Looking for Ann

[margmasson]

 I am trying to find exactly when Ann Healy came to Australia. When she married Nicol Mercer in 1862 her age was 23.Ann died in 1901, aged 61, She had been in South Australia 1 year and Victoria 45 years. This would make her birth abt 1839, her age on arrival 15/16. Ann Healy was born in County Clare, Ireland. I have been trying to find her arrival in South Australia. The only "Anns" I can find are considerably older. Has anybody any ideas that might help me find her?
                          Marg.

[cando]

I am trying to find exactly when Ann Healy came to Australia. When she married Nicol Mercer in 1862 her age was 23.

Do you have her marriage certificate and if so who are her parents and what was her father's occupation?  Did she sign her name or mark with a cross?

Marriage
MERCER Nichol
HEALEY Ann
1862  Reg#2054

I not there are variations on the spelling of Ann's surname on the birth registrations from HALY to HALAY  This suggests to me that she may possibly have been illiterate.

I did read 'somewhere' that immigration lists in SA the surname ELY was often written incorrectly as HEALY/HEALEY.

Bear in mind that the information on death certificates is not always accurate.  Are the parents the same as her marriage certificate?  Who was the informant on her death certificate?

Death
MERCER Anne
Father HEALEY Nich  Mother Mary HOGAN
At Echuca 62 years  1901  Reg#5520

Cheers
Cando

[cando]

Not helping finding Ann's arrival but an obituary for her husband.

http://www.rootschat.com/links/0yd5/
The Riverina Herald 30 Oct 1917
OBITUARY.
MR. NICHOL MERCER.
Mr Nichol Mercer, an aged and respected resident of the Echuca district for many years, died after a very short illness al his home in Koyuga on Saturday. The late Mr. Mercer had been ill since Thursday when he attended the special sale of sheep and cattle at Echuca. He left apparently in good health, but on reaching home he complained of a sore throat, and sent for a doctor, who diagnosed the trouble as quinsey and heart affection. As he was not improving, the doctor was again sent for, but Mr. Mercer grew weaker. and died an Saturday morning.
The deceased, who was in his 83rd year, was a native of Melrose, Scotland, and came to Australia in the early fifties, following mining for some years, and latterly farming at Mount Pleasant and Torrambarry. He came to Koyuga in 1888, and had been there ever since except for a period of seven years which he spent in Echuca.
 The late Mr. Mercer, whose wife died some 16 years ago, leaves a family of four daughters and three sons  - Mrs. Branton, Kannyapella, Mrs. Stanworth, Koyuga; Misses M. A and J. Mercer, who reside at home; Mr. Alex. Mercer, Mystic Park; Mr. Michael Mercer, Quambatook; and Mr. Nicholas Mercer, who manages the farm at Koyuga.
The late Mr. Mercer was possessed of a large amount of property, both in this district and the Mallee.
The funeral, which was attended by a large number of mourners, took place yesterday to the Echuca cemetery, the burial service being conducted by the Rev. Canon Rowell on behalf of the Rev. H. T. Buntine

Do you have Nichol's probate file
http://prov.vic.gov.au/index_search?searchid=54

Cando

[ShirleyX]

The South Australia Register 10 February 1855, p. 3, and an unclaimed letter for Ann Healey.

The South Australian Advertiser 27 December 1858, p. 2, The Barque General Jessup clearing out for Melbourne with Patrick and Ann Healey on board. Can't locate them arriving in Melbourne, but someone may be able to check the ship out on microfiche/film if one exists.

Regards
Shirley

[cando]

There are a number of Ann HEALEY's arriving in South Australia however the survival records for SA shipping passenger lists is very poor.  You are probably aware that many of the online passenger lists were compiled from news reports in The Register which listed ships arrivals along with the passengers on board.

I have a number of ancestors who arrived in South Australia as they were unable to procure passage to Victoria on the same ship from England.  To date I haven't found any record of their arrival in either SA or Victoria but have my great great grandmother's diary which referred to her siblings travelling to SA and the family's anxiety waiting for their safe arrival in Melbourne. Two siblings had a long wait for passage to Melbourne as this was during the Victorian gold rush.

I have trawled through all the entries in the Biographical Index of SA for HEALEY and variations.

HALEY Johanna born c1833 arrived 1849 on the ELGIN.

HALEY Miss  Arrived 1850 on the MIDLOTHIAN

I also wondered if she may have been one of the Irish Orphans

http://www.irishfaminememorial.org/orphans/ships/
INCONSTANT    7 June 1849    Adelaide    15 February 1849
ELGIN    12 September 1849    Adelaide    31 May 1849

You can have a search yourself
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0yd6/

Will have a look through some of my resources later.

Cando

[margmasson]

Cando and Shirley, thank you so much for your efforts. Much appreciated. It's a bit of a needle in a haystack ,job! Ann couldn't write. She made her mark "x". The informant on her death cert. was her husband, Nicol Mercer. Her sister, Mary arrived in Portland 1852, aged 15 years. She had two brothers, Denis and Daniel, who came to Victoria. May never find exactly when she arrived or the name of the ship. I appreciate your help very much.
                                    Marg.

[cando]

It is possible that Ann arrived Portland as well and may have spent a year over the border in SA at sometime during her life.   I notice that Ann's husband's given name was Nichol in the records.

Are these her brother's deaths?  Different given names for the parents.

HEALEY Denis
Father John  Mother Mary HOGAN
At Ballarat   84 years  1923  Reg#4038

AND

HEALEY Daniel
Father Nicholas  Mother HOGAN
At Brunswick   75 years  1921  Reg#8698


Cando

[margmasson]

Thanks again, Cando. Yes they are her brothers. Father should be Nicholas not John. I have considered that she might have come to Vic first. Nicol Mercer seems to come from a long line of "Nicols"  in Scotland. His father was Michael. Thus his two sons were Michael (paternal grandfather) and Nicholas (maternal)
                            Marg.

[Billyblue]

Just to eliminate one clue...
Cando has given you "HALEY Johanna born c1833 arrived 1849 on the ELGIN."

This, as far as our family can confirm, is my mother's paternal grandmother.
She was from Cork, married Robert Wilson from Leicestershire sometime in the 1850s, somewhere in NSW, died as Johanna Macpherson at Drill Creek near Wellington, NSW, June 1905.

Cheers
Dawn M