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I have very little information to go on, but would love to know the circumstances of my husband's great grandmother being sent to Australia at the age of about 4 years.

Her name was Johanna O'Leary, she arrived in South Australia on the Duke of Roxburghe in 1838.  She was married to Robert Giles (from the Isle of Wight originally)  in 1856 at Sod Hut near Clare, South Australia, and died in 1920 aged 86.

My husband's grandfather (also Robert Giles) visited Kinsale in 1900, and according to a newspaper report at the time "took by surprise many relatives".

We have a copy of the passenger list for the Duke of Roxburghe, but no names mean anything to us; we would really like to know what happened and why it was necessary for her to travel without parents (presumably she was with other relatives or friends).

Any help you can offer would be greatly appreciated.

Rhelma

Perth, Western Australia

Rhelma

Saturday 26th Apr 2014, 08:40AM

Message Board Replies

  • Hi Rhelma do you have any other details on Johanna i.e parents names?

    There is a baptism record in Kinsale 3rd July 1834 Joanna Leary. Father Jerry Leary Mother Kate Murphy Sponsors: Tom Whilly & Joanna Murphy. Address Friars Gate Kinsale.

    If you like to mail me a copy of the passenger list i can take a look ferndale2013@gmail.com

    Regards Frances

    Saturday 26th Apr 2014, 08:57PM

  • Hi and thanks for your reply

    We have no information whatever about Johanna's parents or any other family.  This could possibly be her but without parents' names we just don't know.

    I am attaching a copy of the Duke of Roxburghe passenger list (gif file, hope you can read it OK).  There are no other names on the list that mean anything to us.

    The BISA reference next to her name stands for Biographical Index of South Australians, and we have some other reference material which confirms that this is the Johanna who married Robert Giles in South Australia; the only other thing we know is that there were still relatives in Kinsale in 1900.

    Thanks for your input - here's hoping.

    Rhelma Giles

    Perth, Western Australia

    Rhelma

    Sunday 27th Apr 2014, 05:44AM

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