Margaret (Kearney) Slavin (abt. 1828 - 1917)

Born about 1828 in County Limerick, Ireland

Wife of Michael Slavin — married 1 Feb 1865 in Geelong, Vic

Descendants

Died 6 Feb 1917 at about age 89 in Nimmitabel, New South Wales, Australia

Profile manager: Elsie Gorman [send private message]

Biography

Margaret (Kearney) Slavin was born in Ireland.

Birth The official records for Margaret provide contradictory information for her year of birth. She was born somewhere between 1828 and 1845. The Marriage Certificate (Vic BDM 1865/522) states that she is a 20 year old spinster, so born around 1845. Her Death Certificate (NSW BDM Index, 1917/4168) and tombstone state she is 89, giving yob 1828, informant her son John, her place of birth Limerick and that she had been 62 years in the colony, so arrival around 1855. It gives her age at marriage as 33. Mary's Birth Certificate (NSW BDM 1865/8062) states that Margaret is 31, so born 1834/5. Elizabeth's Birth Certificate (NSW BDM 1869/9732) states that Margaret is 35.

Arrival in Victoria Margaret was in Newtown, Geelong, Victoria by 1862 when her son John was born. Margaret and Michael were married in 1865 at St Mary’s Geelong, both resident at Little River near Geelong. Michael is 47, a labourer, Margaret a servant. Together they had seven children.

It is possible Michael and Margaret came to Monaro droving. If so she would have been heavily pregnant with twins Mary and Peter, whose birth was registered in the Cooma district 18 September 1865. Interestingly a Mrs. Catherine McDonald is the witness to Mary's birth. Peter died in 1900 while working as a bullocky "... death of Peter Slavin at Numbugga on Tuesday afternoon last. The inquest ....^{[1] [2]}

They settled at what became known as Slaven's Farm, near Warregal Corner Road, Nimmitabel. Margaret is listed as holder of the property at "Summer Hill" in 1885. 1885 Land Return. A descendant is a a photographer and took a great photo of the old slab farmhouse ^[3] The other photos in the Alpine album show the country they lived in, near Nimmitabel and the Snowy Mountains in New South Wales. Mrs Slaven, Glenbog is listed in the 1891 NSW Census, with 5 male and 2 female household members. Investigate Elizabeth Slavin 9732/1869

The 1913 Electoral Roll lists John, Margaret, Mary (1888), Michael, Patrick and Thomas Slavin resident at Riverview, Nimmitabel, NSW.

Margaret's Death Certificate tells us her mother was Bridget Dwyer, and her time in the colony 62 years based on an age of 89, place of birth Limerick. This would make her age at arrival in Australia 27 (~1855) and at marriage 33. She died at Riverview, Bombala where her son John lived.

DNA

• A great grand daughter (4 generations in Australia) has been tested and is mtDNA Test Full Sequence, haplogroup U5b2c2.
• No confirmed matches to Margaret as yet. None of Margaret's sons are known to have had children.
• Autosomal match between descendants of daughters Mary and Elizabeth (Slaven Elizabeth S Campbell via d m Barry, these Campbells are from Ireland) Ancestry 24.6 centimorgans shared across 2 DNA segments
• Match Ancestry 21cM across 2 segments to descendant of Catherine Kearney (MR) born 1817 Ireland, who migrated to the USA and married William Simonton Sawyer 1812–1880 Maine, USA
• John Kearney BIRTH 1833 • Kilbreggan, Co. Westmeath, DEATH 16 FEB 1894 • Rutherford Street, Avoca (Sargeant)

Research Notes

--investigate Mary (Kearney) Galgey (1819 - 1907)

--Birth Records show a marriage in 1819: February 11th John Kearney Knockany Parish & Bridget Dwyer of Ballinard in the Parish of Herbertstown were joined in marriage by me. In presence of Garret Barry, James Rev, Connor. This couple have four recorded children: John baptised 30-Aug-1820, Maurice baptised 03-Jan-1824, Thomas baptised 05-Jun-1826, and Kate 1835.

--A Margaret Kearney is baptised 03-Nov-1844 in the Parish/District: HOSPITAL & HERBERTSTOWN Co. Limerick Denomination: Roman Catholic, probably her nieceFather: John Kearney Mother: Cath. Quilty Informant 1: Wm. Quilty Informant 2: Mgt. Keefe

--Investigate any link to William b 1837, also resident in Geelong. Descendants at 5 to six generations are not a DNA match on either Kearney or Gorman lines.

--Note, a Margaret Slevin (Sladen) (Slavin) (Father John, mother margaret Kennedy BIRTH APR 1835 • Toomevara, Limerick, Ireland DEATH 20 JUN 1903 • Geelong, Victoria, married Michael Hurley

Arrival:

-Margaret's brother Thomas migrated to Victoria on the Invincible, ex Liverpool, 1854. Several Margarets arrived as Assisted migrants in the time frame near 1855 who are around the right age, and who will be difficult to distinguish in subsequent records:

-1854 MEDWAY KEARNEY MARGT 24 b1830 FEB 9 390 Port : Melbourne, Government immigrant

-1852 Marco Polo CARNEY Mgt 25 b1827 SEP Victoria Note Moidart mcdonalds werealso on this ship and could provide the link to Nimmitabel

-1853 BRITISH QUEEN KEARNEY MARGT 26 b1827 MAY 9 122 Port : Melbourne, Nationality English

-1858 Arabian Margaret Kearney, Estimated Birth Year: abt 1834; Age:24; Arrival date: 29 Apr 1858; Arrival Port: Melbourne, ; Departure Port: Liverpool; Ship: Arabian; Nationality: Irish (Kings) and Scottish, with Patrick, a child?

-1861 Red Jacket Margaret Kearney; Estimated Birth Year: abt 1838; Age: 23; Arrival date: 24 Apr 1861; Arrival Port: Melbourne, Australia; Departure Port: Liverpool; Ship: Red Jacket; Nationality: Irish

These women are less likely: -Margaret 1830 with family on the Formosa 1839, family settled in Mudgee NSW

-Kearney Margaret 19 abt 1830 21 Nov 1849 William and Mary, Irish Famine Orphan Clogheen workhouse, Parents : John & Mary (both dead), native place Clare (Caher) County Tipperary, Ireland, probably married Patrick Bergin and lived in Camden and elsewhere in NSW

--Margaret Kearney 23 (single woman 36) Dairy maid, RC neither, Co Cork, came 24 June 1840 (1817) on the Andromache , also James Kearney [[1]]

-- KEARNEY MARGARET 28 JAN 1854 UTOPIA*** 10 194 wife of KEARNEY MICHAEL 24 JAN 1854 UTOPIA 10 194 (born 1830) who subsequently have children in the colony, so she is not my Margaret.

--Karney Margaret b1831 Michael Karney Margaret Leahy (Born In Colony)

--One of these women married Maurice Sexton before 1861 and lived in Victoria, died Ballarat 1879/3602 f Patrick, m Margaret Fahey --One of these women married John Sheahan in 1867 ^[4]

--Little River, Victoria high numbers of single women from Ireland represented a distinctive feature of assisted migration to Port Phillip during them1840s. 57% of the total from Ireland, were from the Munster counties of Tipperary (433), Cork (245), Clare (129), and Limerick (89) From First wave [[2]]

--There was a population explosion in Little River between 1860 (less than 100) and 1865, so it is likely Margaret and Michael arrived in that timeframe

--A group of McDonalds from Moidart in the Scottish Highlands who emigrated in 1852 settled as farmers in Little River, providing a possible link to Nimmitabel, where the 1838-40 Moidart McDonald immmigrants had settled. The Marco Polo 1852 was one of the HIES ships ^[5]

--A Margaret Carney or Kearney is recorded as a parent at a baptism in 1842/44 in Geelong [Church register Group ID: 9637 GDHA]. It is possible that teenaged Margaret gave birth to an illegitimate daughter, and that their stories were conflated over time

--Note Mary Bennett (Kearney) Galgay (1819-1907) has the same parents names

DNA Research Notes

• Investigate DNA link to Giltenan and Quinlan. near St. Munchin Parish, from the townland of Ballycar North

Sources

1. ↑ Delegate Argus and Border Post (NSW : 1895 - 1906) Saturday 6 October 1900 p 4 Article, trove.nla.gov.au
2. ↑ Numbugga INQUEST DATE: 26 Sep 1900 INQUEST PLACE: Numbugga Dist of Bega AGE: 35 New South Wales, Australia, Registers of Coroners' Inquests, 1821-1937
3. ↑ charlesdavisphotography.com/gallery/alpine-landscapes/ Slaven house
4. ↑ victoria Registration Number 439/1867 Margaret Kerny
5. ↑ http://www.moidart.org.uk/datasets/billatkintrip.htm

• Victoria marriages 522/1865
• NSW BDM Index, 4168/1917 (Parents= John & Bridget, nee Dwyer.)
• NRS 683 Film number 2528 New South Wales 1891 Census
• GDHA zades.com.au/gandd/index.php/databases/gddbs
• Victoria inward passenger lists 1839-1923

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