Emigration of Female Orphans to Australian Colonies begins

11th September 1848

IrelandXO County Mayo County Roscommon County Cork County Kerry County Clare County Donegal County Leitrim County Sligo County Galway County Tipperary County Limerick

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Between 1848-1850, Earl Grey's Famine Orphan Scheme saw a total of 4,114 young Irish women resettled in the Australian colonies. The first orphan girls arrived from Ireland aboard the Lady Kennaway on September 11th, 1848.

These young women, aged 14 to 20, had been orphaned by the famine and were recruited from workhouses across the 32 counties of Ireland. The scheme was devised by Earl Grey, Secretary of State for the Colonies, to relieve overcrowding in the Irish workhouses and to meet the demand for domestic labourers and single young women in the colonies.

Due to growing anti-Irish, anti-Catholic sentiment in the colony, the scheme was short-lived. The last group arrived in Sydney on Tippoo Saib in July 1850.

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I have Ann Doyle (sister of Matthew Doyle my husband g.grandfather), she was on the New Liverpool arriving in 1849. - passenger no.52 among "Nominal List of Orphan Girls" Nurse Maid to Charles Nantes, Geelong Wine Merchant for 2 year engagement term at 7 pounds wage.
She settled in Woods Point after this & married James Hammond, dying from Hemorrhage from 7th confinement in 1867.

On the same ship were Eliza, Mary & Catherine all from a similar area of Wexford, Ann & Eliza both from Gorey, Catherine from New Ross & Mary from Enniscorthy...would love to know if they are related but have no further info on the other girls.

Thanks
Susan

sjdeez

Sunday 22nd May 2022 01:04AM

My 3rd great grandmother Eliza Moseley was an Irish Famine Orphan on the Pemberton. She had been a Child's Maid prior to leaving; Eliza arrived at the Immigration Depot on 26th May 1849 and left there on 5th June 1849.

She was engaged by George Cavanagh of Melbourne for 6 months at £12.

Surname : Mosley
First Name : Eliza
Age on arrival : 17
Native Place : Limerick
Parents : Not recorded
Religion : Church of England
Ship name : Pemberton (Melbourne 1849)
Other : shipping: nursemaid, reads & writes. Empl. George Cavanagh, Melbourne