Emigrant ships departing Plymouth 1849

[whitey2]

On 15 February 1849 the INCONSTANT commanded by Captain Patrick Culliton, sailed from Plymouth for Adelaide in South Australia. On board were 209 Irish female migrants including my Great Great Grandmother Margaret WALSH. The Inconstant arrived in Adelaide on 7 June 1849

Margaret WALSH's name (only) is recorded in the Shipping Arrivals records in Adelaide and she is on the Database at the Irish Famine Memorial in Sydney, but unlike many of the records, nothing beyond Margaret's name, ship & date is recorded. Working backwards from my Australian records, Margaret was born c1831.

The Inconstant was one of the ships that moved orphan girls from Irish workhouses to Australia under the Earl Grey Scheme. While it is an incomplete listing, the girls on the Inconstant came from Newcastle 18, Mullingar 40, Tullamore 18, Mountmellick 22, Parsontown 30, Limerick 24, Tipperary 22, North Dublin 12 (Total 186).

I'm trying to establish something about my G-G-Grandmother's origins. With the Arrival Records in Australia having failed me, I was wondering whether there are any Departure Records for ships leaving Plymouth that might help me.

Does anyone have any ideas?

Thanks

Whitey
Merimbula NSW Australia

[Mutley]

There seems to have been quite a bit of research undertaken regarding the Inconstant Girls.
A book by Mark Staniforth, CDs etc but only a few girls have been followed back to their Irish roots seeing as most of them came from workhouses and were orphans.

I think you have already been advised that it will be a long hard slog trying to find which of the 8 workhouses in Leinster and Munster she may have come from.

I have been unable to find anything from Departure Records and can only wish you the best of luck.

https://
monash.academia.edu/MarkStaniforth/Teaching/19912/The_Inconstant_Girls

https://
ehlt.flinders.edu.au/archaeology/department/publications/staniforth/2002e.pdf

[whitey2]

Thanks Mutley .... I have seen the Staniforth publications and enjoyed them. The rest I guess is going to be a genuine hard slog.

[amg2512]

Hello Whitey2, this may be completely off tangent but a thought. On the 1851 census I have one of my relatives listed as Superintendant of emigrants home in Plymouth and a list of maybe 30 + names of those waiting to "catch" the next ship.

Perhaps there are records of those waiting to leave Plymouth or maybe not? I appreciate the census record is just that, a census record but it may be an avenue you could follow although I have no idea where you would start.

Class HO107, piece 1879, folio 850 page 1 (william J Seward) crown copyright care of TNA
Alison

[whitey2]

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll put my thinking cap on and get to work on Google.

Whitey

[Hugh Thompson]

Hi Whitey I came across this website of Dianne Cummings that could be useful, Margaret Walsh is listed.(see address below)
Hugh.

The INCONSTANT the Voyage - 1849

Source: Irish Orphan Girls, 'Barefoot And Pregnant? - Irish Famine Orphans In Australia' ISBN 0 949672 25 4.


https://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/fh/passeng...Inconstant.htm

[whitey2]

Thanks Hugh - it's certainly a very comprehensive passenger list.

Regrettably it doesn't show more than her name - a shortcoming that it shares with the list at the Irish Famine Memorial in Sydney (see below).

Surname : Walsh
First Name : Margaret
Age on arrival :  
Native Place :  
Parents :  
Religion :  
Ship name : Inconstant (Adelaide Jun 1849)
Other :  

"&nbsp" is a variant of the space character and prevents an automatic line break at its position In other words its a formal blank entry.

The frustration I am experiencing is compounded by reading some of the other entries on the Famine Memorial database. Try the following entry for something that would be a gold mine for anyone researching the McAnnally family - unfortunately that's not me ;-(

Surname : McAnnally
First Name : Ann
Age on arrival : 17
Native Place : Enniskillen, Fermanagh
Parents : James & Mary
Religion : Roman Catholic
Ship name : Derwent (Melbourne Feb 1850)
Other : PRONI BG 14/G/4 (1081) deserted and in a starving condition, entered workhouse with her mother Mary, John 16yo, Cathy 14yo, Mary 11yo, Rose 7yo and James18 mths, from Ballycassidy, Monolea; (1858) all came in again, younger brother James dies 27 Dec 1847; (2918) by this time their father James has joined them in the workhouse 9 May 1848. Ann left 26 Oct 1849. Ballycassidy, Enniskillen. Empl. Henry Gasden, Steven St., ₤10, 6mths.


Why are all the golden entries always for other families? Murphy's Law? Maybe!!!

But thanks anyway, Hugh

;-)

Whitey

[Hugh Thompson]

There was a notice in the South Australian Register 16th June 1849, application for orphans for the Children's Apprenticeship Board, for children arriving on the Inconstant, it might be worthwhile seeing if any of those records have survived.
Hugh.