Catharine SPOUSE

[tigerquoll]

Hi Lister's,

I am after the birth of Catharine/Catherine SPOUSE. She was convicted of stealing on 6 February 1837 and sentenced to 7 years transportation to Tasmania. In her Australian convict records it states she was a housemaid, address Andrew Lees(Shoemaker), High Street, Edinburgh.

Her age at marriage  gives her a date of birth of approx 1816. This seems to be a fairly rare surname and I was hoping that some one is researching the name. Would there be much personal information on her court records in Edinburgh?

regards Janine

[kerry1212]

there is a marriage for a catherine spouse to a james hatton 1st august 1847 in hobart tasmania

there is also a child to this couple in 1854 a thomas hatton, born  1854 hobart australia


kerry

[tigerquoll]

Thanks for the reply Kerry 

I have Catherine's marriage and her children in Tassie. They were tricky to track down due to the various surname spellings of Hatton, Halton, Haltton, Haulton - Jane, Catherine, James, John, Thomas and Mary ANN

I would love to trace her back in Scotland. SPOUSE seems such an unusual surname. I found quite a few on a family search site around the  Coldingham area, Berwick, Scotland but not a birth for Catherine

regards Janine

[Hibee]

Andrew Lees, shoemaker, is still at 13 High St in 1841.

There is a William Spouse, Labourer, aged 40, in the Edinburgh Charity Workhouse in 1841.  He was born in Midlothian.  His status is Married, but his wife is not in the Workhouse.

Hope this helps.

Hibee

[tigerquoll]

Thanks Hibee,

He sounds a good prospect to be some relative, there aren't that many around, I will take any I can find at the moment!

[Hibee]

Do you know that Spouse was her maiden name?

[tigerquoll]

I can't be a hundred percent sure. It states on her convict records that she was single, although it is quite possible that she lied, as some of the convict women did so that they could re-marry in Australia. During this time were housemaids allowed to be married?

Her 1847 marriage in Australia gives her age as 28yrs which is quite old in those days for a first marriage. I am open to any suggestions.

[Hibee]

I'm not sure that a shoemaker in a crowded High Street tenement would have had servants.

Hibee

[cygnet75]

Catherine Spouse was the daughter of John Spouse and Catherine Smith.
I have more information on her background.