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PassengersontheMedwayAsearchofPassengerListsfortheMedwayhasresultedinmoreworkbeingrequiredtoclarifythenatureoftheimmigration.Onfacevalue,itseemsthatthefollowingO’ConnorscameasUnassistedPassengers:Ellen(aged54)–wifeofMichaelConnorandmotherofAndrewEllen(aged18)–daughterofEllenandsisterofAndrewAndrew(aged22)–oneofEllenandMichael’seightchildrenMarg(aret)(aged21)–Andrew’swifeMichael(infantaged<1year)–sonofAndrewandMargaretAnextractoftheactualhandwrittenship’smanifest,showingFamilyname,givenname,ages(male/femalemarriedcouple,thenmale/femalesingles,childrenunder12,andmale/femaleinfants):
Yettheabove,togetherwiththreeotherbrothers,alsoappearasAssistedPassengersontheMedwayin1857.AseparatepartoftheManifesthowevershowsjusttheotherbrothers:Fenton(aged19)–brotherofAndrewMichael(aged20)–brotherofAndrewPatrick(aged24)–brotherofAndrewAndhereisacopyofthehandwrittenManifestshowingthemasLabourers/Irish:
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Notethatthesethreebrothershadeachreducedtheiragedownbyaround5years(realageisestimatedbasedonBaptismrecords),possiblytomakethemselvesmore“attractive”asyoung,fitlabourers.Butgenerally,theIrishofthisera,perhapsthroughignorance,didn’tplacegreatstoreonsuchnicetiesasbirthdatesandages.TheMedwaywasjustoneofalargenumberofboatsbringingimmigrantstoAustraliaduringandaftertheGoldRush.Forexample,in1857alone,theyeartheO’Connorsarrived,therewerealmost30boatscarryingatotalofnearly10,000immigrantswithabouthalfofthearrivalsbeingIrish.Therewerealsomorethan80deathsatseaonthesevoyagesbutthankfullyonlyoneontheMedway.1857-ShippingfromUKtoVictoriawithAssistedPassengers
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ThefollowingisthenewsclippingidentifyingthearrivaloftheMedwayon19December1857:Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), Monday 21 December 1857, page 4
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Interestingly,thepassengersontheMedwayweredeeplyimpressedwiththeworkofJ.S.Wilkinson,thesurgeon-superintendent,asevidencedwiththefollowingnewspaperreport.
TestimonialbyMedwayPassengersfortheSurgeon-SuperintendentFromTheArgusFriday1January1858,page1
