Shipping List Decipher Please

[mackaa]

Hello lovely people
I have found an 1864 shipping list document with my family on it.  Please see attached.  Manifest number 498 has MOUNTAIN, Bridget age 40, Mary A age 19, Catherine age 17, Thomas age 13 (I think).  Then there is Bridget the child.  Can anyone decifer her age correctly.  I presume she is over 12 given the column she is entered in and I thought 15 but then why is she out of order?

Oops meant to add the father (James Mountain) was in prison from 4 Jun 1853.

TIA
Melanie

[Billyblue]

Child Bridget's age is only a single digit. 
I'd say 5, which puts her in order.

Dawn M

[crowsfeet]

I agree - an ink blotted 5

Crowsfeet

[Nettie]

My first thought was 5 too.

[jaybelnz]

I'm for 5 as well!
Jeanne

[mackaa]

Thanks for your messages everyone.

So if she is five years old, it would not be possible for James to be the father.  He had already been transported to Western Australia in 1855. 

But according to all the convict records he had four children.  He applied for them to join him in the quarter ended 30 June 1858.  Does anyone know if these original applications are available?

Thanks

[Kezlyn]

To me it looks like it could be an 8 rather than a 5. It doesn't really resemble the 8 in the 18 a few rows down, but some of the 8's at the far left of the document (in the 8068) look similar. That would make her born in about 1856, correct? James may have left behind a pregnant wife and Bridget was born after he was transported.

Oops - I just read that James was imprisoned from 1853. So this theory probably doesn't wash either. I presume he didn't get conjugal visits

Kez

[jaybelnz]

Just a thought. How about if you try for a census entry for the family, perhaps the census before and after his imprisonment.

Jeanne