Details Page

Participant Info

First Name

Margaret

Surname

Nelson

Native Place

Clare, Clonrich [Clonrush]

Age On Arrival

16

Parents

John & Mary (both dead)

Religion

Roman Catholic

Ship Name

Thomas Arbuthnot (Sydney 1850)

Details

shipping: house servant, cannot read or write, no relatives in colony; Surgeon Strutt of Thomas Arbuthnot noted on 5 Dec 1849 that 'Margaret Nelson had a severe fit of epileptic character. Was up with her till half past one in the morning'; Moreton Bay Depot; empl as house servant by M. Feeny, North Brisbane, £8, 1 year; The following is a summary as close as can be for this woman and her complicated relationships including 4 husbands: married 1) Kent-born ex-convict, Jesse Wright 12 Feb 1850, Ipswich, 2 children; Jessie died Jan 1851 following a fall from his bullock dray; married 2) Charles Haggart 7 Jan 1856, he died 23 Mar 1856, no children; married 3) Christopher Lopdell 1 Apr 1856, 6 children, he was a sawyer, carpenter & bailiff, lived Drayton, Toowoomba, Taroom & Tambo; Christopher Lopell died 26 Oct 1869, aged 47; Margaret had twin daughters (Mary Ellen & Catherine Jane b.28 May 1871) after his death & registered as Lopdell, mother Margaret Ann Lopdell, no father named; married 4) John Charles Fitzgerald 28 Sep 1874, 2 daughters; husband a wheelwright, he died 15 Feb 1881 on Oondooroo Run, 11 miles from Winton, buried Winton; Margaret died 28 Dec 1886, aged 49; buried Muttaburra; total of 12 children.

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