Ellen White was born in Dublin to William White (no details known) and Martha nee Kirwin (b1829 Wicklow - d 1896 Dublin NZ) in 1847. Her mother was convicted of stealing clothes and transported to Tasmania in 1851 onboard the Blackfrier, accompanied by Ellen.There is the surgeon's vacination record showing Ellen recieved a vacination on the voyage from Kingstown (Jamaica) to Van Diemen's Land.
Ellen followed her mother's fortunes from Tasmania and finally to Dunedin, NZ, in 1864. There at the tender age of 17 she married William Hargreaves (a marriage that turned out to be secretly bigamous) and had 15 children. She died in Dunedin in 1899.
As Ellen left Ireland at 4 years old not a lot is known of her Irish roots. Her mother was possibly a kept mistress of William White and with Ellen's conception possibly her mother was thrown out on the street. However, according to Ellen's death certificate, her mother was from Co Wicklow and her mother's parents were Denis Kirwin (or Kirwan, Kirwen or Kirwell) and Ellen nee O'Neil.
| Additional Information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 1st Jan 1847 | |
| Date of Death | 1st Jan 1899 | |
| Mother (First Name/s and Maiden) | Martha Kirwin (b1829 Wicklow - d 1896 Dublin NZ) | |
| Father (First Name/s and Surname) | William White | |
