Broderick (Cr) Nicholas Aloysius

Fast Facts

Type of person	Individual
Date of birth	c. 1859
Place of birth	Gawler
Principal occupation	Saddler
Date of death	5 Feb 1898
Place of death	Gawler

Nicholas Aloysius Broderick was born in Gawler in about 1859, son of William Broderick and nee Mary Cain. His childhood was spent in a humble cottage the family rented at Lot 49 Jacob Street (now the site of the Big W complex/carpark).

Nicholas married Miriam Harriet Watts in 1879 at Port Wakefield; the couple came to reside in his hometown of Gawler and went on to have 11 children (see details below). By the mid 1880s they were residing in one of the three Finniss Street cottages tenanted out by Nicholas' widowed mother Mrs. Mary Broderick (contemporary address 43 Finniss Street - these cottages have since been demolished but Mary's more substantial cottage still stands on adjoining 41 Finniss Street).

Nicholas was a saddler and harness maker by trade and had his workshop in Murray Street at the site now known as 153 Murray Street, on the corner of Lyndoch Road. He also served as a Councillor for North Ward between 1895 and 1896.

The family were heavily involved in the Catholic Church community. Nicholas served several terms as the President of the Gawler Branch of the Hibernian Australasian Catholic Benefit Society, and Miriam was one of the foundation members of the ladies' branch of St. Vincent de Paul's Society and a most devoted church worker until the time of her death [aged 89], "never an appeal for the church was organised that she did not assist personally". At least one of their children, Ellen, attended St Joseph's school and of their grandchildren, one of their grandsons became a priest and two of their granddaughters became nuns.

In February 1898, Nicholas "complained of the excessive heat, and accordingly left his place of business in Murray-street with the intention of returning home. He had all but reached his residence on Church Hill when he was seen to stagger and fall. Assistance was quickly at hand, and he was conveyed inside his residence, but although everything possible was done for him, he never spoke again, with the exception of a hurried call for his wife and children, and succumbed within an hour." The cause of death was determined to be "heat apoplexy" [heat stroke], he was only about 39 years old and his youngest son and namesake, was not yet one.

His widow Miriam survived him by over 50 years, passing away in 1949, aged 89 and was described as "one of Gawler's oldest Catholic residents and church workers." The couple are buried together in Willaston Cemetery in a family plot with three of their children (plots 50 & 51 C 3 - young daughter Myrtle Agnes is not named on the memorial stone. One of their other children who died as an infant is buried in another Broderick family plot (46 B 3) with Nicholas' parents.)The couple’s second eldest son Patrick John Broderick served in WWI as a Gunner (Service No. 38478), from November 1916 until he was medically discharged in February 1919 following a severe gunshot wound to the leg. Prior to serving P J Broderick was in the boot trade; initially starting out at Messrs John Hunter & Co, then the Federal Boot Company (F.B.C.) in Gawler before working at Barlow’s in the city. He returned to Gawler around 1905, working for Mr A Sheard for nine years, the last six as manager of Sheard’s Boot Department. In 1914 he opened his own “Broderick’s Boot Store” in Murray Street in the shop next to Mr Jas. Prendergast’s, which had been “thoroughly renovated and fitted up as an ideal boot store”. He continued this business until he enlisted in late 1916, then following his return from war he briefly ran a store in Burra, before returning to Gawler where he traded as “Broderick’s Boot Store” (1920), “Broderick & Co. The Boot Shop” (1921-1923 in partnership with youngest brother Nicholas Aloysius Broderick and draper Fred Richmond), “Broderick & Richmond” (1924-1925 – also a Men’s Outfitter) and finally “P J Broderick – Shoe Store & Men’s Outfitter” (1926-1931).

At the end of 1931 he removed from Gawler; the tough times of the depression were affecting trade and he had suffered the loss of his wife, leaving him with four young children - a farewell was held at the Gawler Club where he was a Life Member. By the 1940s he had settled in Semaphore, but when he died in 1951 his remains were brought to Willaston Cemetery to be buried with his late wife.

After the end of the business partnership between P J Broderick and brother Nicholas Aloysius Broderick, ‘Nick’ ‘a well-known local sportsman’, opened his own competing boot store trading as ‘Nick A Broderick’ from 1924. He later became a publican and was the licensee of the Globe Hotel from 1932 to 1934 before moving on to the Minnipa Hotel.

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Broderick Family Birth, Death & Marriage Information

BRODERICK, Nicholas Aloysius (Cr)(I)

b. Abt. 1859 (SA Birth registration not found)

m. 29 May 1879, ‘Miriam WATTS', Port Wakefield, SA (Reg. Clare 119/1175)(d. 1949)

Saddler & harness maker

(Councillor North Ward 1895-1896)

d. 5 Feb 1898, Gawler, SA, aged 39 (Reg. Barossa 249/389)

Buried Willaston Cemetery (‘Nicholas N’ [sic], plot 50 C 3 – with wife ‘Miriam H’ & 3 children)

WATTS Miriam Harriet (BRODERICK)

b. 21 Apr 1859, Balaklava, SA

d. 27 Nov 1949, SA, aged 89 (Reg. SA 748/6113)

Buried 29 Nov 1949, Willaston Cemetery (plot 51 C 3 - with husband ‘Nicholas’ & 3 children)

Children of Nicholas Aloysius Broderick (I) & nee Miriam Watts

According to Miriam's obituary, the couple had 11 children, most were not registered at birth but they are believed to be:

BRODERICK Mary Maud (WILLISON)(1879-1946)(Registered 'Mary Harriet Broderick')

BRODERICK William Thomas 'Will'

• b. Abt. 1880
• Never married

• d. 6 Jan 1906, Broken Hill, NSW, aged 25

BRODERICK Patrick John

• b. 7 Jun 1881, Gawler, SA
• Storekeeper at time of enlistment [boot store]
• Served WWI 17 Nov 1916 (Oct 1918 Gun Shot Wound leg, medically discharged 22 Feb 1919)
• m. 1922 ‘Nellie’ Ellen Elizabeth McCarthy, SA (d. 1930, buried Willaston Cemetery, aged 32 - plot 41 O 3)
• Moved to Semaphore, SA
• d. 31 May 1951, SA
• Buried Willaston Cemetery (plot 41 O 3 - with wife Ellen)
  

BRODERICK Joseph Francis 'Joe'

• b. Abt. 1882
• Never married
• d. 11 Aug 1948, aged 65
• Buried Willaston Cemetery (plot 50 C 3 - with parents & sister ‘Mildred Hazel’)

BRODERICK Ellen May 'Nell' (BOWLER)

• b. Abt. 1885
• m. 1915 Michael Ignatius BOWLER, SA
• Following marriage resided Torrensville, then Berri, SA
• d. 1948, SA, aged 63

BRODERICK Mildred Hazel Gertrude

• b. Abt. 1886
• Never married
• d. 4 Oct 1978, SA, aged 91
• Buried Willaston Cemetery (plot 51 C 3 – with parents & brother ‘Joseph F’)

BRODERICK Lucy Alice (FLINN)(Abt. 1891-1970)

BRODERICK Denis Aloysius (Abt. 1891-1893, buried Willaston Cemetery, aged 2 years & 4 mths - plot 46 B 3 - with Broderick grandparents, small separate memorial)

BRODERICK Myrtle Agnes (Abt. 1893 or 1896-1901, buried Willaston Cemetery, aged 5-8 - plot 50 C 3 with parents, name not on memorial)

BRODERICK Nicholas Aloysius (II) ‘Nick’

• b. 5 May 1897 (Reg. Barossa 603/113)
• m. 1920 Catherine Madigan (d. 1953)
• 1931 Nick Broderick’s Store selling school shoes
• 1932 – 17 Oct 1934 Licensee Globe Hotel, Gawler
• (1936 Minnipa Hotel)(still there 1939 electoral roll)
• WWII Army Citizen Military Forces
• d. 17 Apr 1957, SA (Reg. Adelaide 857/2115)

BRODERICK Dorothy

• Birth details not found, but electoral rolls show resided with Miriam (1939-1943) & she is listed as a daughter in her obituary; the family's 41 Finniss Street property willed to her in 1979 upon the death of sister Mildred.

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Related Articles

• Councillors of Gawler

References

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