I am trying to find more about my ggg-grandmother Bridget Meade born c1812 in Cork City. Sent to Australia in 1832 on ship "Red Rover", left Cork April 1832, arrived Sydney August 1832. Ship bought out more than 100 girls from Cork Orphanage to Sydney - Bridget aged 19 (no.105 on ship's list)to a Rev. Mr Vincent as a housemaid. Father given as Philip Meade, a minister and mother as Margaret Kelly on her death certificate (died & buried Port Macquarie, New South Wales, Australia May 1872 aged 60 years)- can't confirm her parents. I have no birth date for her. Was she an orphan? She signed her marriage cert.(Nov 1832 to William Anderson, a scot)with an "X" so she could not write.
On a visit to Dublin PRO I searched St Anne's Shandon bapt. records with no luck - plenty of orphans featured. Which parish covered the orphanage? Where is/was the orphanage? Was she an orphan? If not - what was she doing there? A minister's daughter would surely be able to read and write and the orphanage did educate the children. In have read the book by Sydney based McLaughlin, "Barefoot & Pregnant" concerning Irish girls and their coming to Australia. This book covers the orphanage in part. It also says that babies were given to ministers/wet nurses and were taken to the orphanage - this could account for the minister being taken by her for a father - I just don't know and nor does anyone else in our family.
Her gravestone says that she was a native of Cork City - I am stuck!! I have been researching for many years.
I live in New Zealand - my great grandfather (William Anderson)and his family came across to NZ from Sydney in 1903. The rest of Bridget's descendants live in Australia.
All help will be gratefully received.