Winifred Warde was born in 1832/5 in Ennis, to Brigid and James Ward. She sailed to Australia in 1853, aged 20, and arrived in Fremantle in 1853. She met Michael John Brownrigg in Perth and they were married on July 7, 1855. Michael was a convict, who had arrived on the Phoebe Dunbar in Perth on August 30, 1853. The Phoebe Dunbar was a convict transport that sailed from Kingstown (now Dun Laoghaire), Dublin Ireland arriving in Fremantle in 1853 with 285 male prisoners. There was a great deal of sickness - fever, cholera and scurvy. Michael from Dublin was among a handful of prisoners mentioned for there good conduct on board ship. Disease was due to the condition of the prisoners prior to embarkation.
Michael had been granted a Ticket of Leave in 1854, nine months after arriving in the colony and, in 1856, was granted a further Ticket of Leave. He was assigned to the services of M. Drummond of Toodyay (the son of James Drummond, who was resident botanist for the new colony). In Toodyay, they had two sons, who tragically died in the first year of measles. In 1859, Michael Brownrigg became a free man, when his Ticket of Leave expired.
In 1865 Maria Quinlan wife of Michael Quinlan died giving birth to twins. Irene Coffey nee Thomas stated that her grandmother Winifred Brownrigg helped care for these twins for awhile. Interestingly, the Battye Library index states that Michael Quinlan arrived in 1863 also on Winifred's ship The Palestine ten years after Winifred with wife and family and married Maria in UK who died in 1865 in childbirth Toodyay. He was included in the official party that went to Camden Harbour in the Kimberley region of Western Australia settlement in 1865. He drowned there. The two elder children were reared by J.T. Reilly.
Winifred and Michael went on to have four children survive into adulthood – Ellen Mary, Catherine, Elizabeth and Winifred Mary. After working for some time in Toodyay, the family moved to Greenough, just south of Geraldton, to work at Clinch’s Mill and, later, at Maley’s Mill in 1885.
The Battye Library index: WARDE, Winifred, dtr. of James & Brigid, married Michael Brownrigg. BROWNRIGG, Michael, b. 1831, died 14.10.1886 (Geraldton), son of John & Ellen (Dublin), arr. 31. 8.1853 per Phoebe Dunbar, m. 7.7.1855 (Perth) Winifred WARDE b. 1835 (Ireland) d. 13.9. 1893 (Geraldton), daughter of James and Brigid. Children John b. 1856. Patrick d. 1857, Ellen Mary b. 1858 (Toodyay), Catherine b. 1860 (Toodyay) d. 1933. Elizabeth b. 1861 (Toodyay), son d. 1865. son d. 1867. Winifred b. 1868 (Toodyay) d. 1946. (First 4 b. at Toodyay). Michael was a Fitter & turner. Miller at Drummond’s Toodyay in 1850s & 1860s. Champion Bay 1870s. Employed 23 T/L men at Toodyay 1866- 1869 & 1 T/L man at Champion Bay 1872. Lit. Roman Catholic.
Michael died of cirrhosis of the liver, aged 55 years, on October 13, 1886; Winifred lived for another six years. She lived with her youngest daughter, Winifred, at nearby Moonyoonooka near Geraldton, where she died from pneumonia on September 13, 1893, aged 61 years. She was buried in the cemetery at Urch Road, Geraldton.
Burial event in September 1893 at Urch Road, Geraldton Western Australia when she was aged 61 years old. At the time she was residing at Moonyoonooka. The Burial Register for St. Francis Xavier gave the last known address of Winifred as Minninooka, Eastern Road, Geraldton. This is one of the pastoral stations, beyond Moonyoonooka and is about 30 km from Geraldton. Both names sound similar so would be heard and written down by the transcriber of the details. The Urch Road Cemetery is now the APEX Pioneer Memorial Park is a Federal and State project which commemorates the bicentenary of Australia in 1988. The park was the site of the cemetery attached to St. Xavier's Church and known as the Urch Street cemetery. The headstones still in the park are reminders of the early pioneers in the region.
Link to Clare Champion on the story of Co Clare young women who travelled on the Palestine: CLICK HERE
Link: Winifred's Daughter Winifred Brownrigg / Thomas (Carnamah Historical Society): CLICK HERE
Michael had been granted a Ticket of Leave in 1854, nine months after arriving in the colony and, in 1856, was granted a further Ticket of Leave. He was assigned to the services of M. Drummond of Toodyay (the son of James Drummond, who was resident botanist for the new colony). In Toodyay, they had two sons, who tragically died in the first year of measles. In 1859, Michael Brownrigg became a free man, when his Ticket of Leave expired.
In 1865 Maria Quinlan wife of Michael Quinlan died giving birth to twins. Irene Coffey nee Thomas stated that her grandmother Winifred Brownrigg helped care for these twins for awhile. Interestingly, the Battye Library index states that Michael Quinlan arrived in 1863 also on Winifred's ship The Palestine ten years after Winifred with wife and family and married Maria in UK who died in 1865 in childbirth Toodyay. He was included in the official party that went to Camden Harbour in the Kimberley region of Western Australia settlement in 1865. He drowned there. The two elder children were reared by J.T. Reilly.
Winifred and Michael went on to have four children survive into adulthood – Ellen Mary, Catherine, Elizabeth and Winifred Mary. After working for some time in Toodyay, the family moved to Greenough, just south of Geraldton, to work at Clinch’s Mill and, later, at Maley’s Mill in 1885.
The Battye Library index: WARDE, Winifred, dtr. of James & Brigid, married Michael Brownrigg. BROWNRIGG, Michael, b. 1831, died 14.10.1886 (Geraldton), son of John & Ellen (Dublin), arr. 31. 8.1853 per Phoebe Dunbar, m. 7.7.1855 (Perth) Winifred WARDE b. 1835 (Ireland) d. 13.9. 1893 (Geraldton), daughter of James and Brigid. Children John b. 1856. Patrick d. 1857, Ellen Mary b. 1858 (Toodyay), Catherine b. 1860 (Toodyay) d. 1933. Elizabeth b. 1861 (Toodyay), son d. 1865. son d. 1867. Winifred b. 1868 (Toodyay) d. 1946. (First 4 b. at Toodyay). Michael was a Fitter & turner. Miller at Drummond’s Toodyay in 1850s & 1860s. Champion Bay 1870s. Employed 23 T/L men at Toodyay 1866- 1869 & 1 T/L man at Champion Bay 1872. Lit. Roman Catholic.
Michael died of cirrhosis of the liver, aged 55 years, on October 13, 1886; Winifred lived for another six years. She lived with her youngest daughter, Winifred, at nearby Moonyoonooka near Geraldton, where she died from pneumonia on September 13, 1893, aged 61 years. She was buried in the cemetery at Urch Road, Geraldton.
Burial event in September 1893 at Urch Road, Geraldton Western Australia when she was aged 61 years old. At the time she was residing at Moonyoonooka. The Burial Register for St. Francis Xavier gave the last known address of Winifred as Minninooka, Eastern Road, Geraldton. This is one of the pastoral stations, beyond Moonyoonooka and is about 30 km from Geraldton. Both names sound similar so would be heard and written down by the transcriber of the details. The Urch Road Cemetery is now the APEX Pioneer Memorial Park is a Federal and State project which commemorates the bicentenary of Australia in 1988. The park was the site of the cemetery attached to St. Xavier's Church and known as the Urch Street cemetery. The headstones still in the park are reminders of the early pioneers in the region.
Link to Clare Champion on the story of Co Clare young women who travelled on the Palestine: CLICK HERE
Link: Winifred's Daughter Winifred Brownrigg / Thomas (Carnamah Historical Society): CLICK HERE