Summary
Personal Information
Crime
Transportation
Catherine Murphy was transported on the Margaret, departing 1st Sep 1838 and arriving 5th Jan 1839 with 170 passengers.
Built 1829 at Chepstow. 365 tons. Female prisoners were transported to New South Wales on the 'Margaret' in 1837, 1839 and 1840. The 'Margaret' was the last convict ship to transport female prisoners to New South Wales. Another voyage to Van Diemen's Land in 1843. The 1840 sailing also carried 17 free female passengers and one male. The registers of persons is not yet complete on this web site, so please note this if researching. (A work in progress.)
Margaret (generic)References
| Primary Source | List of Female Convicts by the Ship Margaret arrived from Ireland 5th January 1839 |
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Convict Notes
Catherine Murphy, aged 24, arrived at Sydney as a convict on ship ‘Margaret’ 2, on 5 January 1839, together with her convict mother Ellen Murphy (a 50 year old widow) and two younger convict sisters: Mary aged 20 and Honora aged only 14. Her crime was listed as housebreaking; Tried at Cork 19 Mar 1838; Trial Sentence: 7 yrs; Previous convictions: 6 months imprisonment. From the ship’s indent, Mary was born in County Cork, was single, could read, was Roman Catholic;, and was a country servant. She was 5ft 3.5 inches tall with a ‘ruddy and freckled’ complexion and had brown hair and blue eyes. She reported that her brother John Murphy had been transported “out” four years ago with a 7 year sentence of transportation. This was probably John Murphy, then 18 years old on the ship ’Hive’ arrived 1835. He would be about 22 years old when his sisters arrived on ‘Margaret’. The three Murphy sisters and their mother had all been tried in Cork. The mother, Ellen, had been tried first, in Cork City in February 1838, followed in March 1838 by 24 y.o. Catherine for housebreaking (given 10 yrs); Mary had been tried next in April for stealing boots, and she was followed in August by 14 y.o. Honora for stealing clothes. This appears to have been a determined effort by each of the daughters to get themselves sentenced to transportation as well, all joining their mother on the same ship for transportation in September 1838. 1843 - After four years Catherine got a ticket of leave to remain in the District of Campbelltown; Ticket of Leave No. 43/1192 In 1845 her Ticket of Leave was cancelled and she was sent to the Hyde Park Barracks because she had been “Absent from District”, ie she had been absent from the Campbelltown district where her Ticket of Leave had been approved for. In 1848 she got another Ticket of Leave, Number: 48/0080 Year: In September 1848 she was given her Certificate of Freedom: "Catherine Murphy, Arrived per Margaret 1839; Licence Number: 48/0307; Dated 14 Sep 1848; TL 48/80; wife of Thomas Halcup, per 'Elizabeth' [1820], FBS." MARRIAGE 1844 Application to marry: Thomas Hulcup; Age; 40 years; Arrived per ship: Elizabeth 1820 (3): 7 years; Free; Proposed wife: Catherine Murphy; Age: 29 years; Arrived per ship Margaret (2); 10 years; Current Status: Ticket of Leave; Application year: 1844; Clergyman: Vidal; Event Place: Campbelltown Thomas Hulcup was also listed as “Alcup” in some NSW records; as ‘Hulcup’ on indent of convict ship “Elizabeth”. Thomas Hulcup’s details from the ship indent in 1820 were that he had a 7 year sentence, tried at Quarter Sessions, 11 Apr 1820; Berkshire, England. At sixteen years of age, he was a farmer's boy, 5ft 1inch tall; Complexion: florid; Hair: dark brown; Eyes: hazel”. His stated age of 40 on his application to marry is consistent with the convict ship indent age of 16 in 1820.
Former conviction of 6 months; also on board with her mother Ellen and sisters Mary Ann and Honora (all convicts). Brother John, already in the colony as a prisoner, 4 years previous.