January 1853. Interestingly they are married at the Baptist Chapel, while they were most probably practising Catholics and Biddy was buried as a Catholic when she died. I suppose the old adage applies here, "Beggars can't be chosers". It is of note that at this time that John was a tradesman and Biddy (or Ann as she was registered), was simply a Spinster. Some of the punishments meted out to Biddy for re-offending while serving her sentence, had been "not unable to work in service", along with "sent to interior", so it is likely that she had not been working at the time, although most unmarried women were in this day and age considered merely a "spinster", no matter any current or prior employment.
Being both convicts, they would have had at least something in common. It appears as though they attempted to make a better life for both themselves and their children after this, as they emigrated to NZ, although this also did not go according to plan and once again Biddy found herself alone in yet another strange country, probably wondering what her life had become:
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(ABOVE) Copy of certificate kindly provided by a descendant |
Biddy
had her first child John in Tasmania in 1854 and while she was waiting for the birth
of their second child in 1857, John went over to NZ. Biddy came out after the birth of Catherina in 1857 and both her and the children were
to meet him at Bluff; John hired 2 horses and a dray and said he was
setting out to meet her, but he never arrived. There is speculation
about whether or not the quick-sands at Oreti Beach got him, or if he
skipped out and went to the goldfields up north instead. It was hard for a single woman or widow with 2 children to earn enough to live. Remember, in those days there was no Poor Relief in NZ, or any Social Welfare.We do not know exactly how or when, but Biddy
ended up becoming very well known as the tobacco spittin' keeper of the Gropers Bush
Hotel (just south of Otautau), from about 1857.
While the family were living at Gropers Bush Inn, where Biddy kept a "half-way house" or Accommodation for travellers, Biddy's two children are said to have attended the Gummies Bush School, which only opened in 1872. It is surmised that the fees for the children to have this education would have been around 13/- a quarter, not a small sum for a single woman with two children. Being already at the ages of around 18 and 15, this alone speaks to the success and hard work that Biddy put into living and caring for her children, giving them an education, no matter how rough her own life, or their family lifestyle was. The distances involved for John and Catherina to get to their schooling was a 9 mile walk each way.
Imagine children these days walking 18 miles total to get to school and
home again! You can see on the map below for some idea of the distance
involved, although that alone does nothing to create the atmosphere of
picking through dense bush, wading in swamps, and stumbling along on
rough ground, etc., all things necessary to navigate to get where one
wanted in those days. There were still only the odd vaguely formed dirt bullock tracks in those days and
these also presented grave danger, when scared beasts ran amok and ran
down other riders, drivers or walkers, let alone children.
- Gropers Bush is equidistant from Ōtautau and Riverton/Aparima. It was said to have been named Hāpuka (groper, a coastal fish) by Māori, because the bush was shaped like the fish. Today, only a tiny library remains.
- Gummies Bush, just north of Riverton/Aparima, was named after whaler and later pig-farmer James Leader, nicknamed ‘Gummie’ because he had no teeth.
(ABOVE MAP & AREA INFORMATION) David Grant, 'Southland places - The Southland bush', Te Ara - the
Encyclopedia of New Zealand,
http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/map/20192/the-southland-bush (accessed 8
March 2019) Story by David Grant, updated 25 May 2015
In 1871, Biddy is described as being a woman of means, owning her land, cattle and also other worldly goods. She is further observed to scorn adornment and is usually seen wearing tattered petticoats, an old jacket with a cap or hood arrangement on her head with a pipe in her mouth. In the often amusing and incredibly detailed reports by "A Tasmanian" traveling around the south of NZ in the years of 1867-9, we have a great account of Biddy's lack of convention with her 'womanly' appearance, described in colourful language below: And speaking of colourful language, it was also said of Biddy in other reports she could swear ‘better’ than any man; thinking about this statement, that would have been quite some feat for a woman back then!
In 1871, Biddy is described as being a woman of means, owning her land, cattle and also other worldly goods. She is further observed to scorn adornment and is usually seen wearing tattered petticoats, an old jacket with a cap or hood arrangement on her head with a pipe in her mouth. In the often amusing and incredibly detailed reports by "A Tasmanian" traveling around the south of NZ in the years of 1867-9, we have a great account of Biddy's lack of convention with her 'womanly' appearance, described in colourful language below: And speaking of colourful language, it was also said of Biddy in other reports she could swear ‘better’ than any man; thinking about this statement, that would have been quite some feat for a woman back then!
(ABOVE) from article in The Mercury, Hobart on 4/1/1870, of "A Tasmanian's" 20 months in Southland during 1867-9,
accessed via Trove online: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/8873940
accessed via Trove online: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/8873940
Biddy was well known to be an expert sportswoman,
with both a knife and a gun. She seems a real character and this is
probably what got her through the tough times. In 1870, she was tried
(but not convicted), of attempting to poison her latter partner. The
trial details seem to concur that it was just as easy for her partner to
have attempted to "set up" Biddy for a poisoning charge and she was
released and the charge dropped. This must have been a huge relief to
her, as even if guilty (although it seems the judiciary did not believe
so), Biddy must have been so worried about once more being convicted of a
crime, justly or unjustly. Some of the details of this case make
interesting reading, and are included here: (search online for more if
required)
(ABOVE) A brief summary of news reporingt on Biddy McCoy's Court Case as published in Southland Times, 26/7/1870.
accessed through Papers Past online, by National Library of NZ
accessed through Papers Past online, by National Library of NZ
In later years Biddy she worked as a nurse and midwife in the Wairio and Wrey’s Bush areas, helping the sick, delivering babies and generally helping others. One baby she delivered ended up marrying her son John. Biddy died in 1905, and was claimed to be aged 85. But, this age however does not match with her earlier Criminal Records from Transportation, as she was in these, purported to be just 19 at the time of her crime, in 1847 - making her only 77 at the time of her death. But however old Biddy was when she died, she certainly lived life to the full, and stuck doggedly to her determination, using all her wit and ability to get through tougher times than most of us could ever imagine. It is for this reason I vote her Otautau areas most remarkable woman - ever. I hope that you will agree with me and share her story far and wide.
(ABOVE) Biddy's Death as reported in Riverton's WSWCC on Friday 13/1/1905,
accessed through Papers Past Online, by National Library of NZ
In later years Biddy she worked as a nurse and midwife in the Wairio and Wrey’s Bush areas, helping the sick, delivering babies and generally helping others. One baby she delivered ended up marrying her son John. Biddy died in 1905, and was claimed to be aged 85. But, this age however does not match with her earlier Criminal Records from Transportation, as she was in these, purported to be just 19 at the time of her crime, in 1847 - making her only 77 at the time of her death. But however old Biddy was when she died, she certainly lived life to the full, and stuck doggedly to her determination, using all her wit and ability to get through tougher times than most of us could ever imagine. It is for this reason I vote her Otautau areas most remarkable woman - ever. I hope that you will agree with me and share her story far and wide.
accessed through Papers Past Online, by National Library of NZ
If you want to lay some flowers on this brave and brilliant woman's grave, you can do so here, Biddy was laid to rest in Wrey's Bush Cemetery, as shown here on the SDC Cemetery Record:
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| Date of Death | 1905-01-08 |
| Age | 85 years |
| Cemetery | Wreys Bush |
| Location of Grave | 3 Catholic Section Block V |
ENDNOTE:
Her family descendants tell a story of Biddy's grave being left overgrown with shoulder high grass and weeds, as her daughter-in-law refused to let the grandchildren touch the grave, because Biddy had given all her money to the Catholic Church, so they could look after it!
However,
something must have happened along the way, as we now have a lovely
photo of Biddy's Grave at Wrey's Bush, which we can share with you, and
its looking trim & proper:
© Photo of Biddy's Grave at Wrey's Bush, kindly donated by family members & descendants, used with permission
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