Mary Smith (OH's MMMMM)

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Name - "official" name and what they were known as
Mary Smith (was Mary Smith a common Irish name ?)

Date and place of birth
about 1811, Kells Meath Ireland

Names of parents
according to Immigration Deposit Journal - John and Bridget Smith

Date and place of baptism - if applicable
not known, immigration records indicate Roman Catholic

Details of each of his or her marriages - if any
about 1832? to Edward Gurren/Gurrin/Guerin probably in Kells, or Meath.- immigration records indicate she was R.C. but he was "CE", so could they have married in a church?

Occupation(s) - if any
housewife,

Addresses where they lived (including county if in UK) - and please list which censuses you have or haven't found him/her on (if s/he lived in census times!).

Arrived Sydney, 22 Jan 1856 per David McIver.

1863 - Edward listed as an Elector of Central Cumberland Electorate (Liverpool)

Date, place and cause of death
2 Nov 1872, "Glenlee" Menangle NSW

Date and place of burial.
3 Nov 1872, St Johns CofE Campbelltown NSW

Details of will / administration of their estate - if applicable
none known

Memorial inscription - if any
none known

[kiterunner]

Mary Smith (was Mary Smith a common Irish name?

The Irish Family History Foundation website finds 247 baptisms for that name plus variations 1811 +- 5 years. A lot of the entries have the surname Smyth. Ten in County Meath with father's name John. There is a Mary Smyth on there baptised in 1816 Kells RC (= Roman Catholic), County Meath, father's name John. But the mother's name is Margaret. (Found that out by trying various likely names).

There are Smith or Smyth baptisms on there for Kells RC, County Meath, parents John and Bridget, in 1812, 1814 and 1817 - the 1814 is James, the 1817 is Bridget, but I haven't managed to guess the right name for the 1812 one! If you pay to view those baptisms it might help you find out if it is the same family or not?

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Thanks Kite, I will have a look I have never looked much at OH's Irish lot, - if there are any other names that look likely, I might have to pay for some views !

I am trying to think if the original immigration documents said Smyth or Smith. I don't think I mistook Bridget for Margaret, but maybe the writer did ? An Irish accent in Liverpool ?

But one of Marys' daughters was named Bridget (the others were Anne, Julia, Catherine and Eliza, which is no help at all).

Thanks

Di

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I was thinking it could be the other way round - the transcriber for the IFHF could have misread the name as Margaret when it actually said Bridget. But come to think of it, I don't think you get to see the actual image on that site, only a full transcription, so I don't know if there will be enough details to work out if it's the same family or not.

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Hi Kate

I had a bit of a look around the IFHF site - I started looking for the marriages, Mary Smith/Smyth and Edward Gurren (whatever spelling), Richard and Ann Gurren (Ed's parents) and John and Ann Smith, all in Meath. No luck with the Gurrens, but I got down to two marriages for John Smyth in Meath 1790-1810.

I think I might have found some Baptisms -
(father Edward)

Chruch Baptism Gurreen Catherine 1840 Co. Meath
Church Baptism Gurren Edward 1843 Co. Meath
Church Baptism Gurren Anne 1829 Co. Meath
Church Baptism Currin Bridget 1838 Co. Meath

The years are a bit out according to the immigration ages, but near enough to make me want to go further....

I will have to save my pennies up - 5 Euros per transcription compares (abt $6 AUS) compares favourably with the $18 for NSW transcripts.

I might go back and look at the Immigration Journal again, or my notes of it. Sometimes it said whether the parents were alive or dead at the time of migration, so that might be worth persuing. There's a couple of Gurren deaths which look feasible, but again, too many Smith/Smyths to be sure. But if the baptisms are right, you never know what else I might find.

Di