Bridget McGRATH [Still]

[Mima]

I  have  been  looking  for  Bridget  McGRATH  born  Ireland  about  1840,arrived  in  Sydney  20-9-1859  on  Abyssinian.she  arrived  with  sisters,I followed  sister  Ellen.  can  find  nothing  on    BRIDGET.  thought  I  had it,  sister,  witness  at  marriage,  Bridget  Chambers,  but  can  find  nothing  to  prove  it,hope  someone,  some where  can  help.  thank  you  mima

[aghadowey]

Previous threads:
McGRATH,s in Australia (Ireland-General)
McGRATH Family (Australia)
Look up Parish Register - Thurles - McGrath/Costray (Tipperary)
Death of Edward McGRATH ? THURLES (Tipperary)
ELLEN mCgrath (Ireland-General)

[majm]

Hi there,

At the following link you can see images of the passenger list for that voyage of the Abyssinian. 

http://www.records.nsw.gov.au/state-archives/guides-and-finding-aids/nrs-lists/nrs-5316#the-list-of-ships 

How certain are you that those McGrath girls and boys (separately listed as single females and single males) were in fact siblings?   Have you considered that some of them may simply have the same surname as the others ... were they all shown as born in the same district?

Have you looked for Bridget under Brigid and other alternative spellings?

From a commercial site, I see the passenger list and note that Bridget McGrath was aged 15, daughter of Patrick and Ellen of New Market, (presume they were still alive as they are not noted as deceased), Bridget could Read (but not write), her religion was Roman Catholic, she was from New Market, Co Clare, and she had an aunt in NSW ...  Mary (hard to read Mary's surname, but it could be Lemon) of 103 York St (this would be York Street, Sydney Town) ...

Cheers,  JM

[majm]

Hi there,

At the NSW Resources section of Rootschat there's lots of links to various online resources.   
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,369703.0.html
One in particular is the City of Sydney's Assessment books .... 

From those Assessment books I can see that in 1858, Moses LEMON was the occupier of 103 York St (in the Brisbane Ward) and that it was both a shop and a dwelling.  It was of two storeys, the walls were of brick and the roof was slated/shingled.  There were 6 rooms in total.    Moses LEMON was still the occupier in 1861, but by 1863 it was a Daniel Killpatrick who was the occupier. 

I note that a Moses Lemon married in NSW in 1852 to a Mary FAHEY ... Please check your tree and let us know how Mrs Mary LEMON (I presume she was the wife of Moses Lemon) is connected to your Ellen .... this would then help you sort out if Bridget is Ellen's sister ....

Cheers,  JM

[Dundee]

Hi JM,

I think you are looking at a different Bridget McGRATH - I believe the girl that Mima is interested in is listed together with Mary and Ellen, parents Edward and Mary of Tipperary. 

Debra 

[Dundee]

I also see that there are a lot of gaps in the family details for these passengers and the parental details are actually only written beside Mary's name.

Looking at a different image on the NSW archives site, it looks like Bridget was not a sister and she is the one that you have given details for  http://www.rootschat.com/links/0bqx/

I see Jenn already found these details last year http://www.rootschat.com/links/0bqy/

Debra 

[majm]

Hi Debra,

I have gone through all the links that Aghadowey has linked.  I am not convinced that Bridget McGrath on the Abyssinia into Sydney Sept 1859 is a sister to Ellen McGrath on that same voyage, so that's why I have posted the info about 103 York St, Sydney.... 

I know that the passenger lists for many voyages of emigrants in the 1850's and 1860's seem to be compiled more to assist in the collection of the fares (in Bridget's case, Ł4) than in any foreward planning for 21st century family history searchings!  It seems to me that passenger lists into NSW were written up in several categories

FAMILIES
SINGLE MALES
SINGLE FEMALES
and then within each of those categories, strict alphabetical by surname and then first name etc ....  so that within single females for example, McGrath Bridget would be written ahead of McGrath Ellen .... but that listing does NOT then mean that all the girls surnamed MCGRATH on that voyage were related as sisters, or even related (cousins) to each other...

I hope Mima will be back at RChat shortly to let us know what exactly she does want to know about Bridget....  I think she's got just about everything available on Ellen ....

Cheers,  JM

[Dundee]

Continuing to look through the various lists for that voyage, it seems that none of them were sisters.  Ellen's parents were Rory and Winifred McGRATH, both dead.  She was from Makaskey, Tipperary, had a sister Winifred onboard with her, and a brother Thomas in Surrey Hills.

Mima it looks like you have the wrong immigration record, and if you want to post details for your Ellen from her marriage certificate we will see if we can find her.

Debra 

Edit to add Sorry, I see you have posted marriage details on other threads

[majm]

Hi Mima,

Perhaps the following would be your ELLEN and some of her family 

1903 NSW Electoral Roll, Newcastle (Wallsend Polling Place)  (first time females entitled to be enrolled, but it was not yet compulsory)

SMITH, Annie, (living at) Pittown, domestic duties
SMITH, Ellen, Pittown, domestic duties
SMITH, Joseph, Pittown, coal-miner
SMITH, Mary Ann, Pittown, domestic duties
SMITH, Mary Jane, Pittown, domestic duties
SMITH, Streaker, Pittown, coal-miner
SMITH, William Edward, Pittown, miner

Cheers,  JM