Mary Mitchell - Who was Mary and who were her family?

What fashion did my Mary follow?

Image depicts fashions from the early 1880s

Only snippets of information are known about my Mary, my maternal 1 x great grandmother.

Known facts are:-

Mary, having travelled 'Free', departed on the Scottish Knight from London on 20 December, 1877 arriving on Thursday 9 April 1878 at Keppel Bay, Rockhampton in Queensland.  She was single, a servant and 19 years old.  It must have been exciting to spend Christmas on board the ship.

The newspaper article has been taken from Trove.nla.gov.au

Daily Northern Argus (Rockhampton, Qld. : 1875 - 1896), Friday 12 April 1878, page 2

Scottish Knight arrival at Keppel Bay

"The passengers were of reasonable condition and a highly respectable body of people who will be a great acquisition to this part of the colony". 

Scottish Knight 875 Ton Iron Barque built in 1876
nla.gov.au/nla.obj-137298128/view
Call-PIC/11436 LOC Drawer Store PIC/11436

She married James Nelson in Rockhampton in 1884 at age 27 and her parents were listed as William Mitchell and Bridget Mullen.  Her marriage certificate also states that she was born in Cahernakelly, Galway.  But, where was this place that she called Cahernakelly, Galway?

 

Marriage of James Nelson and Mary Mitchell at Mount Morgan in 1884 (last entry on image)

Not being able to find Cahernakelly, I put a message through on IrelandXO and I was lucky enough to be contacted by Kieran Jordan who lives in the same area and who has co edited a book called Kiltullagh - Killimordaly, as The Centuries Passed which has a lot of information on - CARNAKELLY a Townland in Galway, Ireland.  At last I had found the place Mary called home.

She had seven children with James Nelson all born in Mount Morgan in Queensland.

She died on 23 February 1929 at Jubilee Hill, Mount Morgan age 70 and her death certificate said she had been in Queensland for 50 years.  This helped me find her immigration record.

Marriage certificate of James Nelson and Mary Mitchell 1884

DNA was the next thing I had to analyse to find my Mary Mitchell cousins.  But where were they all hiding?  Looking into Ancestry, MyHeritage and FTdna, I was able to find three matches of around 27cMs each with minimal tree information.  I researched their trees and found that all three shared 2 x great grandparents, John McGrath b1873 and Bridget White b1879.  This was a clue to them matching me.  Both John and Bridget McGrath lived and died in Laragh More, a townland in Galway which is about 48 kilometers from Carnakelly and 32 kilometers from Kiltullagh which is near to where my Mitchell and Mullen families lived.  They appear on the 1911 Irish census with some of their children and John's mother, Mary McGrath age 70 a widow.

Looking into the genealogy of John McGrath b1873 it seems that his parents were Patrick McGrath and Mary Hession.  Mary McGrath nee Hession died on 20 January 1918 at Laragh More, Galway age 77.  John McGrath, son, was the witness.

I have been able to find a baptism for Mary Hession on 30 April, 1845 at Tuam, Lackagh, Galway to parents Martin Hession and Bridget Mullin; sponsors were William Cain and Libby Mullin.  Is this the link to my Mary?

There is a lot more work to be done regarding finding out who my Mary Mitchell really was, but at least I've made a start.