The Earl Grey Orphans

While attempts were made to alleviate the Famine crisis through emergency relief measures such as the importation of grain, public works schemes and soup kitchens, from 1847 British governments increasingly turned to assisted emigration as part of the solution.

By December 1847, overcrowding in the workhouses had reached crisis point. The annual report of the Irish Poor Law Commission (PLC) revealed that there were 120,000 persons in the workhouses, 55,000 of them children under fifteen.

A scheme was devised by Henry George Grey (3rd Earl Grey), Secretary of State for the Colonies 1846-52, which would relieve the situation in the workhouses and, at the same time, meet the demand for domestic labourers and single young women in Australia. The Land and Emigration Commissioners, “having been informed that an eligible class of Irish Emigrants may be found among the Orphan Children now supported at the public expense in Ireland, will be prepared to offer to such of those persons as may, on inquiry, be approved, and as may be willing to emigrate, free passage to New South Wales and South Australia. None will be accepted who are less than 14 or more than 18 years of age, and the nearest to 18 will be taken in preference.” Under the ‘Earl Grey Scheme’, a total of 4,114 Irish orphans arrived on twenty ships over a two-year period.

Whilst the workhouse authorities paid for clothing and other travel essentials, and transport from the workhouse to Plymouth, the Australian authorities funded the transportation and administration costs of females emigrating from Ireland to Australia. Based on this report, suitable workhouse girls were to be chosen and sent to Dublin or Cork, from where they were to sail to Plymouth, and subsequently on to Australia

We are most grateful to the Irish Famine Girls memorial organisation in Australia for providing access to their records to enable us to identify the girls who left Magherafelt workhouse on ship heading to Australia under this scheme.

 Irish Famine Memorial

963 girls were sent from the province of Ulster

There were 59 girls from County Derry, with 21 we are fairly sure came from Magherafelt workhouse.

While twenty-four girls were selected, the official website of the Female Orphan Commemoration in Australia only lists the names of eleven girls from Magherafelt workhouse:

1. Eliza Black, Magherafelt, Derry aged 19, Presbyterian – left on the ship        Roman Emperor (Adelaide 1848)    
2. Sarah Butler, Magherafelt, Derry, aged 14, Protestant – left on the ship Roman Emperor (Adelaide 1848)           
3. Isabella Cahoon(?), Magherafelt, Derry, Protestant- left on the ship Roman Emperor (Adelaide 1848)     
4. Sarah Connay (Conway, Coonan?) Magherafelt, Derry, aged17 or 18; Mother Kitty widow [in the workhouse]; religion not recorded – left on the shipRoman Emperor (Adelaide1848)       
5. Eliza Given, Magherafelt area, aged 16, Presbyterian- left on the ship Roman Emperor (Adelaide 1848)     
6. Catherine Hafferty (Hefferty) Magherafelt, aged 19, Roman Catholic- left on the ship Derwent (Melbourne Feb 1850) – Australian records ‘BG23/G/1 (1900) (2080) (2535) Helferty Killyfaddy with Ellen 50yrs, widow mendicant, William 15, Nancy 11, John 9 in 18/11/48 out 30/10/49. Hired to F. Emery, South Yarra, £12, 6 mths.’
7. Mary Ann Hughes, Magherafelt, aged 16, Protestant – left on the ship Roman Emperor (Adelaide 1848)     
8. Isabella McCrystal, Magherafelt, aged 16, parents Mickey & Biddy, Roman Catholic- left on the ship Derwent (Melbourne Feb 1850) – Australian records ‘BG23/G/1 (3185) (4007) Ballymoghan Megargy, father Mickey 61 ys, mother Biddy 50 (died in workhouse 21/5/47) & brother John 12ys, very urgent, in 8/3/47 out 10/9/49 (sic). Hired to Donald McBean, Goulbourn River £9 6 mths, returned.’
9. Rachel McQuade Magherafelt, aged 19, Roman Catholic- left on the ship Roman Emperor (Adelaide 1848)            
10. Mary Paul, Magherafelt, aged 13 or 14, Mother Sarah widow; Protestant- left on the ship Roman Emperor (Adelaide 1848)      
11. Ann Trainer (Traynor) – Magherafelt, aged 16 mother: Cathy Cassidy; Roman Catholic- left on the ship Derwent (Melbourne Feb 1850) Australian records BG23/G/1 (28) (431) (589) (1387) (1685) (2273) (5617) (7344) bastard child of Cathy Cassidy, a spinner& mendicant, Tobermore, Drumreaney, in & out of workhouse from 1842, sometimes Ann Traynor, sometimes Anne Cassidy, brothers Patrick, Henry & Samuel. Her last entry was Union at large, mendicant, destitute, in 4/1/49 out 30/10/49. Hired to Andrew Doyle (Carpenter) Collins St £8, 6 mths.’

Others such as the below mentioned were also more than likely to have been resident in the Magherafelt workhouse before they departed and include:

1. Sarah Carleton, Castledawson, Co. Derry, aged 14 Protestant- left on the ship Roman Emperor (Adelaide 1848)
2. Sarah McLaughlin, Castledawson, Derry, aged 18 Roman Catholic – – left on the ship Roman Emperor (Adelaide 1848
3. Hannah Wawker/Wawles/Wawler, Castledawson, aged 18 Roman Catholic – – left on the ship Roman Emperor (Adelaide 1848)
4. Fanny Dunlap [Dunlop], Loop, Derry; aged 20 – left on the ship Roman Emperor(Adelaide 1848)
5. Rose Drennan, Creagh, Derry, aged 21- left on the ship Roman Emperor(Adelaide 1848)
6. Nancy Murray, Springhill Londonderry, aged 18 or 19 Protestant – left on the ship Roman Emperor (Adelaide 1848)
7. Margaret Jane Henry, Derry, Ballydoley (Ballydawley) aged 19, Parents Thomas & Isabella (both dead) Church of England – left on ship Earl Grey (Sydney 6 Oct 1848). Australian records ‘Ballydoly-Derry, parents Thos & Isabella (both dead) C of E. Married a servant in Sydney 20/4/1849, 6 children by 1859, husband died in 1860.’
8. Isabella Wilson, Mahera, Maghera, Londonderry, aged 13 or 14 Protestant – left on ship Roman Emperor (Adelaide 1848)
9. Jane Hutchinson Londonderry (Derry) (Desertmartin) aged 16 Roman Catholic – left on ship Derwent (Melbourne Feb 1850). Australian records (’BG23/G/1 (3032) resides Union at large, servant, no means of support,deserted, in 31/10/46 out 6/1/47, (6670) Desertmartin, Labourer, healthy , in 9/6/48 out 30/10/49 Hired to Michael Madden, Merri Creek £9 6 mths)’

Most of these girls went on board the ship Roman Emperor to Adelaide in 1848, others on board Derwent to Melbourne 1850 or Earl Grey to Sydney (1848).