Mary Anne (Blakeney) Steele (1837 - 1886)

http://bygonesandbyways.blogspot.co.za/2011_08_01_archive.html

In 1855, Sir George GREY, High Commissioner in South Africa, tried to get British military pensioners to immigrate to South Africa and settle in British Kaffraria. The scheme failed to draw enough immigrants and was replaced with a plan to bring out soldiers of the British German Legion, which was being disbanded at the time. This scheme brought out 2 362 men in January and February 1857, disembarking in East London. When the Indian Mutiny broke out, more than half enlisted for further service in the British Army, and only 981 settlers were left in British Kaffraria in 1858.

Few of the men were married. The British thought of sending out young Irish women as prospective brides. They selected about 100 women between the ages of 18 and 35 who were living in the Union Workhouses. A few English artisans and their families were also selected to assist in taking care of the single women during the voyage. A few Irish agricultural families and about 20 more Irish single women from the ordinary population were also recruited. They were to sail on the Lady Kennaway, but just before sailing, some of the Irish women realised that there might be no Catholic priest where they were to be settled and they withdrew from the scheme. The vacant places were filled with immigrants from the general population. The Lady Kennaway sailed from Plymouth Sound on Saturday, 05 September 1857, with 231 immigrants. Of these, 153 were single women, while 42 were artisans, their wives and children. A baby was born during the voyage. The ship arrived in East London on Friday, 20 November 1857.

A committee of clergymen and businessmen had been formed in King William’s Town in September 1857, to distribute the immigrant women as soon as possible after they had landed. At the same time sub-committees of ladies were formed in East London and King William’s Town to meet the immigrants on arrival, to arrange accommodation and assist them with advice. Interested parties in King William’s Town were invited to register their applications for servants. In Grahamstown, a committee had also been established to receive and arrange employment. The King William’s Town committee arranged for accommodation in the Pensioner Village for the women. Further accommodation was arranged in East London so that the immigrants could be housed for the duration of their stay at the port. A Catholic priest met them in East London as they disembarked. The immigrants waited until the last of the party had disembarked on 23 November, before they set out on the next leg of their journey.

Four women were immediately offered employment in East London. Two women found husbands and were married at once, one being Fredericka SCHULLE, the only German girl in the party, who had been recruited from Middlesex. The other woman married the local police constable. None of the artisans chose to remain in East London at that time. On 24 November, ox-wagons set out for King William’s Town, carrying the married people. On 26 November, the single women left by ox-wagon and stopped at Fort Pato for breakfast. The soldiers of the 73rd Regiment had prepared two rooms for them and a breakfast. They arrived in King William’s Town that same evening. The hiring commenced the next day and continued for one week, with 79 people being employed in King William’s Town. Another 22 were employed or married at Line Drift, Peddie, Alice or Wooldridge and about 61 artisans and labourers, including their families, also found work in these places. Fifteen women who had not found employment by the 12 December, and the remaining immigrants set out for Grahamstown, arriving two days later. In the meantime, four women had returned to the committee in King William’s Town because of misunderstandings about their employment. On 4 January 1858 another seven were sent to Grahamstown and the committee in King William’s Town was closed. The exact figure of immigrants who found employment in British Kaffraria and Grahamstown is impossible to ascertain as the statistics given in various documents contradict one other, but 6 women eventually settled in East London, between 78 and 93 found employment in King William’s Town, and between 70 and 84 were sent to Grahamstown. Of the artisans and their families, none remained in East London, between 46 and 68 settled in King William’s Town, and about 16 went to Grahamstown.

The 153 unmarried women did not all marry the German soldiers, nor did they all find employment. The German soldiers had hardly settled down, generally made poor farmers, and were mostly interested in enlisting for military action. The women are also known as the Kennaway Girls. The scheme was not a successful one and eventually Sir George GREY brought out 1600 Germans to British Kaffraria in a more successful scheme in 1858.

LADY KENNAWAY PASSENGER LIST A list of unmarried women (surname, first names, place of origin and age) who arrived in East London, South Africa on 20 November 1857 on-board the Lady Kennaway.

Anderson, Sarah. Armagh. 20 Armstrong, Eliza. Dublin. 30 Barrett, Maura. Dublin. 19 Barry, Bridget. Meath. 20 Blakeney, Deborah. Dublin. 18 Blakeney, Mary Ann. Dublin. 21 Blykes, Mary. Armagh. 23 Borbidge, Ann. Dublin. 18 Boulger, Jane. Dublin. 28 Bradley, Susan. Donegal. 24 Bradner, Margaret. Dublin. 28 Branagan, Eliza. Dublin. 22 Breen, Margaret. Dublin. 18 Bright, Margaret. Kildare. 24 Brophy, Catherine. Tipperary. 20 Bullin, Ellen. Cork. 18 Burke, Bridget. Dublin. 25 Byrne, Ann. Dublin. 23 Byrne, Catherine. Kilkenny. 20 Byrne, Johanna. Dublin. 19 Campbell, Mary. Armagh. 19 Caughlin, Margaret. Armagh. 19 Chapman, Harriett. Cork. 20 Clark, Jane. Dublin. 25 Clarke, Anne. Donegal. 26 Clarken, Ellen. Fermanagh. 18 Collins, Mary. Dublin. 20 Collis, Kate. Dublin. 32 Connor, Catherine. Clonmel. 18 Corcoran, Jane. Dublin. 18 Corrin, Susan. Dublin. 21 Cox, Catherine. Fermanagh. 21 Caffrey, Eliza. Kildare. 19 Cullen, Jane. Dublin. 23 Cummins, Bridget. Kildare. 19 Curry, Margaret. Dublin. 18 Dalton, Mary. Dublin. 21 Daniel, Margaret. Clonmel. 20 Day, Mary. Dublin. 23 Demsey, Sarah. Dublin. 17 Donaldson, Jane. Monaghan. 20 Donaldson, Prudence. Monaghan. 19 Donohue, Margaret. Clonmel. 28 Dool, Jemima. Derry. 19 Doran, Bridget. Clonmel. 18 Doyle, Margaret. Dublin. 24 Doyle, Maria. Dublin. 26 Doyle, Mary. Dublin. 21 Dunn, Eleanor. Dublin. 24 Finlay, Maria. Dublin. 18 Fitzroy, Johanna. Dublin. 23 Flanagan, Anne. Tipperary. 20 Flanagan, Mary. Tipperary. 18 Flora, Bridget. Dublin. 25 Fulham, Harriet. Dublin. 19 Gaffney, Jane. Meath. 20 Gallagher, Catherine. Tyrone. 21 Gallagher, Margaret. Dublin. 24 Garry, Anne. Meath. 21 Glascott, Judy. Clonmel. 18 Cogen, Mary. Dublin. 30 Goodwin, Ellen. Dublin. 20 Grace, Kate. Dublin. 21 Graham, Ellen. Dublin. 25 Hall, Maria. Dublin. 20 Hanrahan, Catherine. Kilkenny. 23 HaNrahan, Johanna. Kilkenny. 21 Hefferty, Mary. Donegal. 21 Henderson, Jane. Derry. 27 Henry, Selina. Dublin. 23 Hinds, Sarah. Armagh. 23 Hughes, Charlotte. Dublin. 19 Hunter, Mary. Antrim. 23 Hyland, Honor. Clonmel. 18 Jones, Mary. Dublin. 30 Kane, Matilda. Tyrone. 18 Keane, Esther. Dublin. 25 Keating, Mary. Kilkenny. 25 Keegan, Susan. Dublin. 20 Kehse, Mary. Dublin. 20 Kelly, Charlotte. Dublin. 19 Kerr, Rose. Armagh. 31 Lacy, Elizabeth. Dublin. 18 Lavenny, Judy. Galway. 19 Lawrence, Jane. Cork. 20 Lee, Catherine. Dublin. 20 Lee, Nora. Dublin. 20 Leekey, Elizabeth. Antrim. 21 Lodge, Dora. Dublin. 27 Maher, Anne. Kildare. 20 Mann, Mary. Clare. 21 Mannsell, Anna. Tipperary. 18 Mannsett, Mary. Dublin. 21 McAlendon, Anne. Dublin. 19 McAlister, Margaret. Armagh. 20 McBride, Jane. Fermanagh. 27 McCafferty, Bridget. Donegal. 22 McCafferty, Margaret. Donegal. 20 McDonnell, Mary. Donegal. 27 McEvitt, Isabella. Dublin. 19 McGuigan, Jane. Tyrone. 18 McGuire, Johanna. Dublin. 18 McIleen, Margaret. Dublin. 17 McItee, Ann. Dublin. 19 McNamara, Fanny. Dublin. 18 McNamara, Isabella. Armagh. 31 Merrigan, Anne. Dublin. 22 Merrigan, Eliza. Dublin. 20 Milton, Anne. Wicklow. 24 Moore, Mary. Dublin. 18 Mullin, Olivia. Dublin. 26 Murphy, Anne. Dublin. 23 Murphy, Bridget. Limerick. 19 Murphy, Mary. Limerick. 26 Myles, Isabella. Donegal. 21 Neale, Honor. Kilkenny. 27 Neary, Mary. Kilkenny. 30 Neill, Margaret. Tipperary. 19 Norton, Anne. Dublin. 23 Norton, Ellen. Dublin. 25 O’Neal, Catherine. Kildare. 26 O’Neill, Anne. Dublin. 26 Phillips, Mary. Antrim. 26 Power, Susan. Dublin. 27 Purss, Harriet. Middlesex. 15 Read, Jane. Dublin. 18 Robinson, Sarah. Dublin. 19 Ryan, Judith. Tipperary. 18 Schulle, Fredericka. Middlesex. 29 Shea, Mary. Clonmel. 18 Sheeran, Mary. Fermanagh. 18 Singleton, Eliza. Dublin. 21 Slavin, Sarah. Fermanagh. 20 Smith, Mary. Dublin. 18 Sullivan, Margaret. Dublin. 26 Tago (or Tays / Teys), Catherine. Donegal. 24 Talbot, Anne. Dublin. 28 Taylor, Elizabeth. Armagh. 21 Tobin, Mary. Clonmel. 18 Toole, Mary. Dublin. 28 Walsh, Elizabeth. Kilkenny. 23 Warren, Mary. Dublin. 18 Waters, Maria. Dublin. 19 Weir, Ellen. Antrim. 19 Weir, Mary. Antrim. 24 Welch, Sarah. Clonmel. 24 Whelan, Anne. Dublin. 27 White, Margaret. Clonmel. 18 White, Mary. Kildare. 21 White, Mary. Donegal. 20 Winstan, Maria. Cork. 20

The following artisans and their families were also on board (surname, first name, occupation, place of origin, age in ( ): APPS, George. Carpenter. Surrey. (31). Wife: Mary (28). Children: Sarah (7), Jane (6) BERRY, John. Labourer. Galway. (30). Wife: Catherine (24). Children: Mary (2), John (1) CARRALL, Patrick. Farm Servant. Monaghan. (22). Wife: Catherine (24). Child: Owen (infant) CHRISTMAS, Frederick. Carpenter. Middlesex. (32). Wife: Eliza (31). Children: Samuel (8), Harry (5), George (3) CLARKSON, Charles. Carpenter. Middlesex. (28). Wife: Emma (24). Child: Eliza (infant) CLARKSON, William. Carpenter. Middlesex. (35). Wife: Charlotte (25). Children: William (3), Louisa (3), Mary (1) COBURN, James. Farm Servant. Tyrone. (22). Wife: Ann (18) COOPER, William. Carpenter. Essex. (23). Wife: Sarah (23). Children: Eliza (2), Ruth (infant) HICKEY, Richard. Labourer. Middlesex. (21). Wife: Margaret (23) HOVENDON, John. Farm Servant. Dublin. (42). Wife: Bridget (35) KNOWLES, William. Labourer. Antrim. (25). Wife: Eliza (22). Child: Lilly (2) LEEKEY, Peter. Labourer. Middlesex. (26). Wife: Elizabeth (23) LOCKHART, John. Bricklayer. Middlesex. (36). Wife: Mary (36). Children: John (18), Edward (2) PHILPOT, Edgar. Carpenter. Middlesex. (26). Wife: Susan (23). Children: Susan (5), Anne (1) PURSS, Charles. Bricklayer. Middlesex. (40). Wife: Harriet (44) RAWLINSON, Charles. Carpenter. Middlesex. (24). Wife: Catherine (20). Child: Samuel (1) REED, Thomas. Carpenter. Middlesex. (31). Wife: Mary (28). Children: Thomas (9), Elizabeth (7), William (5), Emma (3), Emma ? (infant) REID, John. Carpenter. Middlesex. (27). Wife: Harriet (25). Children: Martha (4), Eliza (2) SMYTH, Gerald. Labourer. Antrim. (20). Wife: Mary (26) SYMONS, William. Carpenter. Middlesex. (42). Wife: Anne (26). Children: William (Carpenter, 17), John (Carpenter, 15), Harry (Carpenter, 13), Mary (11), James (7), Rebecca (5), Robert (3), Samuel (infant) WOODHOUSE, William. Farm Servant. Armagh. (23). Wife: Eliza (24). Child: Robert (infant) Source: “Nominal List of Emigrants on Board the Lady Kennaway, Plymouth, 05 September 1857” and “List of Immigrants forwarded to Grahamstown Immigration Commission, 05 January 1858” in Cape Archives Depot.