Mary Jane McBride (abt. 1825 - 1907)

Born about 1825 in County Down, Ireland

Wife of Robert McLeod — married 19 Jul 1847 in Christ Church, Longford, Tasmania, Australia

Descendants

Died 2 Apr 1907 at about age 82 in Invalid Depot, Launceston, Tasmania, Australia

Biography

Mary McBride and Eleanor Arrived as a female convict in Tasmania from Dublin on board Tasmania (2) on 2nd Sept 1845. She was tried on 5th April 1845 in Down. Her offence was stealing a handkerchief from her employer? in County Down. She was tried with Elleanor McKiverigan a seamstress/needlewoman from Newry, County Down who was charged with the same offence. Both were sentenced to 10 years. According to her convict papers she was sent to the hulk Anson for 6 months on arrival in Tasmania. This was moored off Dowsings Point to the north of Hobart Town at the site of the present Bowen Bridge. According to a Hunter (Ellen McLeod's) family story Mary walked from Hobart to Launceston and completed the journey before the coach, which was an expensive form of transport. She was wary of bushrangers so walked to the side of the track carrying a gun. On 9 June 1847 Mary spent 6 months in hospital with a broken jaw as a result of a dental extraction and tumour beneath the tooth. She was the first case on whom an anaesthetic was used in Tasmania - at Morton House, St John's Hospital Launceston. She trained as a midwife whilst in hospital. The operation was written up in the Examiner Newspaper though she was not mentioned by name unfortunately. The operating surgeon was Dr William Russ Pugh,who worked in the new Launceston Public Hospital. Mary claimed to have fallen asleep and the pain was not near so great as she had anticipated. She walked home shortly afterwards. Dr Pugh gave his services free to the hospital called St Johns at the time - a self-supporting institution with a dispensary for subscribers. According to family lore Robert refused to live with Mary after the operation and they lived apart for some time.

Sources

• Australian Marriages 1788-1980 Longford 1847 No 1331 (Ancestry.com.au)

Batch M31046-4; Source 1368288

Tasmanian Federation Index Death No 1758 1907 Launceston