52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Boats
The aim of this challenge is to write about one ancestor every week in 2024, according to a given prompt. I will be writing about ancestors and other family members.
George LOWE and Hanorah AHERN were my 4x great grandparents. Hanorah was born in 1796 in Cork, Ireland, to parents, John AHERN and Joanna CROWLY. After being convicted of a crime in Ireland, Hanorah was transported to Australia for seven years. She married ex convict George LOWE in 1815 in Hobart Town, Tasmania. They had seven children in 13 years. Hanorah died in Hobart at the age of 43.
A Successful Life
After George LOWE obtained his freedom, he became a very successful trader, hotel and land owner, and many other things. In July 1815, he paid £120 to James Bryan Cullen for 78 acres of land, situated on the Derwent River in the district of New Norfolk. Just a few months later, in January 1816, George Lowe successfully tendered to supply 1500 lbs of fresh meat to His Majesty’s Magazine on 28 March 1817.
George and Norah took a trip back to England, which was not a common thing for ex convicts to do at the time. They left Hobart on The Denmark Hill on 29 December 1824. The trip was partly for pleasure, possibly to visit family in England and/or Ireland, but it was also a business trip. They were away for seventeen months and bought back supplies for their store. Their 5th child, Caroline, was born in England. It appears they didn’t take their two children, as the excerpt from a newspaper report, below, shows.
From: The Colonial Times, 30 November, 1831
“John Popkins, his convict servant was in charge of property, and had the care of his children; and that he conducted himself with propriety and kindness to the family, when left under such very peculiar responsibility.
From: The Colonial Times and Tasmanian Advertiser, Friday 12 May 1826, page 2.
SHIP NEWS
Arrived on Friday last, the ship Doncaster, Captain J.F. Church, from London, with merchandize and 20 passengers. She left England the 27th Dec, and on her passage touched at St. Jago, which she left the 27th Jan. On the 14th of the following month, spoke the Hon. East India Company’s ship General Kyd, bound from China for London. -Passengers for Hobart Town, Mr. and Mrs. G. Hobler and family ; Mr. J. H. Spain, and Mr. and Mrs. G. Lowe and family; for Sydney, Mrs. Church, Mr. R. Uther, Mr. T. Ferris and two sons, and Mr. G. D. Browne
In about September 1835, George and Hanora moved their family to Sydney, selling their assets before leaving. Sydney must not have been what they expected as they returned to Hobart in November 1835, just a few weeks after they left.
A large public auction of all household items was held at the Lowe home, before they left Hobart. There were items such as tables, bedroom furniture, sofas, paintings, carpets, dishes, lamps, curtains, cutlery and other assorted pieces.
Death
Hanorah died on 15 November 1839, aged 43 years, in Hobart, Tasmania. She was buried in the St. Mary’s Roman Catholic churchyard in Harrington Street Hobart. This cemetery no longer exists. However, a memorial wall has been built in memory of those who were buried on the site.
Sources:
1. HANORA AHERN, Ireland Catholic Parish Registers, 1655-1915, Cork and Ross, St. Finbarrs, (South), Cork City. 1799-1802
2. HANORA AHERN, New South Wales, Australia, Convict Indents, 1788-1842., Bound Indentures, 1801-1814
Sydney. (1814, May 7). The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803 – 1842), p. 2. Retrieved December 1, 2020, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article628910
3. HOBART TOWN. (1819, February 20). The Hobart Town Gazette and Southern Reporter (Tas. : 1816 – 1821),
p. 2. Retrieved December 1, 2020, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article655759
4. Ship News. (1826, May 12). Colonial Times and Tasmanian Advertiser (Hobart, Tas. : 1825 – 1827), p. 2. Retrieved December 1, 2020, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2447733
5. (1835, August 18). Colonial Times (Hobart, Tas. : 1828 – 1857), p. 2. Retrieved December 1, 2020, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article8648446 https://www.findagrave.com