Margaret Britt : Short Biography

Ellen Parry was born on 4th October 1851 in Melbourne. On her marriage certificate she gives her occupation as dressmaker and her address as Queen St Melbourne. Both she and Alexander Harding could sign their names.

She lists her parents as Robert Parry, occupation Carter, and Margaret, maiden name, Britt.

Her parents were married on 1st June 1850 at St James Church of England Church on the corner of King St and Batman St Melbourne. They could both sign their names, which was no mean feat as Margaret was an orphan girl from the Carrick on Suir Workhouse, Tipperary and Robert was a sailor. Margaret’s witness at the wedding was Catherine Burns, aged 26 and the sub matron on the “Eliza Caroline” the famine ship which was part of the Earl Grey scheme to bring orphaned Irish girls to Australia as prospective wives and domestic servants. Margaret was 15 when she boarded the ship on 31st December 1849. Robert Parry was a sailor on the ship and the family story is that he used to lower himself by rope over the side of the ship to converse with Margaret. The ship arrived in Melbourne on 31st March 1850, Robert Parry jumped ship and he and Margaret were married 2 months later. When they married Robert was 25 and Margaret 16.

Margaret Britt was 16 when she arrived in Melbourne and gave her religion as Catholic, although 2 months after arrival, the minimum for banns, she married in the C of E. The death certificate of Margaret Parry (Britt) lists her parents as John Britt bootmaker and Bridget maiden name Dwyer. It is presumed that either both or one of her parents were dead and that is how she ended up in the poorhouse and on an Earl Grey scheme orphan girl ship to a new life.Margaret was baptised on 12 Mar 1834 in the Parish of Stradbally in the Diocese of Waterford and Lismore.