Searching for Balfe

Do you have marriage and/or death certs for your Maria ?

Audtralian version of these often include parents names.

There are several Mary Balfe/Balf baptisms showing up in Co. Wicklow on RootsIreland around the right time. 

 

I see from the NSW Death index that the record for Mary Hellestrand has her parents as Peter and Margaret. Narrowing the search in Wicklow to these names gives a Balfe family in Blessington RC parish including a Mary baptised during 1851. There seems to be up to about 8 possible siblings between about 1849 and 1862 based on a search in the parish based on filtering by parents first names.

Baptism records would give a few more details, such as date of baptism, mother's maiden name and names of two godparents, and possibly a slightly more detailed place of residence within the parish - e.g. the name of a townland.

You dont find many passenger lists for people leaving the UK and Ireland until much later, it was more usual for authorities to keep details of people arriving in their new destinations instead. Many people emigrated for a new life, adventure, new opportunities etc, and coming from a large family may have been in factor in encouraging Mary/Maria to look further away. On e or more of her brothers would have likely ended up with any land or property leased by their father, so probably expected that Mary/Maria would either enter service as maid etc, or settle down locally and marry.