IRISH ORPHAN GIRLS sent to Australia 1848-1859

[mrsbosun]

I am looking for any information of IRISH ORPHAN GIRLS who were sent to Australia in 1848-1850 to be servants in the colonies.
My great great grandmother, Jane Malcolmson arrived in Australia on the 'DIGBY' on 4 April 1849.  She was born about 1832 and was from Killashandra or Drumlane, Cavan, Longford, Ireland.  Shipping records show her parents were Nathaniel Malcolmson and Ann Nancy Crawford. Four months later on 8th August 1849 she married Thomas Joseph Turner in Dapto, Wollongong NSW.  However her name on marriage register is Jane Makisson! This of course could have resulted when Malcolmson was said with a heavy Irish accent.  She married John Pye in 1879 and died in Wellington NSW on 29th November 1908.
I am hoping someone will be able to point me in the direction of where the history of these orphan girls is deposited.
Many thanks,

[whiteout7]

Here she is on here, have you seen this site? Have a look around it goes into detail about the how and why of the immigration scheme they brought her out on

Jane Malcomson or Makkison
http://irishfaminememorial.org/en/orphans/database/?surName=Malcolmson&firstName=Jane&age=0&nativePlace=&parents=&religion=0&ship=0

Another one,Irish Orphan Girls Housed at Hyde park Barracks, Sydney:
http://sydneylivingmuseums.com.au/stories/irish-orphan-girls-hyde-park-barracks

[whiteout7]

If you want a more contemporary account of how the public felt about these girls I suggest reading old newpaper links from Trove Au, to get the good and the bad of their story.

http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/result?q=%22Irish+Orphan+girls%22

((oops you meant records in County Cavan?))

[mrsbosun]

Many thanks for the quick reply, and yes I was thinking more of information from the County Cavan, Ireland end. I will await further answers.

[fieldstar]

Just finished watching a very interesting documentary on Irish TG4 tonight on this subject. Another part to follow but not sure when. 

[rathmore]

This site might be able to help you

http://www.drumlane.ie

[kingskerswell]

Hi,
   Some years ago I did a study on some girls who went from the workhouse in Limavady Co. Londonderry to Australia on the Roman Emperor in 1848. It was the second ship to carry these "orphans" for the Earl Grey scheme. Earl Grey was the Colonial Secretary in the London government who implemented the scheme to attempt to alleviate the shortage of females in Australia. The girls had to be between the ages of 14 and 18 and a naval officer, Lieutenant Henry, was employed to travel all over Ireland selecting suitably trained volunteers In the Limavady case there were 19 volunteers and he selected 13 and arranged for them to travel to Belfast and from there by ship to Dublin where they boarded another ship which carried them to Plymouth in SW England. There they waited in a section of the naval barracks for the Roman Emperor to arrive from London to carry them to Australia. They were supplied with new clothes which they were not allowed access to until they were on their way to Australia. The only cost to the workhouse was the cost of the new clothes and the passage to Plymouth.
       This information came from workhouse documents which were stored in a disused loft when the Limavady workhouse was converted to a hospital in 1933 and opened in 2005 when the hospital building was taken over by a community association.
    The Earl Grey scheme ended in 1850 and not 1859.

Regards