Catherine Noon : Short Biography

Caitríona Ní Nuadháin aka Catherine Noon (b.1830 RC Parish of Ballinameen & Croghan) was a "Female Orphan Pauper" from Boyle Workhouse who was sent to Australia under Earl Grey's scheme. Her journey was last of this scheme - aboard the Tippoo Saib departing 8 April 1850, and arriving 30 July 1850 in Sydney.

• Age on arrival : 15

• Native Place : Boyle, Roscommon

• Parents : John & Mary (both dead)

• Religion : Roman Catholic

• Ship name : Tippoo Saib (Sydney Jul 1850)

• Workhouse : Roscommon, Boyle

• Other : Shipping: houseservant, reads only, no relatives in colony.

• She assisted her brother, Martin Noon, to Sydney per 'Stebonheath' on 30 Sep 1858. She apparently did not marry. A Catherine Noone, aged 37, died in the Hyde Park Asylum on 23 Jun 1880 of chronic meningitis. This was where she had been housed when the Tippoo Saib first arrived in Sydney 30 years earlier. However, the age out by about 10-15 years. 

READ HER FULL STORY HERE

The parents of Catherine and Martin were John Noone and Mary Egan of Kilcolagh who married on 13 April 1826.  Thomas Hunt and Anne Roddy of Kilcolagh witnessed their marriage. Dennis Tansey of Kilcolagh was Mary's brother-in-law (married Catherine Egan). Michael Egan and Brigid Lowe of Mullenduff were also of the same family.

John & Mary were Irish-speaking cottiers, and did not survive the Great Famine (1845-51). We can only imagine the circumstances that brought this family to the door of Boyle Workhouse (est. 1841) as records no longer exist.

I have attempted to reconstruct their lives and more information can be found on my family history website:    http://www.thenoones.id.au/