Catherine Collins : Short Biography

Catherine b. 14 Feb 1855 in Ireland (parish unknown) came to Canada as a child (possibly around 1860).  After arrival her mother was robbed & murdered in/near Moncton, New Brunswick.  Here are the details of what we know & what we don't:

• Catherine and we believe her siblings (3 other orphaned Collins girls are in the 1861 census living with different families; Mary Ann b. 1852 Ireland, Johanna b. 1857 Ireland & Bridgett b. 1858 Ireland) were split up and raised by other families. 
• We do not know Catherine's parents names nor where in Ireland they came from.  We do not know what happened after her mother was murdered - was Catherine's father already deceased or was he just not able to care for the children and gave them up for adoption.  
• Catherine was never reunited with her siblings & later married Henry Burton Steeves in the Moncton.  She died in November of 1925.   No marriage records, census records or her death record hint at Catherine's parents names or county of origin. Forward searches of the other orphaned Collins girls have also not turned up any results.
• Sometime after her death (1930's we believe) there was a notice from an Irish lawyer in the Moncton newspaper looking for Catherine or her family.  Her son (my Great Grandfather) responded but never heard back.  We know that Catherine's mother was estraged from her family in Ireland after marrying a man of whom her father did not approve of.

​We'd love to hear from anyone who think they could possibly have a connection to Catherine.