Mary Ann McMaster was born about 1836 in Belfast, daughter of Joseph McMaster who was born in Scotland. Mother is unknown. Her address in 1850 was given as 16 Rich Hill, Kitchell?, Armagh. She may have been at the work house and it is assumed that both her parents were deceased.
She left on the Diadem as an Irish famine orphan, arriving in Melbourne in Australia on 10 Jan 1850. She married in Tasmania and went on to have 11 children, so there are a lot of descendants who would like to know more about her origins!
Wednesday 15th May 2013, 11:32AM
Message Board Replies
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Hi again Dianne,
Thanks for your message.
I cannot find a reference to the place name Kitchell anywhere. Rich Hill however is a town in the civil parish of Kilmore in Armagh:
http://www.logainm.ie/Viewer.aspx?text=rich+hill&streets=yes
As civil registration did not begin until 1864, you will have to look at church records for information. Most Catholic records are held locally so you may need to write to the local parish priest for possible assistance. One website that you may find useful is the Irish Times where they give an overview of what records are available in specific parishes. It also shows you where copies of the records are available. For Kilmore parish, follow this link:
Most surviving Church of Ireland records are still held by the local clergy, although some are in the National Archives of Ireland and others are in the Representative Church Body Library in Dublin. Here are their websites: http://www.nationalarchives.ie/ and http://ireland.anglican.org/about/42
Lists of these surviving registers can also be found at the National Library of Ireland.
It may be an idea to contact Armagh Ancestry to see if they can be of any assistance, however a fee may apply. Here is their emil: researcher@armagh.gov.uk
In the meantime here are some other websites that you may find useful:
The National Archives of Ireland http://www.nationalarchives.ie/genealogy1/genealogy-records/introduction/
The National Library of Ireland http://www.nli.ie/en/family-history-introduction.aspx
The National Archives UK ? genealogy search: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/looking-for-person/
The Public Records Office of Northern Ireland http://www.proni.gov.uk/index/family_history.htm
Family Search: www.familysearch.org
Genealogy links: http://www.genealogylinks.net/uk/ireland/armagh/index.html
Workhouse: http://www.workhouses.org.uk/Armagh/
Kind regards,
Genealogy Support
Tuesday 18th Jun 2013, 08:44AM