OK friends,
I am now being sensible - have got over the silliness of last couple of days. SORRY about that - was feeling just a tad overwhelmed by the expertise of y'all.
I really think - in spite of all, or because of all (not sure which) that Catharine McNally was NOT a convict. This is not evidence based - it is 'family lore' based! HUGE faith in family lore! Not cringing at thought of convicts - just BELIEVE it is not so - I can't say it enough but
if all the other convicts in family were known, why not Catharine? AND the very difficulty of finding her points to someone free. I know I go on about this - but it's 'in the vibes'!
Have been RBTT (thanks JM!) and I reckon that the Catharine Rook on the ship with William might be a goer - or the Mrs McNally who came to VDL with husband and Cummings.
Questions: Could they in fact be the same person maybe? Can anyone prove this??Run this scenario by yourselves:
1. Catharine - possibly Rook - and John McNally have a child in 1811 in Sydney. -
evidence of this.2. John goes off on the sealing boats - well a John McNally certainly did.
3. John McNally with wife and family come to VDL with Cummings - 1816 -
evidence of this! He got sick of sealing - or injured and couldn't go on maybe - leap of faith.
this is the tricky bit -
4. Somewhere, somehow Thomas Amos 'meets' Catharine and she becomes pregnant - your job JM!!
5. Catharine leaves John and goes to Hobart - why? maybe John was not thrilled with Catharine having Thomas's child - I don't know. leap of faith this bit.
6. Thomas R takes in Catharine and child, which Thomas adopts -
evidence for this adoption per Leo v Steiglitz.
Set out like that it makes sense -
Are the Johns the same people??- that is another question.So a. let's pretend that that scenario is true - how do we prove it to be so??
or b. If it is NOT true, how do we prove it NOT to be so??
I know this is simplifying matters somewhat , and re-covering old ground- but, truth to tell, I'm getting dizzy with all the Rooks flying round my head.
What do you think guys? I mean, don't stop the other research - but . . . . . . .
Be interested to hear what you all think. Too easy??

Possible??

Thomas Amos is the biggest sticking point that I can see.
Wiggy proud great-great-great-granddaughter of Catharine!!!! (who didn't show up in the book called 'Notorious Strumpets and Dangerous Women'! - love that title.)