Catharine was born in Cork, Ireland in 1777. We know little of her life until she was arrested at the age of 16 for rebellion. In December 1793, at the Thosel, Dublin she was sentenced to 7 years transportation. She was now a 'political convict'.
After about eighteen months in prison, on 9 Aug 1795, Catherine began the 186 day journey from Cobh, Cork, on "Marquis Cornwallis".
From a writer of the day, this group of 152 males and 70 females, aged from 12 to 65, was described as "...refuse and sweepings of the Irish jails....perhaps as desperate set of villains as were ever sent from that or any other country".
The sentiments of the ship's Master, Michael Hogan did not hold much hope for the trip "…….the worst of all human beings, Irish convicts".
It was surely an eventful passage. There was an attempted mutiny on board amongst the Irish convicts. Most of the convicts were members of the secret society of dissatisfied tenants who banded together to 'defend' themselves from the ravages of their landlords. They were known as the "Defenders". We can fairly assume that Catharine was one too. Hence her charge of rebellion!
Twenty of the female convicts were flogged for planning to poison the crew. Fortunately Catharine was not amongst that list. Maybe she wasn't involved; maybe she was more favoured by Captain Hogan or others; maybe she was too 'delicate'.
On 11 February 1796, 152 males and 70 females arrived Port Jackson and were placed in Government service. Eleven men had died; seven after the uprising
.Six months after the ship arrived in Sydney, Catherine gave birth to a son William, on the 14th August 1796. He was baptised at St Philip's Church, Sydney on the 21st August 1796. Taking into consideration the date of the birth and the length of the voyage from Ireland, the baby would have been conceived during the voyage.
It is hard to imagine what life was like on board for this sixteen year old girl. The men outnumbered the women by more than two to one. Probably she had to contend with seasickness and topped off with morning sickness. If she was a 'Defender' she would have been arrested for fighting for the rights of her family. Thus she must have loved her family dearly and would have been missing them dreadfully.
The baby's father is recorded as William FLINT. William FLINT is not list as a convict on the ship, so unless he was a crewmember, or perhaps a passenger, it appears that FLINT was a fictitious surname. If the latter is the case, then perhaps the pregnancy was a reflection of the 'rebelry' and the conspiracy on board.
By the end of that year, things were looking better. On the 4th of December, 1796 Catherine NEIL married William SHAW at St Philip's Church, Sydney. Both signed the register with "X" their mark. (One record NSWBDM shows her name as Katherine, the other Catharine) The minister was Reverend Richard Johnson. The millwright John Davis was the witness.
Catherine's husband, William SHAW had arrived as a government servant with the Third Fleet on "Atlantic" in 1791. He had been arrested for "feloniously and burglariously breaking and entering the dwelling house" at Brentwood. The trial took place at the Old Bailey and he was convicted of burglary despite not being able to be identified in court. He was a sawyer by trade.
William FLINT junior then took the name of William SHAW, after Catherine's husband.
On New Year's Day 1799, (no doubt after a great New Year's Eve party for the last year of the century!), their daughter Catherine was born at their residence, Soldiers Back Row, The Rocks. Dawes Point, Sydney Cove. It is a pity that there were no fireworks. They would have had the best view! But then the Bridge wasn't there either. (At her Baptism both mother and child are recorded as Catharine).
Even as a young married mother of two Catharine was not tamed. On 13 April 1799, at Dawes Point, Thomas Laycock lodged a complaint against Catherine ".. for decoying away his servants from their duty and being an idle disorderly character and a person of notorious evil name and conversation. Ordered to be passed to Toongabbie and not suffered to return under any pretence whatever on her part under pain of the more severe sentence of having her head shaved and wearing an iron collar." ("A Desperate Set of Villains").
She may have had a trip to Toongabbie (with four months old, baby Catherine in tow) to cool off, but she was back at Dawes Point in 1800.
By 1806 they had had enough of 'city' life. Maybe William wanted to get his wife away from the 'bad influences'. He rented 4 acres of land from Jonas Archer at Rickaby's Creek, Windsor for 2 pounds per year. Finally, the family four were off stores with wheat and 4 hogs and some grain in hand.
Marsden's Muster of 1806 showed Catherine free by servitude, married in NSW, 2 children 1 male, 1 female legitimate.
In the "Sydney Gazette" of April 1806 one finds a notice placed by William cautioning that he 'would not be responsible for any credit given to his wife Catherine Shaw'.All is quiet for the next few years then on 6 June 1813 she died Windsor at age of 36 years. (Name recorded as Catharine).
On the 8th June 1813, Catharine was buried in St. Matthew's Anglican Church yard. She is Number 88 in St Matthew's Burial Register.
Catharine's name is written in the Hawkesbury Bi-centennial Book and William SHAW's name is recorded on the Pioneers' Memorial in Thompson's Square.
Was she Catharine or Catherine, NEAL or NEIL? Whom ever. What is important is that she was my truly great, great, great, great, great Grandmother.