Looking at the records it looks like Johanna spent her early life known as Judy (Jude). Later records refer to her as Johanna.
Judy was baptized on Monday the 2nd of January, 1832 in Moycarkey, Tipperary, Ireland. However, on her daughter's birth certificate, Charlotte's, it states she was from Cherley. I have asked a cousin from Tipperary if they have ever heard of such a place. They told me no and they also asked someone they knew who was from the area of Moycarkey. They suggested it could have been a more familiar name known by only the locals of the time and been the name of a field, crossroads or a nickname.
Johanna was placed into a workhouse in Cashel, Tipperary, Ireland either by her parents or they had passed away and she was a true orphan. Johanna was 18 years old when she arrived aboard the Lady Peel in Sydney, Australia on Tuesday, 3rd of July, 1849 as part of the Earl Grey’s Orphans scheme. She was a Roman Catholic who could read and write. After the ship’s arrival, Johanna spent two days on Sydney Harbour. After that she spent eighty two days at the Sydney Depot. Went to Parramatta Hospital then was sent to the Parramatta Depot. Immigration correspondence details from the Irish Girl Famine Database are:
"...Im. Cor. 49/582 Johanna to be lodged in Invalid and Lunatic Asylum, Parramatta, no longer melancholic but 'excitable'. Im Cor 50/360 Bathurst 3 May 1850 consent to marriage of Johanna with Job Lee who she married in Bathurst in 1850...”
Johanna married Job Lee on Friday the 26th April, 1850. The ceremony took place in the Wesleyan Methodist Church in Bathurst, New South Wales. The witnesses for their vowels were Job Evans and his Wife Maria née Kefferd.
The records lead us to believe that Johanna had a mental health illness. The reference on the Irish Girl Famine Database and the following two records. To some extent I think it is true though bear in mind the dates of the records and social views towards women. Also, society’s view towards mental conditions regardless of sex. The large gap between records, mentioned later, makes me think she was obviously able to function within society to some degree. Whatever she suffered from only caused two visits to gaol.
On Wednesday the 12th of April, 1854 Johanna Lee was admitted to Bathurst Gaol for the purpose of confinement. The record doesn't state when she was released. The last column is titled Behaviour in Gaol to which Johanna is stated as being a lunatic.
A newspaper article that featured on page 2 in the Bathurst Free Press and Mining Journal on Saturday the 15th of April, 1854 gives some light about the events leading to her first stay.
“AN UNFORTUNATE CASE. — Job Lee applied to the Bench on Wednesday last to have his wife, Johanna Lee placed under restraint. It appeared from his statement that she had been unwell for several days, and that the extreme agony of her pain terminated in a raving lunacy which had continued to rage since the previous Thursday. So ungovernable had her paroxysms latterly become that she had struck him violently severaI times and had frequently smashed the windows of her bedroom. Drs. Machattie and Busby certified that the unfortunate female was in a state of dangerous lunacy, and was sometimes so violent that it required two or three persons to hold her down. The husband having deposed that he was unable to maintain her in the lunatic asylum, the application was granted, and she was forwarded to the apartment provided for such cases in the Bathurst Gaol.”
By the 12th of April, 1854 Job and Johanna had two children:
Sarah at least 3 years 3 months
Elizabeth Jane at least 1 year 3 months
Sadly, on the 17th of July, 1859 Johanna’s third child George died. After his death the family must have needed some help as Job places an ad for a female cook and housemaid. This appeared on page 1 of the Bathurst Free Press and Mining Journal, Saturday 14 August 1858. Then again on Saturday the 21st of May, 1859.
On the 4th of July, 1862 Job dies at his home in WIlliam Street, Bathurst. Cause of death was an aneurism of the aorta. He was buried on the 7th of July, 1862. Johanna expresses her gratitude in the Bathurst Free Press and Mining Journal on page 2 under Acknowledgement. This is the second last trace of Johanna.
On the 8th of June, 1864 Johanna Lee and 1 child were admitted to Bathurst Gaol. This is 1 year, 11 months, 5 days after Job's death. 10 years, 1 month, 28 days after her confinement in 1854. There is a date written down in her entry which references the previous admission in '54. The purpose was 1 month confinement or find sureties. She was "disposed of" by discharge from confinement on the 13th of July, 1856. The offence was unsound mind. Since she was discharged via serving out the one month we could surmise that no-one vouched for her.
By the 8th of June, 1864 Job and Johanna had five children:
Sarah at least 13 years 5 months
Elizabeth Jane at least 12 year 5 months
James Francis 9 years, 11 months
Charlotte at least 8 years, 5 months
Catherine at least 4 years, 5 months
The Bathurst Gaol record on the 8th of June, 1864 is the last known whereabouts for Johanna. It has been suggested by a cousin that maybe Johanna died in gaol and deaths that occurred in the gaol may not have been registered. Though I haven’t found a record that shows her being admitted again.
Johanna’s death is elusive. On Ancestry.com popular consensus puts Johanna marrying a Lindsay and dying in 1920. The Johanna Lindsay née Lee who died in 1920 at Taree was 60 years old. My Johanna Flynn would have been about 97 years old in 1920. Safe to say that Johanna Lindsay is not the Johanna Flynn who married Job. Details of the grave at the Dawson River (Taree) General Cemetery are below.
Family Name: Lindsay
Given Names: Johannah (Josie)
Birth Date: -
Death Date: 31 Aug 1920
Age: 60y
Remarks: née Lee; w/Robert; mother
Portion: Mth
Row: 23/56
Through DNA matches the following people were her cousins.
The sons of Timothy Flynn and Catherine Dwyer
Patrick D. Flynn
Baptized: 21 Oct 1820 Lisanure, Tipperary, Ireland
Died: 1916 Murphy Settlement, Grundy County, Iowa, USA
Malachai Flynn
Baptized: 29 May 1823 Lissanure, Tipperary, Ireland
Died: 25 Feb 1912 Grant City, Grundy County, Iowa, USA
Dennis Flinn maybe this is the bro. who died in infancy
Baptized: 7 Aug 1825 Lissanure, Tipperary, Ireland
Michael Flinn
Baptized: 7 Oct 1827 Templemore, Tipperary, Ireland
John Flinn
Baptized:1830 Lissanure, Tipperary, Ireland
Timothy Flinn
Baptized: 1833 Templemore, Tipperary, Ireland
Died: 1876 Webster County, Iowa, USA
The daughter of John Flynn and Maria Fannen
Johannah Flynn
Baptized: 1793 Killenaule, Tipperary, Ireland
Died: 3 Oct 1875 Maryborough, Victoria, Australia
| Additional Information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 1st Dec 1831 (circa) | VIEW SOURCE |
| Names of Children | Sarah, Elizabeth Jane, James Francis, Charlotte, George, Catherine | |
| First Child | Sarah | |
| Number of Children | Six | |
| Place & Date of Baptism | Moycarkey on the 2 January 1832 | |
| Names of Siblings | John Baptized on the 19 Jan 1830 at Moycarkey Martin Baptized on the 22 Nov 1835 at Moycarkey | |
