Please help? RANSOM Thomas 1820: MCNALLY Catharine; AMOS T: STIEGLITZ

[Wiggy]

Thanks for your help Trish - no McNally births in Sydney!   I appreciate the help.

David,
I'm finding it hard to digest all this 'dallying' - she seems to have been such an upright,  conservative even, woman!     Put upon maybe!   

There is no evidence in Hobart for this postulated 1819 birth you are talking about - well not that I found anyway -( which doesn't mean too much I admit.)

Also, are you saying she'd hardly had one child before she was pregnant with another - give the poor woman time to catch her breath!     -   It is just possible I have to grant you that -  but not probable to my way of thinking!   

See reply 129 - Why was Thomas claiming stores - wasn't he able to pay his own way??  And was he claiming a servant? "Please explain"     I would so like to see the muster info. - is there a site I can see it on??

a regressed  Wiggy     

[davclem]

We have a workable scenario tying in dates, names, opportunity, motive etc, that Anne Cummings  wife of John Cummings morphed into Catherine McNally in 1819 , had a child Anne in 1819 in Hobart by Thomas S Amos, solicitor of the Supreme Court on circuit in VDL and then entered into a long term relationship with Thomas Ransom. Sparing the details for the moment to support this construct, what is needed is help from all out there to find

1 A death date  for John Cummings born say 1770ish  possibly in Co Kildare, brother William, both joined the NSW Corps, the Rum Corps, the 102nd Regiment, possibly married 1805 to Ann Boynton, John was Captain in Corps and invoved in Rum Corps rebellion against Bligh 1808, resigned fromCorps,returned tohis grant in  Port Dalrymple 1816 with employed servant John McNally and McNally's wife, His wife Anne Cummings left him c 1819 . If her marriage to John Cummings was the impediment to her marrying Thomas Ransom then the impediment still existed in 1825 but not 1830 when she married Stieglitz after death of Ransom in 1829. So looking for a John Cummings death 1825-1830

2  a certain death of Anne Cummings wife of John Cummings above. If such a death is found, the construct fails, because Catherine McNally died as Christina Stieglitz in 1857. There is reference to a possible death in 1825 in the Col Secs Index.

Help, please

David

[trish1120]

I John CUMMINGS death in NSW, but not til 1835; doesnt mean there wasnt one in any another State I dont have access to.

102/1835 John Cummings, aged 27

Possible son of John Snr?

Trish

[davclem]

That was a quick effort, Trish,Glad you're still with us . 1819 MPort Dalrymple Muster shows children of John and Ann as George 14, James 12 and Ellen 10, so that John is out of the picture. I need to check local hard copy records for his trail, but that will not be until late next week, and RootsChat
might save me a 300km drive and back!

David

[davclem]

Oh Frabjous day!

Bingo!

HOBART TOWN GAZETTE 1APRIL 1825

With feeling of mingled veneration and
grief we have to record the death of Captain
JOHN CUMMINGS, in his 82d year, and after a
prolonged career of more than half a cen-
tury, devoted to the glorious service of his
country'. Requiescat in puce ! He had risen
from the station of a private soldier, AIONI
.BY MKP.IT; and therefore his rank was a
theme not more honoutable to himself, than
io the superiors who recommended, and His
Majesty's Government for conferring, his pro-
motion. " ¡*o should desert in arms be crown-
ed !" But alas, the ¿plendours which Jike ig-
nited vapours hover round mortality are
transient ; nor will worth, nor valour en-
tirely escape the withering blast of unfore
boded indigence. Ii was the fate of Captain
j Cumming»- to outlive competence, and at last
Itodie iu the Colonial Hospital of Van Die
¡ men's Land. O i can one soldier read this
.without dropping a lear on the memorial ?-^
Yes. Captain i iininiings, we repeat, breathed
his last in the receptacle designed for very
different characters. But no matter, he is
now adorned wiih eternal laurels around the
\k\orious buuiier of {hose who have fought
the good ti,-lu of faith. His spirit pines not
for the structure wherein she left her fleshly
tabernacle. And his name will survive no
less hallowed in our meirory, than though
lie h d escaped from life's thraldom in a
palace 1

But! 82 in 1825? Makes him born 1743, 47  when he comes to NSW with the Corps, 52 when he marries in 1805, 67 when he is arraigned  in 1810for his part in the Rum Rebellion(1808), and 76 when he advertises that his wife has shot through,. Everything else fits, need to check this 82-72?  62 would be perfick ( Thanks Pa Larkin)

David

[Wiggy]

terrific job David!   You certainly have stickability!

and I love the juxta-position of the announcement - between an account of a road accident and sale of cows!

Catherine

[Wiggy]

We think we've gone off the 'Anne Cummings morphing ' idea!  Anne drowned in 1821 and really upset that idea.

This is a real puzzle - but it WILL be solved - somehow, someday.

Wiggy

[regross]

Wiggy,

This story gets more fascinating with each post. Feel humbled by everyone's research skills.

regards
Robyn

[davclem]

Robyn,

Glad we have you on the edge of your seat!

 We have a person identified as Catherine McNally in Hobart in 1820, in association with Thomas Ransom  at latest October 1819 when he lists a wife in the Muster.

Where did she come from? Obviously by boat, some time,as either a convict or a free person- if a convict she could become free. Ransom arrived Kangaroo 1814  from Norfolk Island after brief transhipment time in Sydney.She was not on Norfolk. Catherine was either on the Kangaroo with him , already in VDL, or came after 1814-1819.

There is no record of a Catherine McNally in VDL before 1820. Either she has slipped through all the record cracks, or she  changed her name to McNally, justifiably or with a purpose, to conceal previous identity or her association with another person whose name she was using. Catherine McNally could be her maiden name, a married name, or the maiden name of her mother , or an assumed name.

I am currently assuming that a person sticks by her own Christian name, so I am investigating all Catherines listed in the AOT convict index, Irene Schaffers list of free women in Hobart 1818, and Rose Murtaghs list Of Kangaroo convicts. The possible suspects are down to about 20 and being progressively eliminated by establishing that they were either dead before 1819 or had a documented life after 1819 which was not that of Caterine Christina McNally aka Mrs Thomas Ransom and who married and died as Christina Stieglitz in 1857 aged 68.

If for example a single Convict called Catherine Kelly born in Dublin c1790 turned out to have had a mother called McMally , then I would be quite pleased!! Marriage by Catherine is not a reasonable option, as there are no McNally men around that fit the scenario ,either in NSW or VDL. Why would a free woman either living  in Hobart pre 1814 or coming to Hobart 1814-19 change her name, other than by marriage?

The search continues

David