Eliza Dooley : Short Biography

Eliza was born in Kilcolman, Co Offaly to Michael Dooley and Bridget Meagher.  Her father died in 1847 and perhaps that is why she and her sister Catherine were in Birr Workhouse where they sailed on the Tippoo Saib to Australia in 1850, landing in Sydney in July that year.  This was part of the Earl Grey scheme to send orphan girls to Australia.  Eliza is listed as 14 on the list of the Tipoo Saib but there is a record of her Baptism in Kilcolman Parish register dated 5.8.1832, which would have made her 17 when she sailed. Her sister Catherine is listed as aged 15 on this list, but her baptismal record in the Kilcolman register is dated 7.3.1830. Perhaps the girls ages were provided by the Workhouse.  Eliza's age on her headstone is given as 72 which doesn't tie in with either record.  She became a Nursemaid in Maitland after arriving in Australia.  She married an Englishman John Blanch in 1854 and went on to have 13 children.  They owned the Royal Oak Inn on the Uralla Gold field near Armidale.  An online record states she died aged 80 (which ties in with her Baptismal record) in 1912 and is buried at Uralla.

Her townsland where she lived in Kilcolman is not written on the Baptismal records.  According to Griffiths valuations in 1845 Dooley families were living as follows:-

James at Rathmore, Margaret at Killistristane, Michael at Ballyegan (possibly Eliza's father), Patrick at Boveen, Thomas at Ballyatty and William at Glasderrymore.

#Chronicles Challenge M Hensey