Margaret King

Margaret KIng born about 1827?  Margaret was the first of the King family to migrate to Australia, 

Margaret King shows her age in 1849 as being 18, on her Shipping Records, however this would show 1831 as being born, however in other documents it shows her being born in 1827 which would have made her 22 when she left Ireland. Her calling was listed as Housemaid and parents James and Anty (Anastacia) were both dead, native place and county is Waterford. She had no relations in the Colony. She could neither read or write.  Margaret was in one of the Workhouses in Waterford due to the starvation and disease of the Irish during the Potato Famine. There were also Workhouses in Portlaw.  We will probably never know for certain which Workhouse she was in. She was one of the first 400 female famine orphans who came to Australia in the Earl Gray Scheme.  

Margaret arrived on the ship ‘SS Panama’ which arrived in Sydney on 12 January 1850. Her name is engraved on a glass wall dedicated to the Irish Famine Memorial at the Hyde Park Barracks in Sydney.  All the orphans were placed at the Barracks before being delivered as Domestics. Margaret went to Kiama and worked for a L. O’Toole.  Margaret met and married Peter Allen born  in the UK and they married 19 December 1850.  They had 12 children.  She died 1876 and is buried at Kangaroo Valley NSW which is near Kiama.  Margaret is my gg Aunt.