James (Bouchier) Coffey : Short Biography

We believe that James Coffey was born about 1828 in County Galway, Ireland, a child of Michael Coffey and Bridget Bouchier, and that his father Michael was a farmer. We believe that it is most likely that he hailed from one of two parishes in the south-east corner of County Galway that were transferred to County Clare around the turn of the 20th century, Whitegate (formerly Clonrush) or Mountshannon (formerly Inishcaltra) (source: personal advice at East Galway Family History Society in Woodford, County Galway, October 2019). 

(His middle name Bouchier was only added by his family after James' death in 1901; it doesn't appear in documents during his lifetime.)

James married Eliza Hogan in Brooklyn, Kings, New York, USA on 11th April 1858. We are fairly sure that James and Eliza then sailed from New York on 3rd May 1858 on board the clipper ship “Mary Bangs”, and arrived in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on 7th August 1858. By August 1859, James and Eliza had settled in Amphitheatre in central Victoria. They lived in and around Amphitheatre for nearly 20 years, and then in Melbourne, primarily the suburb of Richmond. They had eleven children: ten were born in Amphitheatre and surrounds, and their youngest child was born in Melbourne in 1880.

James’ brother Patrick also emigrated to Australia, and the two brothers set up a store together in Amphitheatre, amongst other ventures. Patrick married Hannah Maria Leyden on 9th July 1861 in Pleasant Creek, Victoria.