Margaret (O'Neill) Kelly (abt. 1811 - abt. 1873)

Wife of William Atkinson — married after 1850 in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

Descendants

Died about 14 Aug 1873 at about age 62 in Geelong Eastern Cemetery, East Geelong, Victoria, an Astráil [uncertain]

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Gavan Podbury [send private message]

Biography

Convict. On 24 July 1850 at the age of 39 Margaret was sentenced to 10 years transportation to Van Dieman's Land on Burglary & Robbery of 2 dresses in County Kilkenny . The ship did not leave Ireland until January 1851 and arrived in May 1851.

Margaret was accompanied to Tasmania by her 5 year old daughter Annie. Husband James Kelly was thought to be in a "Workhouse" and it is said she left 2 other children in Ireland. Accompanying them on the Ship (The BlackFriar) was Margaret's 23 year old daughter Catharine (correct spelling) who had been convicted of burglary

Margaret's maiden name (surname) at birth was O'Neill. She had 2 sisters and one brother (Ellen O'Neill, Betty O'Neill, Michael O'Neill). Her father was Owen O'Neill, and her mother Nancy

Although married to James Kelly , Margaret was said to have married another man on 21 May 1855 - transported convict William Atkinson. Atkinson had originally been transported on the John Calvin to Norfolk Island. Atkinson's conditional parole was approved on 26 Feb 1856.

Margaret was born in 1811 and her daughter Catharine was born in 1828 (in some quarters there is doubt about the 1811 birthyear...it is also recorded as 1805 . However Margaret is recorded as being 39 when transported in 1850 making the birthyear 1811.

Margaret was buried aged 62 on Aug 15, 1873 at the Geelong Eastern Cemetery in a paupers unmarked grave - the location is identified in the cemetery records as {Location: Unknown X, Grave X}.

The pauper graves occupy a large grassy expanse on the eastern side of the cemetery running parallel to Boundary Road East Geelong. No graves are built over the expanse. Margaret's daughter Annie Podbury is also in this cemetery along with her84 year old husband Frederick Robert Podbury (1828-1912) - the original Podbury immigrant from England.

Sources

• Unsourced family tree handed down to Gavan Podbury. (a)

Geelong Eastern Cemetery Records