Supplied by Paula Kennedy of the Mountbellew Workhouse Project
MARY DOOLEY Mary Dooley was born in county Galway, Ireland in 1826, the daughter of Edward Dooley, born 1780-1800, whose occupation was whitesmith, and her mother’s name is unknown. Mary was orphaned and ended up in the Workhouse in Mountbellew in 1852. Records indicate Mary’s last place of residence was Clonbrock, near the Fohenagh/Caltra area. It is thought Mary had nine brothers who had immigrated to the US or Canada prior to 1852. |
Her father had a brother Lawrence Dooley, born 1796, whose wife’s maiden name was Margaret Larkin. Lawrence’s recorded occupation was a cattle dealer from Galway. There is also a record of a Lawrence Dooley owning land in Springlawn, in Mountbellew, but it cannot be verified that this record pertains to the same Lawrence Dooley. Lawrence, his wife and most of his children emigrated to Derbyshire, England between 1851 and 1861 after which several children immigrated to Pennsylvania, USA. Lawrence’s children were Patrick, Bridget, Martin, Mary, Larry Jnr, Thomas Kate and William Riley Dooley. Bridget remained in Ireland around the famine period and is believed to have married a Michael Gavin. Their son, Martin Dooley, became the founder of a town called Dooleyville, Pennsylvania in 1909 and married a girl whose father was from Mount Bellew, Co Galway. A further record indicates that son, Thomas, was born in Mount Bellew 1846. It is thought the Dooley’s came from a family of blacksmith or whitesmith tradesmen.
Mary immigrated to Australia in 1853 on board Irish Bride ship ‘Palestine’. Bride-ships carried destitute girls from orphanages, poorhouses or had a sponsored fare during the Great Famine. Many of the girls on board this ship were also from Galway.
The workhouse at that time had (August 1852) 418 inmates, 130 able bodied females. In November 6th 1852 there were 392 inmates and 124 able bodied females. And in November 20th 1852 there were 401 inmates in the workhouse, 134 able bodies females, though 32 able bodied females were discharged during this week (presumable the 30 for assisted emigration).
The county was very much affected by the famine of 1845-47. In 1841 the population was 443,000. Ten years later, it had fallen to 322,000. More than 73,000 persons died between 1845 and 1850. Approximately 11 per cent of the population emigrated in the succeeding 5 years. By 1891, the census showed 215,000 inhabitants of the county.
Early in September1852, a letter from Lieutenant Sunders, (R.N. Emigration Agent) stated that the Emigration Commissioners had instructed him to make a selection of 30 young women from the female inmates in Mount Bellew workhouse who were candidates for emigration to Van Diemen’s land, for passage to the colony by the ship `Travencore`, which would sail from Plymouth on 23rd instant, and requesting to be informed of the day that he could make his selection` (p339). Ref: Galway County Council Archives. www.galway.ie/en/Services/ArchivesService/
After the first successful deployment of the ‘Travencore’, another list of passengers was drawn up and the ‘Palestine’ later set sail from Plymouth on 26 November 1852. Among the girls chosen to make that fateful journey to Van Demons Land, was Mary Dooley. Mary and three other girls replaced several girls deemed medically unfit to make the long journey to Australia. The girls that set sail on the Palestine are listed right.
Mary and the other girls arrived into Fremantle, Western Australia 28 April 1853 after five long and probably terrifying months at sea. On arrival, it is believed that Mary found employment as a servant with a local hotel proprietor at the ‘Ship Hotel’. Several months later, Mary married in January 28th 1854 to Mr John Dawson whom was 26 years her senior. They settled on land owned by a Mary McGregor, a site which is now occupied by the Abbey Waters development in Busselton.
One can only imagine the horrors that Mary managed to survive during the famine years. It is not known how much easier her life would have been after her arrival in Australia. Provisions were often late and in short supply, women even scarcer, the heat would have been unbearable for a young immigrant girl in their long gowns and heavy petticoats and the bush flies and snakes plentiful. The early colonial women were also terrified of the aborigines. The noise of their nightly corroborees, kept the settlers nerves fraught with fatigue, fear and anxiety. When their men left for work, the aboriginals would suddenly appear in vast numbers from out of the long grass and scrub, demanding white man’s food, such as tea, sugar and tobacco from the women.
Mary and John’s first child Mary Jane (possibly named after her mother as was custom in those days), was born on November 13th 1854 in Newtown, Western Australia. Mary bore eight children in all - with one dying in infancy - and then became one of the first midwives in the south west along with another three Irish girls. These four Irish women saw into the world almost an entire generation of West Australians in the South West region. It is presumed that Mary went on to have a happy and fulfilling life. Her youngest son Edward later told the story that
Mary’s relatives had earlier immigrated to America, but Mary preferred to go to Australia, as she would one day “return with her apron full of gold”. Afterwards she was to say that she “had her apron full of gold, in her many children”.
Mary survived her husband John who died in 1887. Records show that she died in August 1902 and was buried in the Busselton Pioneer Cemetery where her husband was also laid to rest.
Paula Kennedy
MARGARET DAWSON
An article from a Busselton newspaper shows that the president of the local oral history group, Margaret Dawson, made a trip to Ireland to find out more about her husband Cliff’s great grandmother (Mary Dooley).
While there she was also invited to give a talk to the Castleblakeney Historical Society. Margaret spoke to the local Irish historical group about where she lives, her efforts to discover more about Mary Dooley, which includes her poorhouse background, marriage and family and what is known about her here and the success of her descendants. Though some of the children married members of well-known families that helped pioneer the region, little is known of Mary, prior to her ending up in the Irish poorhouse.
“I’m hoping to learn about her early years,” Margaret said.
NED DAWSON
Edward ‘Ned’ Dawson, the son of Mary and John, went on to make quite an impression on the region. In 1900 he discovered the Yallingup Caves with their coloured shawl formations, the Arab’s tent, the jewel casket, and delicately formed and tinted stalactites amongst the features of this amazing cave that plunges up to 150’ deep.
One historical version of the discovery states: “Dawson was hunting wild horses at the time he came upon the small opening in the earth in the thick scrub on the hill beyond the site of the Caves House. The existence of caves along the coast line had been known for many years, and curiosity to explore the secrets of the earth impelled him to get the bridle reins and lower himself into the first recess. Blackboy rushes were used as a torch to lighten the way. On the first occasion he got as far as the spot known as ‘Hartley’s Pinch’ and he returned on the following Sunday better equipped to make a fuller exploration.”
Edward would go on to become a tour guide for the Cave and in his more than 20 years as guide he led an estimated 500,000 people through the underground chasm and was responsible for many of the improvements in safety and lightening made to the caves over the years. Yallingup Cave remains a popular attraction to this day.
Mary immigrated to Australia in 1853 on board Irish Bride ship ‘Palestine’. Bride-ships carried destitute girls from orphanages, poorhouses or had a sponsored fare during the Great Famine. Many of the girls on board this ship were also from Galway.
The workhouse at that time had (August 1852) 418 inmates, 130 able bodied females. In November 6th 1852 there were 392 inmates and 124 able bodied females. And in November 20th 1852 there were 401 inmates in the workhouse, 134 able bodies females, though 32 able bodied females were discharged during this week (presumable the 30 for assisted emigration).
The county was very much affected by the famine of 1845-47. In 1841 the population was 443,000. Ten years later, it had fallen to 322,000. More than 73,000 persons died between 1845 and 1850. Approximately 11 per cent of the population emigrated in the succeeding 5 years. By 1891, the census showed 215,000 inhabitants of the county.
Early in September1852, a letter from Lieutenant Sunders, (R.N. Emigration Agent) stated that the Emigration Commissioners had instructed him to make a selection of 30 young women from the female inmates in Mount Bellew workhouse who were candidates for emigration to Van Diemen’s land, for passage to the colony by the ship `Travencore`, which would sail from Plymouth on 23rd instant, and requesting to be informed of the day that he could make his selection` (p339). Ref: Galway County Council Archives. www.galway.ie/en/Services/ArchivesService/
After the first successful deployment of the ‘Travencore’, another list of passengers was drawn up and the ‘Palestine’ later set sail from Plymouth on 26 November 1852. Among the girls chosen to make that fateful journey to Van Demons Land, was Mary Dooley. Mary and three other girls replaced several girls deemed medically unfit to make the long journey to Australia. The girls that set sail on the Palestine are listed right.
Mary and the other girls arrived into Fremantle, Western Australia 28 April 1853 after five long and probably terrifying months at sea. On arrival, it is believed that Mary found employment as a servant with a local hotel proprietor at the ‘Ship Hotel’. Several months later, Mary married in January 28th 1854 to Mr John Dawson whom was 26 years her senior. They settled on land owned by a Mary McGregor, a site which is now occupied by the Abbey Waters development in Busselton.
One can only imagine the horrors that Mary managed to survive during the famine years. It is not known how much easier her life would have been after her arrival in Australia. Provisions were often late and in short supply, women even scarcer, the heat would have been unbearable for a young immigrant girl in their long gowns and heavy petticoats and the bush flies and snakes plentiful. The early colonial women were also terrified of the aborigines. The noise of their nightly corroborees, kept the settlers nerves fraught with fatigue, fear and anxiety. When their men left for work, the aboriginals would suddenly appear in vast numbers from out of the long grass and scrub, demanding white man’s food, such as tea, sugar and tobacco from the women.
Mary and John’s first child Mary Jane (possibly named after her mother as was custom in those days), was born on November 13th 1854 in Newtown, Western Australia. Mary bore eight children in all - with one dying in infancy - and then became one of the first midwives in the south west along with another three Irish girls. These four Irish women saw into the world almost an entire generation of West Australians in the South West region. It is presumed that Mary went on to have a happy and fulfilling life. Her youngest son Edward later told the story that
Mary’s relatives had earlier immigrated to America, but Mary preferred to go to Australia, as she would one day “return with her apron full of gold”. Afterwards she was to say that she “had her apron full of gold, in her many children”.
Mary survived her husband John who died in 1887. Records show that she died in August 1902 and was buried in the Busselton Pioneer Cemetery where her husband was also laid to rest.
Paula Kennedy
MARGARET DAWSON
An article from a Busselton newspaper shows that the president of the local oral history group, Margaret Dawson, made a trip to Ireland to find out more about her husband Cliff’s great grandmother (Mary Dooley).
While there she was also invited to give a talk to the Castleblakeney Historical Society. Margaret spoke to the local Irish historical group about where she lives, her efforts to discover more about Mary Dooley, which includes her poorhouse background, marriage and family and what is known about her here and the success of her descendants. Though some of the children married members of well-known families that helped pioneer the region, little is known of Mary, prior to her ending up in the Irish poorhouse.
“I’m hoping to learn about her early years,” Margaret said.
NED DAWSON
Edward ‘Ned’ Dawson, the son of Mary and John, went on to make quite an impression on the region. In 1900 he discovered the Yallingup Caves with their coloured shawl formations, the Arab’s tent, the jewel casket, and delicately formed and tinted stalactites amongst the features of this amazing cave that plunges up to 150’ deep.
One historical version of the discovery states: “Dawson was hunting wild horses at the time he came upon the small opening in the earth in the thick scrub on the hill beyond the site of the Caves House. The existence of caves along the coast line had been known for many years, and curiosity to explore the secrets of the earth impelled him to get the bridle reins and lower himself into the first recess. Blackboy rushes were used as a torch to lighten the way. On the first occasion he got as far as the spot known as ‘Hartley’s Pinch’ and he returned on the following Sunday better equipped to make a fuller exploration.”
Edward would go on to become a tour guide for the Cave and in his more than 20 years as guide he led an estimated 500,000 people through the underground chasm and was responsible for many of the improvements in safety and lightening made to the caves over the years. Yallingup Cave remains a popular attraction to this day.