Sophia Eyre^[1]

1810 - 1872  (61 years)

• Name	Sophia Eyre
  Born	1 Dec 1810	London, England   [2]
  Christened	1 Jan 1811	London, England   [3]
  Gender	Female
  Died	15 Aug 1872	Parramatta, NSW, Australia   [4]
  Buried	16 Aug 1872	Parramatta, NSW, Australia   [5]
  Person ID	I179	My Genealogy
  Last Modified	28 Jan 2017

  
  

  Father	Robert Eyre, Major,   b. Abt 1773, Probably, Eyrecourt, Galway, Ireland ,   d. Bef 1834  (Age ~ 60 years)
  Mother	Sophia Ashburner,   b. 7 Jan 1767, Probably, London, England
  Married	7 Jan 1794	Westminster, London, England   [6]
  Family ID	F156	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Edward Riley (Reilly),   b. Abt 1798, Dublin, Ireland ,   d. Abt 1848  (Age ~ 50 years)
  Married	1 Jan 1838	Liverpool, NSW, Australia   [7]
  	Witness: W.T Scaife of Liverpool Witness: Lucy Scaife of Liverpool
  Children	1. Rosa Annie Riley,   b. 28 Oct 1838, Camden, NSW, Australia ,   d. 14 Oct 1928, Forbes, NSW, Australia  (Age 89 years)   2. Henrietta Riley,   b. 19 May 1841, Liverpool, NSW, Australia ,   d. 2 Oct 1931, Cremorne, NSW, Australia  (Age 90 years)   3. Edward Frank Riley,   b. Abt 1843, Liverpool, NSW, Australia ,   d. 26 Nov 1905, Parramatta, NSW, Australia  (Age ~ 62 years)
  Last Modified	20 Jan 2014
  Family ID	F24	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  MARRIAGE BANNS: St. Luke's Church of England, Liverpool, N S W. Information from St Luke's Banns Register 1829-1862 has 1st calling 10 Dec 1837, 2nd calling 17 Dec 1837 and 3rd calling 24th Dec 1837. The hand written Church Notes said Sophia EYRE came on the "David Scott". [8] PUBLISHED BOOK: "Single & free" Female Migration to Australia 1833-1837 Book researched and written by Elizabeth Rushen and Published in March 2003 states Sophia Eyre a 22 year old Governess from Durham, England emigrated on the "David Scott" on the recommendation of three titled people. Another source says the people were the Earl and Countess of Denbigh and Viscountess Fielding. [8] COMMITMENT: Because Sophia RILEY did on the 27 November 1851 "throw two stones at a Constable of the Police Force of the City of Sydney, and it having been made to appear that she is of unsound Mind" she was conveyed to the Common Gaol at Darlinghurst in the City of Sydney on 28 November 1851. She was Certified Insane at Darlinghurst Gaol on 29 November 1851 by two Doctors and was removed on 2 December 1851 to the Lunatic Asylum at Tarban Creek, Gladesville. When Sophia RILEY was admitted to Tarban Creek the ADMISSION REGISTER records that she was a Pauper Age 42 and Church of England and a "Widow of last three years and had three children and that the age of the youngest Child was 8 years old". The HISTORY REGISTER on 31 October 1852 says she was transferred to Parramatta. DEATH NOTICE - Sydney Morning Herald - Monday 19th August 1872 - At the Lunatic Asylum, Parramatta, on the 15th instant, SOPHIA, daughter of the late Colonel EYRE, county Galway, Ireland, aged 60. MOTHER: Some sources say that Sophia ASHBURNER was the mother of Sophia EYRE while other sources say that Maria GORE was the mother of Sophia EYRE. [8] I am investigating a close relationship/seduction with a Sophia EYRE and a convict Robert SWAN (he arrived in 1836 on Ship called "Strathfieldsay") in 1837. The case was investigated by the Police Magistrate of Maitland in June 1837 (mentioned in despatch number 92 (between Sir George Gipps and Lord Glenelg). The despatch mentioned that Robert SWAN was sent to Port Macquarie (he was still a convict at that stage am lead to believe) to break off the relationship. Any information on the Robert SWAN who was sent off to Port Macquarie in 1838? and the case that was investigated would be greatfuly appreciated? (I think he came back to Maitland/Morpeth area and married Margaret Jennings in 1843) Also also seeking any information on who Sophia EYRE was working for at that time? - Was it definitely Robert CLOSE? or was it just Robert SWAN working for him? Sophia EYRE was mentioned in these dispatches as working for a number of "respectable families " as a governess - does any one have any information on who she worked for during her arrival in the colony as an emigrant to her marriage date of January 1838? Note - she arrived as an assisted immigrant in 1834 on the David Scott. ( she apparently was a governess) thank you D Weber Elizabeth Rushen's website www.rushen.com.au contains an alphabetical list of the women who emigrated on the fourteen ships which departed from Gravesend, England as well as Dublin and Cork, Ireland under the auspices of the London Emigration Committee (LEC), between 1833 and 1837. This was the first scheme for female emigration between Great Britain and the Australian colonies on behalf of the British government. The ships carried approximately 2,700 bounty women to Sydney, Hobart and Launceston. FEMALE MIGRATION FROM UK TO AUSTRALIA - http://www.portphillippioneersgroup.org.au/pppg5dj.htm Liz Rushen has written several books about the early immigration of women to Australia. Were they the dregs of British society? Liz set out to discover just what sort of women migrated, and discussed what records she used to find her information. It is harder to find information about women than men. Women didn't generally buy property of belong to associations. They changed their names if married, and often their names were not recorded properly. Under a scheme operated by the London Emigration Committee, fourteen ships brought out women from Great Britain and Ireland between 1833 and 1837. Of the 4,000 passengers on these ships, 2,700 were bounty women. Liz researches the women whose names she found on the shipping lists. The London Metropolitan Archives provided some details of these women in its parish records. Contrary to the belief of some, less than one quarter of women who emigrated under this emigration scheme were from workhouses and charitable institutions. Women were not scooped off the streets, but replied to advertisements. An advertisement for the "Amelia Thompson" was in the form of a poster, 3 feet by 2 feet in size, which was displayed in post offices and shops. Other advertisements which detailed sailing times, tonnage of ship, name of master and agent, were to be found in the newspapers. Application forms filled out for immigration contained helpful details: name, age, and address, parish, trade or occupation, whether travelling alone or with others, whether able to read or write. They were also signed by two responsible people, such as a minister or physician. If the forms weren't filled in correctly, the application was refused. Copies of these were kept in six books which have been missing since World War 2. There were at least four passenger lists for wach ship which came to Australia, and they all varied. These lists were made for financial reasons, so the agent could receive the Bounty payment. The first list was of embarking passengers. The original was sent to the Colonial Office in London and a copy, probably containing mistakes was carried on the ship. On arrival in Australia, another list was made. The fourth list was the Disposal List. These are the most difficult to read as they were written on a day when hiring was being done. It would have been busy and lots of errors were made. Liz has researched, in particular, women who emigrated on the "Bussorah Merchant" and the "Lady Macnaghten." Details she has gathered on Elizabeth Goodenough and Emma Lycett demonstrate her genealogical skills. She always starts with the Pioneer Indexes but gains additional information from other sources such as Early Parish Registers. Marriage transcripts indicate whether a marriage was by banns or by licence. They might indicate occupation, and names of witnesses. They might tell you if a person can sign their name and what religion they were. Births of children indicate where women lived, and directories such as the "Port Phillip Almanac" are helpful, as are trade and occupation directories. Biographical directories, including the "Australian Dictionary of Biography" can be useful although often women's names are not mentioned. An index compiled by Joan Reese of letters to the Colonial Secretary concerning convicts, shows that many women applied to marry convicts, or a man with a 'ticket of leave.' Women applied to have their convict husband assigned to them. Many applied for land grants. These indexes, on microfiche, are at the Genealogical Society of Victoria and the State Library of Victoria. Joan Kerr's "Dictionary of Australian Artists" helped Liz find information on Emma Lycett's father who was convicted of forgery. As a convict, he was a wonderful colonial artist between 1815 and 1822. After completing his sentence, he returned to England where he was again convicted of forgery. After his suicide, Emma returned to Australia. Liz found that women immigrants were feisty, prepared to stand up for their rights and became good pioneers. (The above is a report on Dr. Liz Rushen's address at the General Meeting on 13 September 2008) Contributed by Jan Hanslow (PPPG Member No. 1057) FEMALE MIGRATION TO AUSTRALIA 1833 - 1837 : http://www.portphillippioneersgroup.org.au/pppg5bq.htm For the first 40 years of its history, Australia was considered purely a convict settlement. By 1820 however the Colony was seen as a country with potential. As early immigrants were mostly single men, males soon made up 73 % of the population. The British Government decided to sponsor a scheme to bring women to the Colony. Back in the United Kingdom, women were in the majority and the 'redundant' women were encouraged to migrate. Although the scheme started before the Port Phillip District was under way, many women ended up in Victoria before 1851. Between August 1833 and February 1837, the London Emigration Committee organised the voyages of 14 ships, 10 from London and 4 from Ireland, bringing the Colony 2,700 young women. The scheme was soon deemed to be a failure by the Committee because of the level of 'immorality' prevalent in New South Wales and it ended in mid 1836, with 2 ships arriving after that date. The Committee had wished to appoint a superintendent and on the first ship was Joseph Hoskins who had worked in a women's refuge for 25 years. He was accompanied by his wife, who worked as a matron, and his daughter, who was a schoolteacher. Unfortunately the Colonial Government under Governor Richard Bourke was disinclined to make such an appointment. Although the British government paid for the women to migrate, it made no provision for them to find suitable work or accomodation on their arrival in the colony. Unlike convict women, who were disembarked at 8 a.m., these free immigrants were disembarked in the middle of the day. In Sydney, the only area suitable as a reception site was the lumber yard where convicts worked. This yard was fenced, thus keeping the women in and the men out. Temporary accomodation there was primitive, with plain benches provided for sleeping. Governor Bourke was apparently unaware that as well as scullery maids and dairymaids there were women such as governesses who were not used to sleeping on hard beds. Elizabeth Rushen has done many years of research both into the reasons for the scheme's failure and into the stories of the women immigrants themselves. She has found that although the women's stories are quite varied, certain patterns emerge. Right from the start there was the perception that these women were unacceptable, as respectable women in that era did not work. There were few avenues for complaint if good working conditions including the provision of meals for domestic staff, were not met. Some women were employed by ex convicts who had no idea of dealing with servants. Some women did take their employers to court but were usually denigrated for their effort. Some women never coped with the transition to another country and turned to crime, spending considerable time in gaols, hospitals and other institutions. Some made no imprint on the colony at all. Most women married skilled artisans and many used their own skills to help their husbands. Most married and were totally occupied with bringing up large families. Quite a few returned home but others went to the United States of America, some to California in 1849 and then returned to Australia. The London Emigration Committee's scheme was to solve the problem of too many women in one place and too few in another. Everyone would be happy. The arrival of such a large number of women into a small population over a short period of time needed much better organisation and although the scheme was scrapped, it was replaced later with the Colonial Land and Immigration Commission. With the help of people like Caroline Chisholm, conditions upon arrival for migrant women improved. Although few of the women who migrated under the London Emigration Committee became important, to Elizabeth Rushen, they are all notable. She certainly does not believe that the women were the sweepings of the workhouses. (The Above is a Report on the Address by Elizabeth Rushen at the General Meeting on 9 July 2005) Contributed by Jan Hanslow ( PPPG Member No. 1057 ) https://personal.uwaterloo.ca/marj/genealogy/reports/vand1834.html https://www.geni.com/projects/David-Scott-Female-Emigration-arrived-Australia-25-October-1834/33847 Brief Description: Poster promoting the emigration of "single women and widows of good character, from 13 to 30 years" to Sydney, Australia Subject Date: 01/05/1834 Creator: Committee for Promoting the Emigration of Single Women Owner: Gravesend Library Contributor: Gravesend Library

  
  

• Sources

  [S240] Keith Eyre Jones Family History. Record updated from Keith Eyre Jones [S174] Baptism London, England 1 Jan 1811 Sophia Eyre. [S174] Baptism London, England 1 Jan 1811 Sophia Eyre (Reliability: 2), 20 Jan 2014. [S173] Death Parramatta, NSW, Australia 15 Aug 1872 Eyre, Sophia, Ref No: 1872/5960, 20 Jan 2014. [S173] Death Parramatta, NSW, Australia 15 Aug 1872 Eyre, Sophia. [S240] Keith Eyre Jones Family History. [S175] Marriage Liverpool, NSW, Australia (Parish of Liverpool, in the County of Cumberland) 1 Jan 1838 Edward Riley (Reilly) & Sophia Eyre, (1850 Vol:22). [S30] Keith Eyre Jones, Keith Eyre Jones, (keithjones365@hotmail.com).