John Merrin - Police

John was born in County Wexford in Ireland in 1837, the son of James Merrin and Mary Anne Larkin. He lived in a place called Saltmills, a small village located in the south-west of County Wexford, close to the border with Waterford County.

According to the record of his marriage, John's father, James Merrin, was a farmer. According to the Griffith Valuation of 1853, James Merrin was a tenant at a property in Saltmills.

there was also a John Merrin living in Saltmills at this time and that he was married to Catherine Larkin. It is likely that John was James Merrin's brother and that the two brothers married two sisters by the name of Larkin.

John A Merrin was Catholic and had at least two siblings: Eliza and Michael. There were probably more children in the family but I know of these two because they followed their older brother, John, to New South Wales, arriving in Sydney on 21 October 1858 aboard Golconda. The Immigration Deposit Journal noted that Eliza was 17 years old, could read and write and was a farm servant.

On 26 September 1856, John Merrin left Ireland as an assisted migrant aboard the Kate, bound for the colony of New South Wales. He was 18 years old.

In 1851, gold had been found in New South Wales and people from all over the world had flooded into the colony and on to the goldfields. Initially there were no police on the goldfields and 'Diggers' Justice' was used to settle disputes. The Sydney Foot Police had been established in 1790 and there were various other colonial police forces but they operated as separate entities and by 1851 there was a clear need to establish a single police force for New South Wales.

However, there were not enough suitable men in the colony who were willing to become policemen so the Police Recruiting Act, 1853 was passed in an attempt to solve this problem. The Act allowed men to be recruited from England, Scotland, Wales & Ireland to become police men in New South Wales, offering them free passage in exchange for a minimum of three years service. The first recruits arrived in 1855 and, in 1856, John Merrin joined them.

His immigration record further states that the £5 deposit was paid by Patrick Larkin who acted as John's guarantor. Patrick was John's maternal uncle, brother to his mother, Mary Ann (nee Larkin). There are apparently still Larkins living in Bathurst.

John arrived in Sydney on 23 December 1856 and was appointed a constable on 2 April 1857.

​His recruitment record states that he was 5ft 7.5 inches with a fresh complexion, dark brown hair and hazel eyes. It also states that he was a gardener, Catholic and of 'smart' appearance.

John was appointed to the Western District which encompassed Mudgee and the western goldfields of New South Wales.

On 9 February 1860, John Merrin married Catherine Cavanagh in Bathurst at the Church of St Michael's.

Their daughter, Mary Ann, was born later that year, also in Bathurst.

Police records show the area of NSW to which police officers were assigned but not the specific towns where they were based and lived. Thus, I know that between 1860 and 1862 John lived and worked in the Bathurst area.

John looked after as a police constable was Hartley, a town which is now about an hour's drive from Bathurst.

Hartley: 1 August 1863:promoted from Senior Constable to Sergeant, Second Class;

Carcoar: approximately 1864 - April/May 1872 John was well-regarded in Carcoar

Molong: April/May 1872

Cowra: 1873-1875

Gulgong: 1875-1881

In December 1875, John was stationed in Gulgong. In January 1876, "Sergeant John Merrin, late of Carcoar and Cowra", officially took over from Senior Sergeant O'Donnell at Gulgong.

John left the police force on 19 October 1881 at the age of 44. He was paid a gratuity in appreciation for his service to the community. The family subsequently moved to Mudgee where they lived for some years. On 24 August 1896 John was working as "part-time acting warder" at Mudgee gaol after his retirement and was a well-regarded member of the Mudgee community.

John seems to have suffered from dementia in the years before his death as the NSW Police Gazette of 29 June 1910 notes that he had been missing from 138 Glenmore Road, Paddington since 5 June. He is described as "68 years old, 5 feet 10, grey hair, whiskers, moustache. Dark suit, fawn overcoat, grey felt hat, an ex Sgt. Police."

John A Merrin died on 3 August 1912 at his home, 16 Womerah Avenue, Darlinghurst, at the age of 75. His death certificate states that he died of "senile decay and chronic arthritis". He was buried on 5 August 1912 at Rookwood Cemetery in Sydney (grave reference: M2*E*950).

for more information: https://branchesofmyfamilytree.weebly.com/john-a-merrin.html