Eulogy 20 - Catherine Nairn (Wayman) (1803-1893)

 

UNDER 5ft, FACE POCK-MARKED BY SMALLPOX, ILLITERATE, AND TRANSPORTED 

(Eulogy written and published on Facebook on 31st August 2019 for
Catherine Nairn (m. Wayman) (1803-1893) –
a paternal 4th Great Aunt of Warren Maloney)

 

Catherine Nairn (1803-1893) had little chance. At 35, without work, living in a cold Crofter's hut with her sick sister and 13 yrs old niece, Margaret, without food in a Scottish February - stealing the sheep to eat & sell seemed the only way.


Catherine & Margaret were easily arrested within days, jailed, hulked, and transported to Hobart Town to be at best "convict wives".


Catherine lied about her age, found a decent convict, John Wayman, and began again. 


Three kids in Hobart, then the quest to find gold in Victoria, up Daylesford way - unsuccessful, but cut timber, tried dairy cows and sheep, and growing spuds, and stayed for 40 years on a dry block they called "Welcome Paddock". 


Each life has 100+ stories. Catherine had more than one life.


She and John now lie forever at Franklinford Cemetery, and her descendants write about her.



 

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