Eliza Burns/Byrnes/Byrne

HI Pam. I am assuming that you have looked at the original ships record. It says she was an orphan. She worked for a Mrs Hallot in Malop Street (I would assume that thsi is Geelong). Geelong looks like where the ship went after melbourne. Do you have the name of her Husband.  Graham

Hi Graham,

That's right, the Earl Grey scheme sent shiploads of famine orphans to the colony. Probably to balance the number of males and females or to supply cheap labour.  She married William Matthews, a 40 year old carpenter, about 7 months after arriving in Geelong.  They had a daughter in Geelong in 1852 then went to Colac where my great-grandad was born in October 1854. Eliza listed Lanark as her birthplace on his birth certificate, possibly because being Irish may not have been as acceptable as being Scottish.  The witnesses at her wedding were both Irish, one was a sub-matron on the Eliza Caroline and the other an immigrant who arrived in Port Phillip the same time as she did.  I have checked for a birth or baptism in Donegal but so far no luck.  

Pam

From the Irish Famine Memorial:-

'Eliza Burns, who arrived on the Eliza Caroline, had worked as a House Servant in Ireland prior to immigration. Spent 25 days in the Melbourne Depot and 3 days in the Geelong Depot. Employed by Mr. Hassett, Malop Street, Geelong for £12. (Disposal List  VPRS 14/P0000/0005) John Hassett was licensee of the Fitzroy Arms Hotel in Malop Street from 7th Dec 1849'

I was looking at the ship record for Eliza Burns and she had a child Eliza with her.

Janice

There is a James Burns 53 and Helen Burns 60 in 1841 census with daughter Eliza 10.
Midlothian, Scotland Parish Edinburg St Cuthberts
You may want to check out

Janice

There is a James Burns 53 and Helen Burns 60 in 1841 census with daughter Eliza 10.
Midlothian, Scotland Parish Edinburg St Cuthberts
You may want to check out

Janice

Hi Pam - there is a tree on Ancestry - I am assuming that this is yours.  Graham

Hi Pam

This is the tree!

https://www.ancestry.com.au/family-tree/person/tree/162162494/person/14…

Graham

Hi Janice and Graham,

Thank you both for taking an interest. 

There were two Eliza Burns' on the Eliza Caroline - a 19 year old from Donegal and an 18 year old from Kilkenny.  Both RC and illiterate.  I checked out the possibility of her being Scottish, but Geelong in 1850 had a population of only 8000.  The odds of there being three girls in the town with the same name, religion and age would have been phenominal.   The fact that the witnesses to her marriage were both recent Irish immigrants, naming her daughter Caroline (after the ship?) and DNA pointing to the west coast of Ireland made me go with her being the older Eliza.  However I will follow up the census entry, you never know. 

The Ancestry tree is not mine(belongs to a distant cousin), they have the name as Sarah Elizabeth; she was always named as Eliza.  The rest of the people/facts they have attached are from my tree.  My Ancestry name is Goldfish129. 

I am glad I joined this forum, people are so willing to help.  Thanks again. 

Hi Pam (or may be cuz) I have ahad a look through Trove. Nothing came up.  An ad for a buiness in Colac that must be related.

Now this is spooky - I just looked you up while I was typing the sentance above - we have a DNA conection. It is low so it could be a false positive. I will have a look again. my email is grwhyte@hotmail.com.  PLease email me.  Spooked Graham 

Pam, not sure if I mentioned this but if you go to www.donegalgenealogyresources.com you will information on Donegal.
I have posted some entries from our family which include Mountcharles, Mountcharles town, Inver, Beefpark, etc
Other folks also have posted some great records. We have the thanks of Lindel Buckley who keeps this site fool of new information

Check it out

Janice