Catherine Tormey - In Search of Family
I haven't given up the chase for Ellen Ross or Mary Ann Kelly, but they've occupied so much of my research of late with little success that I thought I might concentrate on a little researched relative.
Catherine Tormey married Ellen Ross' son John. Catherine was my 3rd Great Grandmother.
I know most of Catherine's life facts and we know from immigration records the name of her brothers Joseph and Frank and her Ann but there are lots of questions whether she was a blood relation to Michael Hart who'd paid her immigration fees and was listed as an uncle.
I suspect that there might be a few stories we'll never be sure of. Catherine went to live with Michael Hart after coming to Australia. His daughter married one of the Clark Brother bushrangers and was known to associate with them, and in fact stolen goods were found in his possession.
Building Her Story
Starting this story I know Catherine's mother is Ann Chance and her father is Michael Tormey but there are lots of things on my tree that don't make sense around her birth details and I have made some guesses to who her grandparents are.
As I often do, this post is an ongoing story pieced together as I discover Catherine's story, starting from the beginning.
Who do you think you are Catherine Tormey?
If this was the tv show we'd be shown a picture of Ann Chance and be told it's Catherine's mother but that Catherine had been separated from her in her late teens and she didn't know much about her grandparents. She'd lived with an uncle but wasn't sure how she was really related to him. Then we'd all head for a virtual trip to Ireland to track down her stories.
First stop would be the town where she'd been born and a visit to the local parish where she'd been baptised. We're lucky because Catherine's baptism records, her parents wedding details and the baptisms of her siblings are all recorded in the church registry. We are now starting to build a picture of Catherine.
We discover Catherine was baptised, 24 April, 1834 her godparents were Thomas Bardon and Bridget Tormey who is most likely a relative of her father's.
Born in Oldcastle, Meath, Catherine, we find, is actually the fifth child to Michael Tormey and his wife Ann Chance. Beside Joseph and Frank (Francis) we discover older siblings Thomas and Mary and younger brother Michael.
The parish records are rich with the details of her family. Her mother Ann was also baptised at the same church and her parents are listed as Francis Chance and Catherine Reilly. Her uncles Francis and Thomas have also been christened there (and further search may find more due to 6 year gap between Ann and Francis). It is no surprise to find her parent's marriage details as well having married in the family church 22 January 1824.
Catherine's tree is starting to grow on screen but apart from knowing her family have strong links to the local Catholic church, and have lived for several generations in the town, we still have to wonder what life was like for Catherine and why the family arranged for her to travel to the other side of the world.
Surprisingly the town of Oldcastle had only been established in the past 100 years and the surrounding farmland areas originally owned by the Napier family were rented out to tenant farmers. In fact more than 90 percent of land in Ireland was tenant farming.
Catherine's father farmed a plot of land in the parish of Oldcastle, as did her grandfather Francis Chance and a number of other relatives. In 1825 the tithe applotment books he is noted as being a miller at Stonefield. We read about Oldcastle as a market town with thriving industry and a sense of community.
Catherine was able to read. The town had been bequeathed a purse of money by Laurence Gilson to set up and run a school for the local district where all students were welcomed no matter what their religion. Children were taught the basics of learning and religion. Girls were instructed in needlework. If the family was still living at Stonefield by the time Catherine went to school, it is unlikely she attended here and instead would have gone to the hedge school which was established at Stonefield the year she was born.
Traditionally, hedge schools were informal, illegal schools that taught the basics of reading and writing and at Stonefields arithmetic. Until the 19th century the law only allowed Anglican schools to operate so those of Roman Catholics and Protestant met in secret in private homes. It is thought though that in poor rural areas hedge schools continued long after others closed due to lack of local resources and finances to pay for them.
The locality of Oldcastle has a rich history connecting back to the end of the stone age. Catherine most likely visited Loughcrew and it's megalithic tombs which sit on the highest point in Meath. There are many passageways and we can imagine Catherine and her siblings exploring the inner chambers and telling tales of the divine giant Hag Witch who supposedly dropped the rocks in the area from her apron as she travelled across the land.
The area of Meath was surrounded by peasant farmers still practising traditional ways and following Gaelic laws. When the Great Potato Famine hit in the early 1840s may of the families in Meath were unable to continue farming, many being evicted from their farms. Close knit communities like Oldcastle suffered hard with families desperately trying to help each other, but as with many Catholic families there were many mouths to feed and nothing to give them. It was then that some families made the hard decision to immigrate to other countries. This was the fate that lay ahead for Catherine.
Immigration deposit books show that Michael Hart (possibly related to Michael Harte that we find in the allotment books) sponsored Ann Tormey along with Catherine, Francis and Joseph. Regular payments were made as a bond for helping with their assisted travel to Australia. Records show that Michael was recorded as being Catherine's uncle, yet there has to date been no proof of a blood relationship in spite of many researches looking for one.
A mystery stands to why the others were not added to the list. Had they died during the Great Potato Famine? Did they not want to leave their homeland? Did they come to Australia as convicts? Perhaps the call of the American lands were stronger?
QUE the ad (and wait for our next chapter)
The Great Hunger, or the Potato Famine hit Ireland in August 1845 after advancing through Europe and England. The potato was the staple for a large number of Ireland's population. They were eating potato for every meal. When their crops started being decimated by potato blight it lead to huge numbers of death through starvation. During 4 short years Ireland's population of 8.4 million shrink to less than 6 million by 1849. 1 million people had died and another 1-2 million had sought refuge in other countries.
When it hit Catherine was 10 years old and Francis was 20. With the youngest Michael being 7 perhaps not having small defenseless children helped this family and meant they were all able to pitch in together to work. It may also explain why Catherine was able to read but not write as her education was probably cut short.
Yet we know some of this family survived. In around 1853 Michael Hart put a deposit for Ann, Joseph, Frank and Catherine to immigrate to Australia. Sadly we must think that Mary and Michael junior have passed away although Mary may have married. The Irish practiced "fosterage" sending children to be cared by relatives and in turn those children supported those relatives in their older age. Perhaps Michael had been sent to live with other relatives at an earlier age.
Catherine was 18 when she set sail on the David McIver, arriving in Botany Bay 18 December 1854. We can only imagine the mixed feelings Catherine must have been feeling as she walked down the gang plank on new lands and a new life awaiting her.
Catherine Tormey married Ellen Ross' son John. Catherine was my 3rd Great Grandmother.
I know most of Catherine's life facts and we know from immigration records the name of her brothers Joseph and Frank and her Ann but there are lots of questions whether she was a blood relation to Michael Hart who'd paid her immigration fees and was listed as an uncle.
I suspect that there might be a few stories we'll never be sure of. Catherine went to live with Michael Hart after coming to Australia. His daughter married one of the Clark Brother bushrangers and was known to associate with them, and in fact stolen goods were found in his possession.
Building Her Story
Starting this story I know Catherine's mother is Ann Chance and her father is Michael Tormey but there are lots of things on my tree that don't make sense around her birth details and I have made some guesses to who her grandparents are.
As I often do, this post is an ongoing story pieced together as I discover Catherine's story, starting from the beginning.
Who do you think you are Catherine Tormey?
If this was the tv show we'd be shown a picture of Ann Chance and be told it's Catherine's mother but that Catherine had been separated from her in her late teens and she didn't know much about her grandparents. She'd lived with an uncle but wasn't sure how she was really related to him. Then we'd all head for a virtual trip to Ireland to track down her stories.
First stop would be the town where she'd been born and a visit to the local parish where she'd been baptised. We're lucky because Catherine's baptism records, her parents wedding details and the baptisms of her siblings are all recorded in the church registry. We are now starting to build a picture of Catherine.
We discover Catherine was baptised, 24 April, 1834 her godparents were Thomas Bardon and Bridget Tormey who is most likely a relative of her father's.
Born in Oldcastle, Meath, Catherine, we find, is actually the fifth child to Michael Tormey and his wife Ann Chance. Beside Joseph and Frank (Francis) we discover older siblings Thomas and Mary and younger brother Michael.
Catherine's tree is starting to grow on screen but apart from knowing her family have strong links to the local Catholic church, and have lived for several generations in the town, we still have to wonder what life was like for Catherine and why the family arranged for her to travel to the other side of the world.
Catherine's father farmed a plot of land in the parish of Oldcastle, as did her grandfather Francis Chance and a number of other relatives. In 1825 the tithe applotment books he is noted as being a miller at Stonefield. We read about Oldcastle as a market town with thriving industry and a sense of community.
Catherine was able to read. The town had been bequeathed a purse of money by Laurence Gilson to set up and run a school for the local district where all students were welcomed no matter what their religion. Children were taught the basics of learning and religion. Girls were instructed in needlework. If the family was still living at Stonefield by the time Catherine went to school, it is unlikely she attended here and instead would have gone to the hedge school which was established at Stonefield the year she was born.
Traditionally, hedge schools were informal, illegal schools that taught the basics of reading and writing and at Stonefields arithmetic. Until the 19th century the law only allowed Anglican schools to operate so those of Roman Catholics and Protestant met in secret in private homes. It is thought though that in poor rural areas hedge schools continued long after others closed due to lack of local resources and finances to pay for them.
The locality of Oldcastle has a rich history connecting back to the end of the stone age. Catherine most likely visited Loughcrew and it's megalithic tombs which sit on the highest point in Meath. There are many passageways and we can imagine Catherine and her siblings exploring the inner chambers and telling tales of the divine giant Hag Witch who supposedly dropped the rocks in the area from her apron as she travelled across the land.
The area of Meath was surrounded by peasant farmers still practising traditional ways and following Gaelic laws. When the Great Potato Famine hit in the early 1840s may of the families in Meath were unable to continue farming, many being evicted from their farms. Close knit communities like Oldcastle suffered hard with families desperately trying to help each other, but as with many Catholic families there were many mouths to feed and nothing to give them. It was then that some families made the hard decision to immigrate to other countries. This was the fate that lay ahead for Catherine.
Immigration deposit books show that Michael Hart (possibly related to Michael Harte that we find in the allotment books) sponsored Ann Tormey along with Catherine, Francis and Joseph. Regular payments were made as a bond for helping with their assisted travel to Australia. Records show that Michael was recorded as being Catherine's uncle, yet there has to date been no proof of a blood relationship in spite of many researches looking for one.
A mystery stands to why the others were not added to the list. Had they died during the Great Potato Famine? Did they not want to leave their homeland? Did they come to Australia as convicts? Perhaps the call of the American lands were stronger?
QUE the ad (and wait for our next chapter)
The Great Hunger, or the Potato Famine hit Ireland in August 1845 after advancing through Europe and England. The potato was the staple for a large number of Ireland's population. They were eating potato for every meal. When their crops started being decimated by potato blight it lead to huge numbers of death through starvation. During 4 short years Ireland's population of 8.4 million shrink to less than 6 million by 1849. 1 million people had died and another 1-2 million had sought refuge in other countries.
When it hit Catherine was 10 years old and Francis was 20. With the youngest Michael being 7 perhaps not having small defenseless children helped this family and meant they were all able to pitch in together to work. It may also explain why Catherine was able to read but not write as her education was probably cut short.
Yet we know some of this family survived. In around 1853 Michael Hart put a deposit for Ann, Joseph, Frank and Catherine to immigrate to Australia. Sadly we must think that Mary and Michael junior have passed away although Mary may have married. The Irish practiced "fosterage" sending children to be cared by relatives and in turn those children supported those relatives in their older age. Perhaps Michael had been sent to live with other relatives at an earlier age.
Catherine was 18 when she set sail on the David McIver, arriving in Botany Bay 18 December 1854. We can only imagine the mixed feelings Catherine must have been feeling as she walked down the gang plank on new lands and a new life awaiting her.
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