Catherine Hurley

Catherine Hurley was born circa 1839 to parents Charles Hurley (farmer) and Ellen McCarthy, in Cork....possibly the Bandon area. Haven't been able to find a birth regn.

On 17 Oct 1857, at the age of 17, she sailed from Plymouth, England, on board the Bermondsey as an assisted immigrant bound for Melbourne Australia, where she worked as a domestic servant. By this time both parents had died but her mother, Ellen Hurley (McCarthy) had likely died by abt 1850 as Catherine told the story that her mother died after her 4th child birth. It is believed that Catherine may have only had a surviving brother.

Catherine married Henry Fitzpatrick Betts, a brass finisher from London, on 4 April 1866 at St Enoch's Church, Melbourne. In 1866 Henry and Catherine immigrated to Hokitika on the West Coast of the South Island, New Zealand, following the gold rushes from Hokitika to Cobden to Nelson Creek. They had three boys - Charles (born 1867), Henry (born 1869) and Louis (born 1870). Sadly Catherine died a few hours following the birth of their 4th son on 21 April 1871. He also died. Catherine spoke about a premonition that she would die as her mother had and this became a reality.

Catherine's husband, Henry, brought the 3 boys up on his own and died in 1919 never having remarried - apparently Catherine was the love of his life.