Workhouse Immigrants

[kingskerswell]

Hi,
    From some old documents which were found in the loft of a building which was formerly the workhouse of the Limavady Poor Law Union in Co Londonderry N. Ireland I came across a document which listed the names of 9 "orphan" girls who were sent to South Australia on the ship Roman Emperor in 1848 as part of the Earl Grey scheme to correct the gender imbalance in Australia at that time. The girls were:-
Eliza Doherty age 16
Eliza Nickle            16
Catherine carton   15
Anne Hasson         17
Jane McWilliams     15
Mary McCorrigle     15
Margaret Dougherty 17
Eliza (sister of the above) 15
Mary A. Robinson   16
       If anyone recognises any of the names I will be happy to give any information which I have.

Regards

[tropicalj]

Hello  there Kingskerswell

http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/fh/passengerlists/1848RomanEmperor.htm

This is a link  to "Bound for South Australia", a wonderfull site for finding early SA arrivals.

You  may  be able  to add to  it

Jenn

[kingskerswell]

Tropicalj,
             Many thanks for your reply. I have been in contact with Di Cummins and also with the Famine Memorial Organisation in Sydney. I used this site in the hope that someone might recognise one of the names and I could then pass what information I have.

Regards

[lucybella]

Hello Kingskerswell
Have you put this information on the Ireland section (Co Derry) of this forum? Maybe there are other Irish forums for Derry, I only know of the Belfast Forum in Northern Ireland. 
Lucy

[kingskerswell]

Hi Lucy,
           I don't understand. From my end this site looks as if it covers the whole of Australia.

Regards

[lucybella]

Sorry Kingskerswell
I am not proficient in sending links...

If you go to RootsChat.com and scroll down you will see other countries, europe, armed forces, and many different sections.  The Ireland one is broken up into counties, there is a section on Derry.  I had a quick look through it just now, to see if there is any ref to orphans.  Didn't see any but undoubtedly there is, somewhere.
There are many links on it to other Derry genealogy sites, and I am sure someone somewhere would love to have your info on the orphans names.
I am writing from the point of view of people in Derry searching for these girls, and perhaps never knowing they were sent to Australia.
Hope you find the other forums
Lucy

[kingskerswell]

Thanks Lucy,
                    I am in Co. Derry but looking for connections in Australia. I have other Derry links.

Regards

[tropicalj]

I  wondered about  those  girls  and out of sheer curiosity  had a look  but could  hardly  find  any  matching information  for marriages and deaths in South Australia, I  gueess they could have moved interstate after a while.

kind thoughts Jenn

[Ellin]

I was very interested to see the name Eliza Nickle on this list who, I was aware, was one of the orphans who arrived in South Australia on the Roman Emperor in 1848.  An Eliza McNichol from Derry was married to my great-grandfather in Adelaide in 1850 and I wonder if this is the same young woman.  I have been unable to find any other records of an Eliza McNichol arriving in South Australia around this time and I feel it may well be that the name was misspelt either on the passenger list or the marriage document.  Any information you are able to provide from the Limavady Workhouse records would be of great value in helping to establish whether Eliza Nickle was my great-grandmother.