J: The Journey - AtoZ Challenge
Earl Grey Irish Orphan Scheme
The Blogging from A to Z April Challenge is an annual challenge put out to bloggers, to publish a post from A-Z, every day in April, except for Sundays. April 1 is A, April 2 is B……….and so on throughout the month. Participants can post on a chosen theme or publish random posts with no theme at all.
About Theme
My theme for 2025 is The Earl Grey Orphan Scheme. I became interested in the scheme when I realised that my great great grandmother was an Earl Grey Girl, and came Australia as part of the scheme. This scheme was a government sponsored program designed to give young, impoverished Irish girls a chance at a better life in Australia.
The journey from Ireland to Australia
Irish girls travelling to Australia under the Earl Grey scheme were taken to Plymouth England, where they boarded ships and set sail for the voyage of about 120 days at sea. Each ship carried a surgeon, school mistress and often a chaplain.
Girls were generally looked after, and considering the times, ships were fitted out well for the voyage. There were many rules that the girls were told must be obeyed. These rules were put in place for the cleanliness of the ship, and the tasks that needed to be done, and who was responsible for them. Sundays were observed as a religious day, and girls were required to meet onboard in clean clothing. Either the religious instructor or the surgeon was responsible for schooling the girls.
On arrival in Sydney the girls were housed at the Hyde Park Barracks, until it was established who they were to be indentured to. In Melbourne they were sent to the building that is now known as the Immigration Museum in Flinders Street.
Daily Rations
For this voyage, each girl was given daily rations of half a pound of meat, a quarter pound of flour, raisins, peas, rice, tea, sugar, butter and biscuits.
Clothing Supplied
Outfit For Each Young Girl
6 Shifts
6 Pairs of stockings - 2 worsted and 4 cotton
2 Pairs of shoes
2 Gowns - one of warm material (woollen plaid)
2 Short wrappers
2 Night wrappers
2 Flannel petticoats
2 Cotton petticoats
1 Stout worsted shawl and a cloak
2 Neck and 23 Pocket Handkerchiefs
2 Linen Collars
2 Aprons
1 Pair of stays
1 Pair of sheets
1 Pair of Mitts
1 Bonnet
Day and night caps
2 Towels
2lbs of soap
Combs and Brushes
Needles, thread, tape &c, and whatever other articles (such as a few yards of cotton and calico) the matron may know young females to require
Books: Bible and prayer book for Episcopalians, bible and psalm book for Presbyterians, bible (Douay) and prayer book for Roman Catholics.
One box for each emigrant - length 2 feet, width 14 inches, depth 14 inches - with lock and key; to be painted and the Emigrant's name painted on the front, and a catalogue of the contents pasted on the inside of the lid.
All the articles to be new, of good quality, and of various patterns.
The boxes should be strongly made, so as to bear a strong voyage; and the locks be secure; and besides being locked, the boxes should also be strongly corded.
Sea trunk of Margaret Hurley from Gort, Galway per Thomas Arbuthnot arrived Sydney February 1849, in Hyde Park Barracks Museum, Macquarie Street, Sydney. Owned by Rose Marie Perry, Hurley's great-granddaughter.
Leaving Ireland
EMIGRATION OF FEMALE ORPHANS
from: The Advocate, Wednesday 09 July 1851, Page 12 1
On Saturday last, our north wall quays presented the busy enlivening spectacle of the embarkation (on board the splendid steam ship, Foyle) of 120 female orphans, selected by Lieutenant Henry R.N. Government Emigration Officer, from the Poor Law Unions, of Corofin, Tulla, Kildysart, and Scariff, and who were furnished with a comfortable outfit of clothing &c.
Their appearance and demeanour generally reflected much credit on those under whose care and control they had thereto been.
Lieutenant Henry, F.N. together with Mr. Samuel Ellis (the Emigration Commissioner's Agent for the selection of immigrants), and assistants, rendered by their personal exertions, every facility in effecting the embarkation of this cleanly, healthy, and orderly party who were accompanied by a head matron, and three sub-matrons, under whose charge they are to be placed on board the Calcutta, the vessel appointed to convey them to Hobart Town, Van Dieman's Land, from Plymouth, at which port, the Foyle was to land them.
General Reading
McClauglan, Trevor. Barefoot and Pregnant? Irish Famine Orphans in Australia. Melbourne: Genealogical Society of Victoria, 1991
What amazing details you share about their supplied clothing and rations. It would seem these young Irish girls were reasonably well equipped for their journey.
It does seem they had a good supply of clothes if they got what was on the list.