Hi All,
Just to recall ....
The impediment was with Catharine rather than with Thomas .... at least that's how I read this newspaper article ... Open Letter to Gov Arthur .... prying eyes dobbed several couples in .... not just Thomas .... its in Friday 3 June 1825 Hobart Town Gazette and Van Diemen’s Land Advertiser pages 3 & 4
http://newspapers.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/page/123597 I'm of the view that it was Catharine Christiana McNally who was on that vessel Perserverence in May 1811 ... errrrr .... in late 1700's it had been under the command of Amasa Delano, and had been in VDL before settlement ! And had been to NI, and in 1804 it had left PJ to sail to Chile, and errr .... 17 convicts had smuggled on board !
I am of the view that Thomas Ransom is unlikely to be the father of her son .... I am of the view that the bonds made on NI between those convicted women and men thus gave them the unspoken reasons to provide Catharine with comfort, love, compassion and protection. To me, the owner of the "prying eyes" only knew one small part of the jigsaw, while the former NI inhabitants deliberately chose to "close ranks" around Thomas and Catharine.... they protected their own ...
Perhaps Catharine lost track of Mr NcNally (he of several possible aliases, but with skills that included pilotage of Newcastle NSW) .... If Catharine lost track of him, then it would perhaps be around 11 (or was that actually 4 and just mistranscribed ) 11 years would not stop him being a possible father for Ann, but four years .... errrr 1825 less 4 .... that puts him in the picture as the father of Catharine's son. Mcguire .... alias McNally, Macannally, Wilson et al .... one man with a love of the sea ...
If Rev Knopwood asked Catharine (at the baptism) are your married, or what's your husband's name .... HOW WOULD YOU ANSWER if you were Catharine ....
a) I don't know if I am married .... b) I don't know my husband's actual name ... he's had so many aliases ... or c) I'm living with Mr Ransom at the moment and he wants me to say "he's the father" ....
And so if you were Rev Knopwood, what would you then record for the name of the child's father .... The Rev'd seems to have taken the easy option .....
PS, as an aside, did you notice that Captain Rook was on the brig Elizabeth on Tuesday 17 January 1826 when it sailed into PJ with over 4200 seal furs .. ie after the reports of his death
were received in Dec 1825 ...
Cheers, JM
