Looking for Ellen Sweeney

Dear Gay

I have passed your query to a volunteer. I hope you will be hearing from them soon.

Best wishes

Clare Doyle

Genealogy Support 

Hi Gay,

I am curious as to why you posted to the Kilcolman query board if you appear to not know where Ellen Sweeny lived. What lead you to the Kilcolman board?

Sweeny and Murphy are awfully common surnames, and Ellen was born before church records begin.

I will check Ancestry.com records and see what I can find for you.

Patti Hacht

Parish Liaison for Kilcolman & Shanagolden, Co Limerick 

Thanks Patti. Best of luck with your search Gay

Regards

Clare Doyle

Genealogy Support 

Patti,

thank you for being willing to find out more about Ellen. To respond to your curiosity I know she was from Limerick but not whether city or county. I believe her parents were farming people and she was tried in Kerry so I was thinking it was the county of Limerick not the town. I really have no evidence of where she was born or where she lived.

best wishes

Gay

Gay, do you know what years the two children (Matthew and John) were born? Also what year Ellen Sweeney was born?

And why do you think Ellen's parents might have been John and Caroline?

The answers to these questions will help me be more certain that I am researching your Ellen Sweeney.

Thanks!

Patti Hacht

IrelandXO Parish Liaison Kilcolman & Shanagolden, Co Limerick

Patti,

The information I have on Ellen has come either from a family history book written in the 1970s. The author unfortunately has alszeimers so I can't confirm the facts and his family do not have any records. I can only think that he contacted a researcher in Ireland at that time. The book does not have referencing just statements. Her convict information I got from Dublin castle records from the National Archives of Ireland document. I di wonder if there were any newspaper or trial records that would reveal anything but haven't been able to find so far.

She is transported as Ellen Murphy on the ship Hope. THere were two Ellen Murphys but one died on the way out. The convict records here confirm she was convicted at Kerry and was transported on the Hope. From the indent it can be ascertained that she was born about 1814. The sibling and children information came from the unreferenced family history.

Thank you for your interest. I have just been drawing blanks for the last four years! You can also contact me ot rowantree.hc@gmail.com

best wishes

Gay

Below are the notes  I have on her:

ELLEN SWEENEY

Birth 

c1814 Limerick, Ireland

Marriage 1

William Murphy 1832 Limerick, Ireland,  Age: 18

Place of Conviction

Kerry

Convicted for stealing money on the 'never never' from Mr Stragel

Transportation

1842 10 Apr Age: 28

Left Dublin transported on the ship Hope. Convict number 407.

Arrival Tasmania 1842 Age: 28

Marriage 2

John Joseph Dale (1814 -1866) 1845Age: 31 Hobart, Tasmania

Death

1899  16 Aug Age: 85 Runnymead, Victoria

Ellen’s Parents

James Sweeney1780 –Caroline Sweeney1785 – 

Ellen’s Siblings

Bessy Sweeney

Given Sweeney

Mary Sweeney

Paddy Sweeney

Children

With William Murphy

(family story he died and there is a record of a letter given to Colonial govt that he died but have been coming across a William Murphy whose dates were 1811-1876).

Mathew Murphy 1834

John Murphy 1836

With John Joseph Dale

Sarah Ann Dale1843

Alfred Dale 1846

James Henry Dale 1849-1910

Indent

(Hope, AOT, CON 15/1 pp.66–67)

Police Number 407

Name Ellen Murphy

Height 5’ 5½”

Age 28

Trade or Calling dairy maid

Where Tried Kerry

When Tried 14 January 1842

Sentence 7 years

Native Place Limerick

Married or Single widow, proven

Children

Read

Write

Religion Roman Catholic

Remarks produces a letter on board stating that her husband has died since she came on board; brothers Paddy & Owen, sisters Mary and Bessy at native place;

Temperance Medal

Offences &c transported for stealing £28.10, prosecutor D Shay at Kerry 

Reference info below for Irish National Archives–

Ireland – Australia Transportation records, National Archives Ireleand

Surname: MURPHY; First name: ELLEN;

Sex F; Age: 20; Place of trial: Co Kerry; Date of trial: 14/01/1842;

Description of crime: Larceny;

Sentence: Transportation 7 yrs;

 Record reference code: TR 4, pg 244

 Prisoners petitions and cases the R “CRF” in the citation.

record Reference Code in the following list will include the letters “PPC” or