Eliza McCready

At the very young age of twelve, Eliza McCready became an inmate at the Downpartrick Workhouse in County Down in Ireland. The workhouse which opened on 17 September 1842, was built to accommodate 1000 of County Down's poor.  Young Eliza entered the workhouse on 18 October 1842 and according to the workhouse records she was spent a long time in the infirmary as she was 'very delicate'.

In August 1845, at the age of fifteen, Eliza left the workhouse and worked as a servant. She was readmitted to the Workhouse, just a year later and the records show that she 'left' on 22 September 1847. Eliza left Dublin aboard the 'Athlone' on 27 May 1848 and arrived in Plymouth 2 days later. From there she boarded the 'Earl Grey' bound for Australia and a new life.

Eliza was one of 38 Irish women who were transferred to Moreton Bay aboard the 'Ann Mary'. The following extract by Leann Nolan, a descendant of Eliza who told Eliza's story in an online article titled Eliza McCready: A 'Belfast Girl' sent to Moreton Bay. 

Eliza was indentured to a man, ironically also named Douglas, (with one 's') at Goodna, near Ipswich, for six months. On 5 June 1849, at St John's in Brisbane, Eliza married ex-convict Robert Patterson Bannister. Bannister was from Brighthelstone (Brighton) in England. According to his convict records he was tried when he was nineteen years old at Sussex Assizes; his crime, a second offence, was stealing seven printed books valued at 2 shillings. His employment was noted as a cordwainer, a shoemaker who makes shoes from new leather, a funny coincidence: Eliza's first admission to the workhouse incorrectly listed this as her occupation.

Eliza was admitted to the Ipswich Hospital on 3 January 1862 suffering from lock-jaw 'brought on from an ulcerated foot'. She was treated by Dr. Rowlands and 5 days later she died in the hospital at the age of 32.