St Patrick's Day - Mangan & Bee my Irish Ancestors ...

Be gosh and be gorrah I've missed St Pat's day in Australia but this post will pick it up elsewhere so I wish you all a Happy St Patrick's Day ...


In 1828 my Great, Great, Great Grandfather Patrick Mangan, born 1779 in Ballingarry, Ireland arrived in Australia as a member of the Royal Veterans Corp aboard the Hooghley - he had a colourful few years in Van Diemens land dying April 7, 1840 after falling from the back of a dray, in true Irish spirit, inebriated ...


My first female ancestor to the colony was a poor Irish colleen, Mary Bee, born in Cavan, Ireland c1817. Mary was convicted of stealing a cheese and of 5 counts of drunkeness, in Liverpool, at the Lancaster Liverpool Quarter Sessions in 1841. She had 5 prior convictions - for the cheese stealing, she was sentenced to 7 years transportation to Tasmania. Mary was transported on the "Emma Eugenie" arriving in Hobart on the 1842 with her 8 year old daughter Ann. Mary was my Great, Great, Great Grandmother when 18 year old Ann married William son of Patrick Mangan.

I've walked where Mary walked on the land of the Female Factory in Tasmania (formerly Van Diemens Land) ... it was an emotional time pondering the horror Mary must have endured ...

Thanks to Jen Self for her tireless research.