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  1. #1
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    Default Catherine Thornton & Family

    15th December 1842 Mary Thornton aged 29yo arrived in Tasmania from Galway on the Waverley as a convict for larceny (receiving stolen mutton). Looks like she was tried 18 March in Galway, is RC (so there may be a baptism record somewhere) and was a farm servant.

    I guess Mary was born abt. 1813 in Galway.

    From what I can make out on her covict papers it looks like her mother is Catherine and she has two brothers ???? (can't make out the first one as still can't read the old writing very well) but looks something like Ephrain and the second is Michael soldier (not sure if both or only Michael are soldiers).

    I have found a service record for a Michael Thornton in the PRO

    Michael Thornton
    born GALWAY, Galway
    served in the 36th Foot Regiment
    Discharged age 39
    covering 1833 - 1854

    Your help with this family is greatly appreciated.

    Wayne Cook
    NSW Australia

  2. #2
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    Just found some info I missed on her convict papers (the photocopy is dark where the pages join and half the heading is missing from that column) that tells me I have a brick wall and am not looking for a Thornton family and need to find a marriage certificate back in Galway for a Thornton who married a Mary ???? with a mother of Catherine and brothers of Ephraine and michael. May see if I can find the brothers in the GRO by looking for Galway and their first names.


    Wayne Cook
    Australia

  3. #3
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    Ok some more info from the convict papers.

    In 1842 Mary Thornton's husband had been dead 6 years so he died abt. 1836 and it appears she had been homeless for the last 3 years as it says she last resided 3 years on the town.

    So I need to find all the Mr Thornton deaths about 1836 in Galway (I'm guessing she lived in Galway and then became homeless 3 years after his death) and then try and eliminate them.

    Wayne

  4. #4
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    Here is a copy of the part of the convict papers regarding Relations - Apprenticeship - where last residing.

    maybe if people see it, they may be able to help me with this search. Plus they may read it differently to me.






  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Wayne Cook View Post

    So I need to find all the Mr Thornton deaths about 1836 in Galway (I'm guessing she lived in Galway and then became homeless 3 years after his death) and then try and eliminate them.

    Wayne
    You might struggle with this. Statutory death registration only started in Ireland in 1864 and the RC church generally didn’t keep burial records, and so you won’t find any comprehensive records of deaths around 1836.
    ELWYN

  6. #6
    Dundee10
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    Mother Catherine at NP (native place), 2 B (brothers) Ephraim and Michael soldier(s), my husband has been dead 6 years. 3 years on the town.

    In this time period and with reference to female convicts the expression 'on the town' usually referred to prostitution.

    I wouldn't dismiss the fact that THORNTON may have been her birth surname. It wasn't unusual for married or widowed female convicts to be using their maiden surname. She married as a spinster and her maiden surname was stated to be THORNTON when her children were born.

  7. #7
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    Children?

    I know she married Elias Taylor in Tasmania. So is this in reference to them?

    One of her convict papers in another part appear to say "once married" and the word "widow".

    ok about the prostitution aspect (so on the town could be her profession and not her place of residence). This appears on 2 different convict papers. The part pictured was under the heading of Relation - Apprenticeship - Where last resided.

    In the past from memory, I attempted to locate both the brothers as soldiers with the surname Thornton and think I could not find an Ephraim.

    I currently can't find the free site to access these records to search again.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dundee10 View Post
    I wouldn't dismiss the fact that THORNTON may have been her birth surname. It wasn't unusual for married or widowed female convicts to be using their maiden surname. She married as a spinster and her maiden surname was stated to be THORNTON when her children were born.
    I suspect you are right here. After looking through Irish Church Records (those that survive) there are marriage records Market Street, Galway for Mary Thornton but I haven't seen any for a Mr Thornton. There is also a death of someone (the entry only has a surname and is in The St Nicholas N & E Galway (Galway City) collection, which these marriages are also a part of) with the surname of one of these Marriages, who died in 1846 (6 years prior to Mary Thornton going to Tasmania in 1842) which is in line with the has been dead 6 years on her convict papers.

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