Catherine Lahy **

   Cause of her death was Dysentery and debility of constitution from intemperance/ 3 weeks.

   Other names for Catherine were Cathrine, Katherine Lackey, Lahey, Katherine Lahy and Catherine Leahy.

  General Notes:

Catherine was tried in Waterford City in July 1832, convicted of receiving, and sentenced to 7 years transportation. She arrived in Sydney in 1833 as a convict aboard the Surrey on 9 Mar 1833, having departed Cork on 5 Nov 1832. After the journey of 124 days the contingent of 141 female convicts (1 had presumably died on the way since 142 left Cork) disembarked in Sydney.

From the Indents to Convict Ships, Female Convicts (Reel 907 p217, p223) her name is spelled LAHY, she could not read or write, her age was 20 (which would put her birth year at ca.1813), she was Roman Catholic and her offence was listed as "receiving". There is a "Remarks" notation referring to "First Cousin Robert LAHY about 2 years ago". Robert LAHY arrived as a convict on the Norfolk in 1832 and received his Certificate of Freedom 13 Aug 1839 (see separate entry). He ended up being convicted again of Bushranging and was sentenced to Life. He was sent to Norfolk Island and then Tasmania where he is believed to have died. Refer to his entry for details.

Catherine received her Ticket of Leave No 37/1332 was issued in 1837. On it she was allowed to remain in the District of Bathurst. She received her Certificate of Freedom on 10 September 1839 in Bathurst. Her Trade or Calling was listed as Housemaid. Her year of birth was listed as 1813. She was described as 5 feet 1 inch tall, fair & freckled complexion with brown hair and brown eyes. She was described as "sickly looking".

Her parents were listed as "Unknown Lahy Farmer & Unknown" on her Death Certificate.

According to Catherine's Death Certificate she was 20 when she married which would have put the date at 1837. This may have been a smokescreen to disguise the fact that the children were all apparently born out of wedlock.

All of the children who had been born in Bathurst (Sarah, Thomas & James) were Christened on the same day as the marriage suggesting, perhaps, that a lack of a proof of marriage had prevented this previously?

  Noted events in her life were:

• She worked as a Housemaid according to her Certificate of Freedom 1 Spe 1839.

Catherine married John Anstiss **, son of William Anstiss ** and Sarah Peirson **, on 19 Jul 1852 in Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia. (John Anstiss ** was born circa 1810 in Islington, , Middlesex, England, died on 28 Jul 1900 in 84 Church St, Balmain, , New South Wales, Australia and was buried on 30 Jul 1900 in Section 4, Plot 3314, CofE Cemetery, Rookwood Cemetery, New South Wales, Australia.). The cause of his death was Chronic bronchitis, senile decay/ some years.

  Marriage Notes:

It was a C of E Ceremony. Witnesses were Samuel Jones & Sarah Jones both of Bathurst.