52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Immigration. The Lady Kennaway

The aim of this challenge which is set by genealogist, Amy Johnson Crow, is to write about one ancestor every week in 2024, according to a given prompt. I will be writing about my direct ancestors, and also about other family members.

For many people, genealogy starts with a desire to know where our family came from. This week, consider an immigrant ancestor: where they came from, why they came, or how different their life was between their “old country” and their new one.” – Amy Johnson Crow

My great great grandmother, Ellen BOYLE from Donegal, Ireland was almost16 years old, when she boarded the Lady Kennaway, bound for Australia,. The Lady Kennaway was the first ship to carry Earl Grey Famine girls to Australia. Ellen was listed as being a nursemaid, and a Roman Catholic, and could neither read nor write. On arrival Ellen was immediately employed as a maid by Charles RYAN, Doogalook, Goulburn River, Victoria. Charles RYAN and his family were very prominent in the early years of Victoria’s settlement.

Report of the Immigration Board of Inspection – Lady Kennaway

On 11 September 1848 the ‘Lady Kennaway’ departed Plymouth with 191 young girls on board, and arrived in Australia, almost three months later, on 6 December 1848. The Captain was Captain Santray and the Surgeon Superintendant was Dr. Brock. On 7th December 1848 in Melbourne, the Immigration Board of Inspection inspected The Lady Kennaway and spoke to the 191 orphan girls who had just made the voyage, about their treatment and experience of the journey. Following is their report:

Sir,
We have the honor to inform you, that according to your instructions, we, on the 7th instant, proceeded, on board the Lady Kennaway, which arrived at Port Phillip on the day previous with female orphans, immigrants, after a voyage of 85 days. The females in question, have been selected out of several of the Poor House Unions, in Ireland, and consist of girls of the age from 14 to 19 years. Their general condition aspect indicates good health, and gives the impression that they belong to the humbler ranks of life. They are generally of the stout make, rather low in stature and are endowed with strongly marked Irish physiognomies. They are almost exclusively of the Roman Catholic Religion, and it would appear that most of these have been in service of some kind or other, either in town or country, previous to leaving their native homes.
We do then, consider these to be, on the whole, a most seasonable supply and acquisition, to this city and it’s environs, and hope that we may in future have many importations of a similar kind, and as they came originally from small country towns and adjoining districts, they have never seen or been accustomed to witness those demoralizing scenes too frequent in the large towns in many parts of the Empire, and we do not but that they will continue to conduct themselves as hitherto, and keep in the paths of virtue.
Every person that was fortunate enough to get on of them, that we have spoken with express themselves well pleased with them. They are most anxious to please their employers, and as they have much to learn, in the line of their callings, we doubt not, that they will be teachable and make good and useful servants. Very few of them can read, and scarcely any of them can both read and write, altho each of them was given a prayer book and testament from their respective unions.
They are represented as having been generally well conducted during the voyage, and amenable to the rules and regulations established for their observance. Some few of them were inclined to be rather noisy and boisterous occasionally, and would not hesitate at times to let out a bit of an oath.
The importation by this vessel consists of seven families, comprising 19 souls, Orphan girls 191. One girl aged 11 years, sent out to join her parents in Melbourne to whom she was delivered up. Chief Matron 1, sub matrons 4, making a total of 216 souls. Only one death, that of a child occurred on the passage. The people all arrived here in excellent health, none being on the sick list, and they certainly exhibited the appearance of having been on full allowance on the voyage.
Not a single complaint of any kind was made by any of them. All expressed themselves satisfied with the treatment they experienced during the passage.
The surgeon superintendant, being an old navy surgeon, and besides having had experience in this particular line of employment, seems, with the cordial co-operation of the master and other officers of the ship, to have maintained strict order and to have preserved that moral restraint so necessary under the peculiar circumstances of this case.
We beg leave in this place, to represent to your Honor to be brought under the consideration of the proper authorities at home, should such be declared expedient, that in cases likely to happen in future where a large number of immigrants have been selected either in Ireland or Scotland, a great benefit would be conferred on them, by substituting a quantity of oatmeal for a portion of the articles of diet, as supplied at present by the dietary scale, together with a proper proportion of molasses to be used with the porridge, in lieu of milk, the article generally used ashore, such substitution would be most grateful and better suited to their tastes and habits, but we consider would be conducive to their well being and health.
There is a milk made with maize meal in the same manner that oatmeal is treated, equally palatable, nutritious and wholesome, which during the voyage, might be alternated with the porridge, with much benefit. It may not be out of place here to remark, that the applicants for the service of these females, were numerous, and at the present time they are all hired in respectable places, but three not yet engaged.
(signed) John Patterson, Chairman
(signed) Henry Green
(signed) P. Sutton

Public Records Office of Victoria: VPRS 14/P0000/4
(PROV) VPRS 14/P/0000 Book No. 4 https://prov.vic.gov.au/archive/E29F590B-F1B1-11E9-AE98-E747FB87C89B?image=166

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