Margaret Murphy Glanville
Margaret Murphy > Margaret Murphy > George Withers > Catherine Withers
Margaret Murphy was my great-great-great-grandmother.
Margaret was born in Ireland in about 1811 and was Catholic. She was 24 years old and working as a laundry maid and maid of all work when she was convicted in Limerick on 16 July 1835 for feloniously killing a sheep.
Margaret received a life sentence and sailed from Cork on the Thomas Harrison on 19 February 1836, arriving in New South Wales on 9 June 1836 [1]. There were 112 prisoners on board the Thomas Harrison, all women. The ship's master was Thomas O Harrison and the surgeon was Henry G Brock.
Note that there is also a record of a convict named Margaret Murphy, convicted in Devon, arriving on the Kains on 5 July 1830 to serve a seven year sentence. Could this be my Margaret Murphy?
On arrival, Margaret was sent to the Female Factory at Parramatta.
Margaret was born in Ireland in about 1811 and was Catholic. She was 24 years old and working as a laundry maid and maid of all work when she was convicted in Limerick on 16 July 1835 for feloniously killing a sheep.
Margaret received a life sentence and sailed from Cork on the Thomas Harrison on 19 February 1836, arriving in New South Wales on 9 June 1836 [1]. There were 112 prisoners on board the Thomas Harrison, all women. The ship's master was Thomas O Harrison and the surgeon was Henry G Brock.
Note that there is also a record of a convict named Margaret Murphy, convicted in Devon, arriving on the Kains on 5 July 1830 to serve a seven year sentence. Could this be my Margaret Murphy?
On arrival, Margaret was sent to the Female Factory at Parramatta.
Marriage
We can't be sure but we think that Margaret Murphy met Richard Glanville in 1837 in Parramatta and that their daughter, also called Margaret Murphy, was born at Parramatta on 25 November 1837. Baby Margaret was baptised into the Roman Catholic faith on 12 December 1837.
Richard and Margaret were married on 13 May 1844 in the Anglican Church of St Saviour in Goulburn by William Sowerby. They were married by banns with the consent of the Governor which suggests that one or both of them were still convicts.
Richard was granted a Ticket of Leave between 1842 and 1845 and it appears from church records that he had already obtained his T.O.L. at the time of his marriage. Margaret also applied for a ticket of leave under the name of Margaies Murphy which was probably granted some time after the marriage.
It is interesting to note that Richard applied for permission to marry Margaret and that this was refused on 21 May 1844, eight days after the marriage took place. Margaret also applied for permission to marry and this too was refused on the same date as Richard's application!
Richard and Margaret were married on 13 May 1844 in the Anglican Church of St Saviour in Goulburn by William Sowerby. They were married by banns with the consent of the Governor which suggests that one or both of them were still convicts.
Richard was granted a Ticket of Leave between 1842 and 1845 and it appears from church records that he had already obtained his T.O.L. at the time of his marriage. Margaret also applied for a ticket of leave under the name of Margaies Murphy which was probably granted some time after the marriage.
It is interesting to note that Richard applied for permission to marry Margaret and that this was refused on 21 May 1844, eight days after the marriage took place. Margaret also applied for permission to marry and this too was refused on the same date as Richard's application!
Children
Margaret and Richard had the following children together:
Margaret, born in 1837 (NSW BDM 85/1837 V183785 133)
Richard, born in 1845 (NSW BDM 1750/1845 V18451750 31A)
John, born in 1847 (NSW BDM 1730/1847 V18471730 33A)
Tamzen, born in 1849 (NSW BDM 2523/1849 V18492523 38A)
William, born in 1851 (NSW BDM 2524/1851 V18512524 38A)
Jane, born in 1852 (NSW BDM 1613/1852 V18521613 70)
Note that no registration district appears in the NSW BDM records because the information comes from church baptism records so, with the exception of Margaret, I do not know where these children were born.
Note also that Margaret died in 1853 at the age of 40 which is why the couple had no further children. Margaret may have died in childbirth, however I don't have her death certificate so I do not know the cause of her death.
Note also that NSW BDM record the birth in 1840 of another child called Margaret Murphy, also with a mother called Margaret Murphy and also with no father's name recorded (NSW BDM 230/1840 V1840230 145). I thought that the baby born in 1837 may have died and that my Margaret Murphy may, in fact, have been the baby born in 1840 however I can find no death record for a Margaret Murphy between 1837 and 1840 so this seems unlikely. Could it be a mistake?
Margaret, born in 1837 (NSW BDM 85/1837 V183785 133)
Richard, born in 1845 (NSW BDM 1750/1845 V18451750 31A)
John, born in 1847 (NSW BDM 1730/1847 V18471730 33A)
Tamzen, born in 1849 (NSW BDM 2523/1849 V18492523 38A)
William, born in 1851 (NSW BDM 2524/1851 V18512524 38A)
Jane, born in 1852 (NSW BDM 1613/1852 V18521613 70)
Note that no registration district appears in the NSW BDM records because the information comes from church baptism records so, with the exception of Margaret, I do not know where these children were born.
Note also that Margaret died in 1853 at the age of 40 which is why the couple had no further children. Margaret may have died in childbirth, however I don't have her death certificate so I do not know the cause of her death.
Note also that NSW BDM record the birth in 1840 of another child called Margaret Murphy, also with a mother called Margaret Murphy and also with no father's name recorded (NSW BDM 230/1840 V1840230 145). I thought that the baby born in 1837 may have died and that my Margaret Murphy may, in fact, have been the baby born in 1840 however I can find no death record for a Margaret Murphy between 1837 and 1840 so this seems unlikely. Could it be a mistake?
Life in NSW
A 1930 map shows 100 acres of land belonging to R Glanville at Native Dog Flat, near Wheeo [2]. This is close to land belonging to Michael Seery. Note, however, that this land could have belonged to Margaret and Richard's son who was also called Richard Glanville.
Death and Burial
Margaret Glanville died at Gurrundah in 1853 and was buried in Goulburn on 16 February 1853. She was recorded as being 40 years old and a hut keeper a the time of her death [3].
[1] Email from Jo Colefax dated 13 July 2009; Convict Indents, 1788-1842 for Margaret Murphy. Annotated Printed Indentures 1836;
[2] Parish of Grabben Gullen, County of King [cartographic material]: Land Districts of Gunning & Goulburn, Crookwell Shire, Eastern Division NSW;
[3] NSW BDM 114/1853 V1853114 119;