http://mctiernan.com/rock.htm 8-16-2018

These are two McTernans in the Rockfield McTernan family of County Leitrim. Their family seat was the townland of Gortgarrigan, Co Leitrim The Rockfield McTernans in Co Leitrim and the Heapstown McTernan families in Co Sligo are related through their maternal lines.  They may also be related through their paternal lines.  They are called kinsmen in several newspaper writings. No known male issue survives of the Rockfield line to do the DNA  test

The first is James McTernan, 1790--11-26-1872, and the second is his brother Patrick McTernan, both surgeons in the British Navy. 

The Sydney Morning Hearld (NSW); Tuesday February 24, 1874   my edits or additions in [ ]

THE LATE SURGEON JAMES MCTERNAN, li.lsr. -An English paper relates the following, in noticing the death of the above gentleman, who visited Sydney some ...years ago: James McTernan, U.N. [Navy], [ 1790--1873 ] Deputy Inspector General of Hospitals and Fleets, died at his residence, Blackheath, [Kent] on the 26th November [1873], in the 83rd year of his age.

He was a native of Co Sligo, and student of Trinity College, Dublin. Dr. McTernan, in early life, acquired a more than ordinary acquaintance with classical literature, which he cultivated with great ardour and enjoyment up to a recent period, and which gave him great facilities of illustration in his unsually vivid powers of speech. After leaving Dublin, he spent about twelve months in Paris previous to entering the medical service of the Royal Navy BB Surgeon's mate, being then but 17 years old. In speaking of this event, he used to say that his Latinity enabled him to thin out the truth of his real age, and thus obtain a commission long before he was entitled to it.

He entered the medical service of the Royal Navy at 17 years of age. In 1812, when he was but 21 years of age, he served in the Northumberland, 74 gun ship under Captain the Hon. Henry Hotham, off the coast of France, where they captured two French frigates and a brig off L'Orent in 1812, the young surgeon being for his skill and gallantry awarded a medal: and in 1813 [American War of 1812], in the Dragon, commanded by Sir Robert Barry, during the American wars, he saw the various naval exploits in the Chesapeak Bay and was part of the naval force that captured Bangor, Maine

James McTernan published what appears to be the first medical account of a fatal primary blast injury concerning an otherwise unexplained sudden death of a marine who was serving on HMS Northumberland during an action off L'Orient in May 1812.   Sailors were aware of sudden death from the "wind of the shot", i.e. being to close to a cannon ball fired from a gun.  My medical guess is that this is the very early description of what is now called "The White Butterfly" which is that the force of the blast causes compression of your organs they now look like a white butterfly on the Xray.

James McTernan was employed as Surgeon Superintendent on the convict ship Ocean in 1823 and the Sir Charles Forbes in 1827.   He returned to England on the vessel Elizabeth in November 1827.   He was employed as Surgeon Superintendent on the convict ships Asia 1828,   Eliza 1829  Lady Harewood 1831  John Barry 1836  all to New South Wales and the Sara in 1837 to Van Diemen's Land. James McTernan was on the List of Surgeons of the Royal Navy fit for service in 1841. He was appointed to the Packet service at Falmouth. He was appointed surgeon of Deptford Dockyard in 1845 having previously been employed at Greenwich Hospital. (Lancet) James McTernan was on the List of Deputy Inspectors General of Hospitals and Fleets Retired (25 July 1855)

He was in the squadron which protected St. Helena during -the residence there of Napoleon, and was present on the island at the death of that distinguished, but unfortunate monarch in 1821. Subsequently to this period he was engaged at the various home stations; and finally, previous to his retirement, he did duty at Greenwich Hospital [in NSW] for about 11 years.

James McTernan's seniority is dated 25th July, 1855 when he became Deputy Inspector-General. According to John C McTernan's book, Sligo Families, James married Harriett Hart, 1803--11-5-1879, who was born in Penzance, Cornwall, England and died in Hove, Sussex, England.  Harriet Hart, was the second daughter of Lemon Hart and Letitia Michael. This was a union of two Jewish merchant families who had arrived in the west of Britain from Germany? in the 18th century: the Harts of Penzance and the Michaels of South Wales. Lemon Hart took over the family business of importing rum from the West Indies - winning the custom of the Royal Navy and giving his name to Lemon Hart rum which is still produced today. Harriet’s mother, Letitia, is where I have the family connection - I believe she is a great x5 aunt of Georgina Pender who supplied this paragraph of information on the Harts. They were all pretty high achievers. Jacob Michael, Letitia’s nephew, was a famous solicitor of Red Lion Square, Bloomsbury, London. He and his wife Rose were witnesses to the marriage of Capt. McTernan’s parents: Rose being Harriet’s sister!

Letitia tragically died when Harriet was about seven. She suffered a horrible death. Her clothes caught fire on a candle. She was heavily pregnant with her fifth child at the time and died because of her injuries within a week, having given birth to her daughter, who I believe survived but I’m not sure about that. Her father-in-law died the following week of a stroke brought on by the horrendous incident it is said. A truly terrible story.

Constantine lemon Hotham McTernan was a Captain in the Royal Artillery and is buried in the family vault at Brockley Cemetery, Parish of Lewisham, County of Kent in England. They had one son, Cpt. Constantine lemon Hotham McTernan, 1831--9-17-1864, born in NSW, Australia and died in Blackheath, Kent, England.  On 12-13-1860, in Westminister, Middlesex, England, Constantine lemon Hotham McTernan married Louisa Mary Parsons, 8-27-1839--, born in Marylebone, Middlesex and his  middle name of Hotham was the surname of his dad's first skipper in the navy when he was but 21 years old. 

Three of this family are interned at the family gravesite in  Plot A in Brockley Cemetery, grave number 455

The interments took place as follows:

Constantine McTernan  23rd September 1864

James McTernan  2nd December 1873

Harriet McTernan  12th November 1879


Constantine and Louisa had one daughter,

Constance Margaret Allatt, nee McTernan, 3-1862--3-22-1951, born in Sandgate, Kent, England and died at 174 Sandygate Rd., Folkestone, England.  Constance Margaret McTernan married Colonel  Henry Thomas Ward Allatt in 12-1888 in Surry who was born in Boulogne, Hauts-de-Selne, Ile-de-France, France.  Constance Margaret McTernan and Colonel  Henry Thomas Ward Allatt had the following four children.

Eileen Mary Weston, nee Allatt, 7-25-1889--6-1978, the first of four children of Constance Margaret McTernan and Colonel  Henry Thomas Ward Allatt born in New Forest, Monmouthshire, England and died in Malvern, Hereford & Worcester, England.  In 3-1945, in Marylebone, Middlesex, Eileen Mary Allatt married Charles Harvey Beckford Weston, 1876--1960.

Robert Edward Constantine Allatt, 9-1891--1-16-1902,  the second of four children of Constance Margaret McTernan and Colonel  Henry Thomas Ward Allatt born in Bodmin, Cornwall, England and died in Aldershot, Hampshire, England

Lorna Lillie Faith Hinds, nee Allatt, 3-22-1904--1-2007, the third of four children of Constance Margaret McTernan and Colonel  Henry Thomas Ward Allatt born in Hampshire, Surrey, Sussex, England and died in Worcester, Worcestershire, England.  In 6-1928, in Elham, Kent, England,  Lorna Lillie Faith Allatt married George Arthur Hinds, 1900--1961,  and had three children listed below. 

1.  Pamela C. Vilven, nee Hinds, a daughter, the first of three children of Lorna Lillie Faith Allatt and George Arthur Hinds.  In 9-1953, in Malvern, Worcestershire, England, Pamela married William Wardley Vilven, 1-17-1924--6-1992, who was born in Bath, Somerset, Eng and died in Bromyard, Herefordshire, Eng.

2.  Rosalie C. Bamford, nee Hinds, 12-1939--, the second of three children of Lorna Lillie Faith Allatt and George Arthur Hinds. Rosalie C.  Hinds married Horace G. B. Bamford.

3.  Unknown Hinds, the third of three children of Lorna Lillie Faith Allatt and George Arthur Hinds

Henry Buckle Grant Allatt, 10-13-1907--4-1983,  the fourth of four children of Constance Margaret McTernan and Colonel  Henry Thomas Ward Allatt born in Surry, England.

Constantine lemon Hotham McTernan was a Captain in the Royal Artillery and is buried in the family vault at Roman Catholic Brockley Cemetery, Parish of Lewisham, County of Kent in England.

The second is Patrick McTernan, c. 1793--1834, who was appointed Assistant Surgeon on 10-8-1811.  He was appointed to the Eden in 1822 and was the Surgeon Superintendent on the convict ship Mariner in 1827 to New South Wales, the Manlius to Van Diemen's Land in 1828 and the Katherine Stewart Forbes in 1830 and the Dunvegan Castle in 1832 to New South Wales.  In all 737 prisoners arrived in Australia under his care and only four men were lost overall. He allowed whatever comforts he could devise for the men and he believed in allowing them on deck frequently. 


Very old Australian newspaper clippings below

http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/result?q=McTernan&sortby=dateAsc>http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/result?q=McTernan&sortby=dateAsc