Johanna Shay- Kilkenny Ireland/Australia

[sandralost]

Hello I have a Johanna Shay born Kilkenny, Ireland 1839. Father Michael Shay, farmer from Kilkenny. Mother unknown. She migrated to South Australia around 1856 and married Thomas Castle from Folkestone Kent in South Australia. Around 1859 she moved to Katoomba NSW and lived with John Bentley b 1826 London England, son of James Bentley and Elizabeth Friend London Gentleman. He died in Katoomba after spending the rest of his life there. He and Johanna had 10 children.

[shanew147]

Unfortunately Johanna was born quite a while before the start of civil records so you would need a few more details to search for earlier detail on her - e.g. religion/denomination and which parish her family lived in. Not all parishes records survive, so you need to know the location to check if records exist for the area you are interested in.

see :

  Introduction to Irish Records
  My Ancestor came from Ireland - where do I start?   


Shane

[sandralost]

Thanks so much for your help I do know she was Roman Catholic and she married in a South Australian Catholic Church in 1858 (Thomas Castle from Folkestone Kent). She then ended up living with John Bentley from London England and moved to Katoomba NSW Australia and had 10 children with him. Kind Regards Sandra

[healyjfch]

The surname Shay may have been recorded as Shea or O'Shea in Irish registers

Passenger list may give info as to where she came from or who paid for Passage

[sandralost]

I think Johanna could have been actually Judith Shea
In 1855 a ship called the Nashwauk arrived in
South Australia with Irish servant girls Judith Shea and
Mary Shea from Kilkenny. Johanna's future husband
john Bentley was a mounted police officer
Who helped rescue Johanna from the ship which was wrecked
Off the coast of South Australia.
Later Johanna and John Bentley had 10 children
And lived in the blue mountains of NSW. John was
From a strict Methodist family and Johanna was a strict
Catholic. I think John used the alias of Thomas Castle
When he married her in 1858. All documentation states that
They married in SA in 1858. But the only marriage
Recorded is Johanna and Thomas Castle in SA in1858.
Also Archbishop Thomas Oshea from New Zealand
Visited the Blue Mountains to recover from an illness
Early in his career. Johanna Shea owned the property
The Catholic Church sits on in Mt Victoria in the
Blue Mountains of NSW in 1887-1917.