Summary
Personal Information
Crime
Voyage
Transportation
Mary Ann Brennan was transported on the Catherine, departing 8th Dec 1813 and arriving 4th May 1814 with 98 passengers.
325 ton ship. Built in New Bedford 1811. Sailed from Falmouth, England to Cove, Ireland. Departed Dec 1813 and arrived Sydney, Australia 4 May 1814. 98 female passengers (4 children), 1 death en route. Register of passengers on this web site is currently being updated - not yet complete (researchers please note) R
Catherine (generic)References
| Primary Source | Tasmania, Convict Registers; PRO, London, Home Office Papers; State Records Authority NSW, Various Musters |
Claims
"I still hope to pinpoint Mary's origins within Ireland. Paper records are unlikely to ever be found, but DNA from her descendants is proving helpful. Kilkenny is possible but needs verification."
Photos
No photos have been added for Mary Ann Brennan.
Convict Notes
Correction to my original post: there is no evidence so far that Mary Brennan and Samuel Odkenbaker were married.
Mary Brennan died of alcohol poisoning.
Listed as Mary Ann Brennan on: http://members.pcug.org.au/~ppmay/cgi-bin/irish/irish.cgi Mary Ann was listed as 26 years old on arrival in NSW. VDL Indent lists Mary Ann as being 25 years old. 1820 Muster: Port Dalrymple Master: Samuel Baker Notes: Muster - wife of, free. Sept. 1820: Free by Servitude. 1821 Muster: Port Dalrymple Master: Samuel Baker Note: Muster - wife of, free. Children: 10/9/1816: Mary Brennan East (Baker) Tasmania. 10/8/1817: Elizabeth Brown (Baker) Launceston. 3/11/1823: Sarah Ann Brennan Cole Launceston.
She was probably Mary Brennan. There are spellings of her name as Brenan and, on the web, as Brenam. The last is most likely a misinterpretation of the Rev. John Youl's handwriting in the burial register at St John's, Launceston. Anne appears only in the Convict Registers. After arrival at Port Jackson in May 1814, Mary was transferred to the Kangaroo for shipment to VDL. This was one of the notorious voyages under commander, Lieut. Jeffreys. He sailed north! It is believed that he liked to treat his wife, who was on board, to milder climes. He returned to Port Jackson, to the fury of Governor Macquarie, with some story about contrary winds. It is possible to imagine Mary Brennan enjoying this "excursion" after the voyage from Ireland. In VDL she married Samuel Odkenbaker and they had three daughters. Samuel was twice fined for illegally supplying liquor, and no fewer than six times for being drunk. When Mary Brennan died at Launceston on 27 Aug 1826 Rev. John Youl noted that her death was "Occasion'd by drink". She was tried at Dublin in Sep 1813. The trial records are among those destroyed in 1922 and it's likely to be difficult, even impossible to fill in details of her life in Ireland. Tasmanian Convict Registers show her age as 25 in either 1813 or 1814, but only 30 at the time of her death in 1826. I'd guess that the earlier age is closer to the mark. We have two records of her occupation: as "Maid Servt" and as "Country Work".