U: Undeniably Tragic Deaths AtoZ Challenge
Earl Grey 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 My Theme For 2025
My theme for 2025 is The Earl Grey Orphan Scheme which saw young destitute girls of about 15-16 years old sent to Australia between 1848 and 1850 to start their lives over. I became interested in this scheme when my research showed that my great great grandmother was an Earl Grey Orphan. I am not at all an expert on this topic. The posts in my A to Z Challenge come from information that I have come across over many years of research and reading.
While many of the girls of The Earl Grey Scheme, had successful lives in Australia, there were others who weren’t so fortunate. In researching this topic, I have read many tragic stories. The following story, in my opinion, is the most tragic that I have come across.
An Undeniably Tragic Story of an Earl Grey Girl 1
Catherine Toland (or Tolland) arrived at Australia in 1848 on the ship, Lady Kennaway.2 Catherine was from Hamilton Donegal, and travelled to Australia with her sister. This ship also brought my 2x great grandmother, also from Donegal, so I couldn’t help wondering if their paths crossed, and how different the stories of their lives in Australia were to be.
I can imagine that Catherine had high hopes for her new life in Australia, and never could have imagined the tragic turn her life would take in the new country, where she was hoping for a new start.
In 1850, Catherine married Michael Murphy, a shepherd at St. Francis Catholic Church, Melbourne. She went on to give birth to eleven children, with only three who would survive to be adults.
I am the mother of a child who died, and I don’t need to say how heartbreaking that is. I can’t imagine what it must have been like for Catherine to lose eight of her children. Four of those children died in one incident, which I’m sure would have been unbearable. Catherine must have been very resilient to go on from that.
Early on the morning of 9 February 1863, Catherine left the family's slab hut with her husband and four children still asleep in bed, When Michael left shortly after, the children - John, William, Elizabeth and Michael James - were all still in bed. At approximately 8:00 am, smoke was noticed in the direction of the Murphy's hut and the landowner, James McDonald, was informed. On arrival, Mr. McDonald found the hut ablaze and partially collapsed, and was unable to locate the children.
He went to where Michael Murphy was minding sheep, and on return to the hut, found that the fire had died down and they were able to retrieve the bodies of the four children - still in their beds.
The children who died in the fire were:
John, aged 9 years
William, aged 6 years
Elizabeth, aged 4 years
Michael, aged 2 years
The above information was found in the Witness Depositions for the Coroner's Inquest into the deaths of the young children. The inquest is heartbreaking and difficult to read.
The Inquest3
The Coroner’s Inquest was held at Gledfield Station, Victoria on 9th February 1863 before James Grant Taylor, Coroner, District of Ararat, Victoria.
Inquest Reported in the Newspaper
Please note: I feel I must give a warning before reading this newspaper report, that I found it very distressing to read. So, you decide if you want to read the details.
from: The Ararat and Mount Pleasant Creek Advertiser and Chronicle for the District of the Wimmera (Vic: 1861-1884), Friday 13 Feb 1863, Page 24
FOUR CHILDREN BURNED TO DEATH
An inquest was held on Monday last, by the Coroner, J.G. Taylor, Esq., on the causes of the distressing accident which happened to the four children of Michael Murphy, a shepherd residing at Gledefield Station, some of the particulars which were recorded in our last issue.
We understand, that the utter prostration and distress of Michael and Catherine Murphy was harrowing in the extreme, and it was not without some difficulty, the questions necessary to the inquest could be steadily asked by the Coroner. Indeed everyone present seemed greatly affected at the intense grief displayed, by the parents of the unfortunate children.
James McDonald, examined said:
I reside at Gledfield station; this morning about half past eight o’clock, I was told that smoke was seen in the direction of Murphy’s hut. I went there immediately on horseback, and found on arriving that the hut was burning, and had nearly all fallen in. I could see nothing of the children, and thought that they had to to their father on the run.
I went in search of him and found him about a mile from his own place; the hut was not visible from where I found him; I whistled to him and he got up from a tree. I asked if he had seen anything of the children; he said he had not. I then told him that the hut was burned, and that his wife was at the home station, and that I could see nothing of his children about the place; he said perhaps they are burnt with the hut. I replied perhaps they have gone to the home station by a different road to the one I took in coming here. During this conversation, we were running in the direction of the hut. I then left him and went to Austin’s hut, thinking the children might have gone there, but they had not been seen at Austins.
I then went back to Murphy’s, and found Murphy about 600 yards from the hut, coming towards it; I went close up to the place and found that the fire had gone down, and I saw what I fancied to be the remains of the children. I signed to Murphy, who was by this time, close to the hut, and tried to persuade him to go to the home station, that he might not see the remains, but he came up to the hut and said “there are my children”, Murphy and I then got the remains out with sticks and put them into a bag; Murphy carried them a short distance (about 400 yards) then he took the mare and rode in to the home station.
I stayed with the remains till a spring cart arrived, and I put them into the cart, and they were brought to the home station. I found the remains all together on the spot, where it is said the bed stood.
By the Coroner: I could observe the smoke of the hut before leaving the station, but the hut I could not see till within three quarters of a mile of it. I found the heads of two of the deceased together, and one lower down, and another at a short distance away.
Catherine Murphy, the mother of the deceased, said:
I am the wife of Michael Murphy, who is a shepherd in the employment of Mr. Hugh McDonald. I left our hut about half past six in the morning; it is about three miles from the home station.
I had two of the children sleeping with me; three generally slept in one bed and on in another. I awoke my eldest boy, John, and told him to dress the little girl; he said he was very sleepy and I did not like to take him up, so I left them; previous to going away I put one log of wood on the fire, and left the kettle with the tea near the fire for the children. I put one match on the table in the middle of some pins.
When I left the fire was not bright, and the log I put on was damp. I pulled the door to when I left, but did not fasten it. The two beds were close to each other. When my husband hot up he put one of the children in his place. There was no one near the place when I left. My husband never left matches about. He was very careful.
Witness was recalled and said:
My eldest child was called John, he was nine years of age on the 12th of September last; the second was called William, he was six years of age the 28th October. Elizabeth was my third child, she was four years of age on the 29th of November last; the youngest, Michael James was two years old on the 12th of January last.
Ewan Cameron, a bullock driver on the station said:
This morning, I was out bringing in some horses; about eight o’clock I saw smoke in the direction of Murphy’s hut, and came home and told Mr. McDonald immediately; there was not much smoke, the hut was built of slabs.
Dr. Willy deposed as follows:
I examined the remains produced here today, and find they consist of the principal portions of the remains of four children, but almost quite destroyed by the action of fire. I can only judge from appearance that the fire must have been amazingly fierce to have destroyed them whilst in a state of insensibility. from the position of a portion of the bones, which I found, it is my opinion that they were burned in their beds.
The following verdict was returned:
The four children were burnt to death by the conflagration of the hut in which they slept, but how the fire originated there is no evidence to show, and no blame can be attached to any person.
*Please note: Punctuation and paragraphs have been added to the above transcription for ease and speed of reading
Death of Catherine Murphy
At the time of her death in 1899, Catherine was still a widow. She left her estate, which included a town allotment in Kerang to her sole surviving child, Sarah Ellen Gleeson.5
Public Records Office Victoria Tragedy of Ross Bridge, Irish Famine Orphan. Records Office Victoria,
Public Records Office Victoria, Lady Kennaway Passenger List, 1848
1863 'INQUEST.', The Ararat and Mount Pleasant Creek Advertiser and Chronicle for the District of the Wimmera (Vic. : 1861 - 1884), 13 February, p. 2. , viewed 15 Mar 2025, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article280061878
This is one of those stories you don't exactly "Like," but recognize that it's been told remarkably well. You handled the subject with tact and care. I suspect the parents never recovered from such a terrible loss.
Tragic. I can’t imagine losing four children at once.