Bridget Bowen from Tralee
Hello,
I'm very excited to join irelandxo and learn about and share information about by Bowen ancestors from Tralee.
My great great grandmother Bridget Bowen was born on 6 January 1833 in Tralee Parish, County Kerry, Ireland. Her mother Johanna nee Brick was born in 1807.
According to Parish records Bridget was baptised at the Church of St. John the Baptist, Lower Castle Street, Tralee, Co. Kerry, Ireland. Her father was Richard Bowen and her mother was Johanna Brick. Bridget had four sisters: Mary 1 born 30 March 1835, Mary2 born 21 March 1837 (if the first Mary passed away then the second daughter may have been named for her), Johanna born 17 March 1840 and Ellen born 5 September 1842. They were all born in Tralee Parish, County Kerry, Ireland. Her baptism sponsors were Patrick O Brick and Mary Bowen. The Parish Priest was Reverend Father W. O Moriarty.
Bridget came out to New South Wales on the Sir George Seymour arriving in Port Jackson in March 1852. She had embarked from Falmouth on 26 December 1851. Her passenger list record stated that she was a domestic servant aged 19 and a native of Tralee, County Kerry. (NSW Assisted Immigrant Passenger List 1825-1896). She made her way south from Sydney and met Peter Connelly whom she married four months laterat St Gregorys Catholic Church in Queanbeyan on 26 July 1852. In the 1860s they decided to move to Colinton near Bredbo where Peter bought 1,835 acres of land on which to raise sheep and grow crops. The first families in the district of Bredbo were Ware, Clifford, Bowerman, Povey, Connelly, Hayes, Chalker and others.
In 1861 Bridget was reunited with her parents when Thomas Connelly (Patricks relative in NSW OR Ireland?) sponsored Richard Bowen and his wife Johanna to come out to New South Wales on the Hotspur arriving at Botany Bay on 24 February. Richards age was given as 39 and he worked as a carpenter. Johannas age was given as 38. Their native place was Kilrush, County Clare and their Parish Priest was Father Timothy Kelly. There is a discrepancy with the ages of Richard and Johanna; I think they must have been older for their daughter Bridget to be nineteen when she arrived in 1852.
Thank you,
Diane Palosnee McCue