Honor Cavanagh

341

Maureen Withey on 19th November 2023

Irish Convict Database, by Peter Mayberry. Honor Cavanagh, alias Kavanagh, age on arrival, 72, per Roslin Castle (5) 1836. Tried Meath, 1834. 7 years for Stealing poultry. Previous convictions – None. DOB, 1764, native place, Westmeath Co., Catholic. Trade, Dairy maid. Widow, 1 male 1 female children, daughter Mary Rourke arrived about 1829, possibly arrived per Elizabeth II (1828). Died 1836, at Parramatta Female Factory Hospital. ------------------------------------------------------------- ADM 101/64/7B1835-1836 Medical and surgical journal of His Majesty's Convict Ship, Roslin Castle, for 15 September 1835 to 14 March 1836 by John Edwards, Surgeon. (Described at item level). Folio 28: Surgeon's general remarks. 'The convicts embarked at Cork on board the Roslin Castle consisted of 182 women and 49 children, many of the latter at the breast of the former, a large majority was of the worst description, morally and physically. A more filthy, indolent and reprobate set of women were never expatriated'. Most had been in prison more than a year and many were sent from the hospital as incurable. Adverse weather increased the sea sickness at the start of the voyage and many of the women suffered the consequences even after the bad weather ceased. There were many long lasting cases of gastric irritability and some of the old women were nursed all through the voyage. Obstinate obstruction of the bowels was also a general consequence, made worse by the women not reporting it for 10 or 15 days. The bowel conditions were made worse by the change in diet from the low hospital diet to the ship's dry provisions and by existing diseases from leading dissipated lives. A week after leaving harbour a case of fever developed [Joanna Reilly?] which had been disguised in its early stages by sea sickness. It quickly assumed a typhoid form and, when the patient died, caused great alarm among the prisoners. This did have the effect of encouraging the prisoners to keep themselves and the prison clean, 'yet even after this, from time to time, the filthy habits of some among them in the night about the water closets was a source of great annoyance to the people in the contiguous berths and of anxiety and vexation to myself'. Other cases of fever were very mild. Two other women died in the voyage, one [Sarah Lineham] died of dropsy induced by her refusing medicine for long continued visceral obstruction, the other [Anne Foley] died in the night. Her infant was obliged to be weaned but partly from bad nursing and a cachetic habit of body, it died shortly afterwards of diarrhoea. Three other infants of strumous diathesis and suffering abdominal diseases died. Most of the other cases were unremarkable, mostly of a chronic character, nearly half the convicts had some chronic pain and 40 of them, mostly young, applied for emmenagogues to relieve long standing catamenial suppression. Few of the women became reconciled to their new diet, they especially objected to cocoa and after a few days it was thrown away and tea substituted, even this did not suit some who had never had tea before. 'They had an incessant, almost morbid, longing for potatoes, for which they would have sacrificed everything else'. Signed John Edwards.

338

Penny-Lyn Beale on 5th August 2023

New South Wales, Australia. Convict Death Register; Date of Death; 17 April 1836 at Parramatta Age; 60 years. ** As per Register **

338

Penny-Lyn Beale on 5th August 2023

New South Wales, Australia, Convict Indents Indent No; 224 - 36. 112 Name Honor Cavanagh Age 72. Status; Widow. 1 male and 1 female child Trial; 30 Dec 1834, Meath Estimated Birth Year abt 1762 Remarks; DAUGHTER; Mary Rourke arrived in the colonies 7 years ago.