Searching Bridget Elizabeth Murphy

[Julia Dorothy]

Hello,   I am researching a family in hope that someone may be able to help or put me on the right track.  The main person is Bridget Elizabeth Murphy b 1834 Kilkenny, Ireland.  She came to Tasmania on the Maitland Ship in 1854 under the indenture System. Bridget and her sister Ellen were in the care of Jeffery and Margaret Gibton along with their children.  I found that Bridget had worked for a Mr Kennedy for 12 months in Launceston.  Ellen her sister worked for a Mr Dodery in Launceston for 3 months and she married a James Wall 17 April 1855; they had four children.  Next I find Bridget was living in Patrick Street, Hobart in 1866 with a Mr Chatterton as his lodger along with other occupants.  From 1870-1873 she had three children to Charles Bayley a mariner although they never married as he was married to a Eliza Randolf (nee Ingles).  Margaret Gibton was with Bridget in Elizabeth Street, Hobart when she gave birth to her children.  Mrs Gibton died in Launceston 1886.  As you can imagine it has been difficult to find all the jigsaw pieces to match my Bridget being such a common name.  I did come accross a Bridget Elizabeth Murphy who died in Kilkenny aged 73 which matched her birth year and wondered if she had returned to Ireland.  There is also a 1901 Ireland Census where there is a Bridget Murphy single, aged 66 born 1835 Kilkenny living as a retired domestic servant.  If anyone can help, many thanks. Sharon

[wivenhoe]

I can see three children born to Charles BAYLEY and Bridget E / Elizabeth MURPHY in Hobart, with mother as informant for each. Where are you seeing Margaret GIBTON with Bridget, or in Hobart, during this time?.

Where and when are you seeing your Bridget MURPHY with a second given name?.

Albert Ernest BAYLEY        17 Jan 1870

Emma Gertrude BAYLEY   14 Sep 1871

Henrietta BAYLEY               18 Jun 1873

[ennael]

Hi,
 According to Tasmania Archives there is an Ellen and Bridget GIBTON arriving per ''Maitland''  16th September 1854.
 Along with others of the GIBTON surname.

https://talis.ent.sirsidynix.net.au/client/en_AU/names/search/results?qu=gibton

Leanne

[Julia Dorothy]

Thanks Leanne,

I already have all that information and yes, Bridget and Ellen were under the care of the Gibton Family.  They were on the passenger list twice first as Bridget Gibton (real name Murphy) same for Ellen who had two children under 14 years then further down on the list they are Bridget and Ellen Murphy (Aka Gibton).  Following their names under Murphy is a Patrick Murphy with wife Margaret (nee Marr) and their two daughters under 14 years.  I am trying to bridge the gap of what happened to Bridget from when she left the Kennedy's in Launceston after working her 12 months taking the years between 1854-1856 ending up in Hobart living with Mr Chatterton as his lodger in 1866 then between 1866 - 1873 when she had her children and from where she went after that?  Charles Bayley died January 1875 six weeks after his wife Eliza d December 1874.

[Julia Dorothy]

The information I started off was from my friend who did her research on 'Hobart Whaling Industry' for her thesis in 1982-1988 when the book was published by Latrobe university.  A copy of Susan Chamberlain's thesis is in the Maritime Museum Hobart along with all her notes, files and indexes that I am slowly going through at present time, and it was Susan who found Bridget Elizabeth Murphy's three children she had to Charles Bayley mariner in Hobart.  On the Children's birth records it states where the children were born, their dates and who their parents are and it has Bridget's middle name as Elizabeth.  During Susan's research on this family, she found that a Mrs Gibton was with Bridget Elizabeth Murphy at the birth of her children in Elizabeth Street, Hobart but not at the birth of her third Child born in Campbell Street, Hobart 1873. Two of Bridget's children died: Albert Ernest Bayley 1870 and not sure if it was Henrietta or Emma.  There is a Henrietta Bayley who died in 1873 at age 11 months.  I am not sure if this is the same Henrietta as Henrietta Bayley as she would have only been a few months old.  I am still researching on this child as I do realise dates can be different at death and both children are buried as Albert and Henrietta Murphy not Bayley as the parents were never married. I do appreciate any updates on this family 'brick wall'.

[Dundee]

Next I find Bridget was living in Patrick Street, Hobart in 1866 with a Mr Chatterton as his lodger along with other occupants. 

The Bridget MURPHY who arrived in 1854 was aged 20 so born c1834 and in 1866 she would have been 32 years old.  The news articles from 1866 describe her as a 'girl' living in Elizabeth Street with her mother.  I doubt that a 32 year old would be considered to be a girl.

Charles BAYLEY's Will does not acknowledge any relationship or children and he left everything to his brother.

During Susan's research on this family, she found that a Mrs Gibton was with Bridget Elizabeth Murphy at the birth of her children in Elizabeth Street, Hobart but not at the birth of her third Child born in Campbell Street, Hobart 1873.

This seems to be the crux of the connection between the Bridget who arrived in 1854 and the Bridget who gave birth to the BAYLEY children so you really need to find out where that information came from.  As wivenhoe has said, Bridget registered the children's births herself.

......same for Ellen who had two children under 14 years .

The notation at the end is not for Ellen but for the GIBTON family.  Listed by name are Jeffrey and Margaret and their three children over the age of 14 (Margaret, Robert and Julia) and the three children not named are Anne, Jeffrey and William - these are the "1 girl and two boys under 14".

Debra 

[Julia Dorothy]

Thanks for your help Wivenhoe and Debra.  I can understand why you want to know how I am getting my information but I can reassure you that my information comes from news articles found in Trove, and old newspapers, and from what I find in Linc Tas State Library.  I go into the Archives section then type a name in the 'Tasmanian name index' to see what I can find and it also takes me to articles of interest.  Other avenues have been through Findmypast, Heritage, the Diggers Index, Ancestry and looking through Archive library books.
It is true to say Wivenhoe that Bridget was 20 years when she arrived in Hobart 16 September 1854 on the Maitland ship.(Tasmanian Genealogy Mailing list-Tasmanian Immigrant Ships).  This is the Bridget I simply have been following as it was mentioned that she came with the Gibton family. Through her research Dr Susan Chamberlian came across the three children born to a Bridget Elizabeth Murphy in Elizabeth Street and a Mrs Gibton senior was with her at the time. The father's name is stated as Charles Bayley Mariner.  I have looked into the Gibton family through Linc Tasmanian State Library under Tasmanian Index to get some idea where Bridget and her sister Ellen went.  I found through Linc that Bridget was to work for a Mr Kennedy in Launceston for 12 months.  Ellen went to work for a Mr Dodery for three months and married a James Wall 17 April 1855.  Next I see a Bridget Murphy (going by the news article Trove: The Mercury Hobart (Hobart Tasmania 1860-1954; Thursday 22nd February 1866 p.3) Where a Bridget Murphy gives evidence at a baby's inquest.  I agree, she would have been in her 30s by now and would not be described as a 'girl'.  It is quite possible that I could have been following the 'wrong' Bridget being that it is such a common name and there were many of the same name during this period.  Researching a particular person or family, is not an easy task and there are often many 'brick walls' to break.  It is important to keep an 'open mind' until it is certain with birth/marriage/death records/certificates and news articles tell us otherwise.  I have found another Bridget Murphy aged in her 20s in this news article again found in Trove: City Police Court, Wednesday 31st March, 1873 where a Bridget Murphy was found having on the 11th March guilty of using abusive language to 'him' (no name of the man) in Collins Street, and spitting on him.  It was shown that she had done this to him several times all because he had stopped payments which he previously paid through a constable of law.  This could be a 'possible' Bridget?  The records of the birth of three children you can find under the Names Index Tasmanian Archives through LINC.  I know this is going to be a long journey to find my Bridget so I shall keep on keeping on until some 'light' shines on 'what could be my Bridget". Thanks for your help

[wivenhoe]

Can you please identify which Bridget you are researching.

If Bridget MURPHY age 20, arr 1854 on the Maitland...........and
Bridget Elizabeth MURPHY having children with Charles BAYLEY

are not the same person, which Bridget would no longer be of interest to you, and which would  you continue to research.

You have noticed a Bridget MURPHY, aged in 20s in 1873, but this could not be Bridget who arrived in 1854.

[Julia Dorothy]

Hi Wivenhoe,

The Bridget I have been researching is the Bridget Elizabeth Murphy aged 20 at the time when she arrived on the Maitland ship 16 September 1854 to Hobart Town with her sister Ellen aged 19 and the Gibton family.  It was this Bridget that I believed to be the mother of the three children to Charles Bayley.  She would have been about 36 when she had her first child in 1870.  The reason why I believed her to be the Bridget I was looking for, is her connection to the Gibton family, being that a Mrs Gibton Senior was with her while she had her children in Elizabeth Street.  With the other 'Bridget' I was beginning to wonder if I had the 'wrong' Bridget Murphy; after all, there are so many Bridget Murphy's around that time.  I am keeping 'open minded' to explore other avenues, but my feeling is perhaps the 'original' Bridget Elizabeth Murphy I have been searching for maybe the one.  I was wondering Wivenhoe do you have  information on the Gibton family? Sharon