Caroline JOHNSON [1306]

   Other names for Caroline were Catherine JOHNSON and Catherine JOHNSTON.

  General Notes:

Irish Famine Orphan Immigration

The "Earl Grey" Scheme was implemented to select female orphans from the workhouses of Great Britain and Ireland and to bring them to the colonies. The majority of the orphans were victims of the Great Famine in Ireland and were young women aged between 12 and 20 years old. The definition of "orphan" was that the girls had lost one or both parents. On arrival in Australia, the girls were under the jurisdiction of various government officials and Orphans' Committees and were indentured to employers for a specified term and wage. There was considerable opposition in Australia to the scheme due to factors such as anti-Catholic, anti-Irish prejudice, lack of education and lack of training in domestic areas. In consequence, the scheme was abolished in 1850 but the contribution of these young women to Victoria's growth was immeasurable.

The person mentioned below may be our Caroline, who was sometimes referred to as Catherine or Caroline Johnson, and sometimes Johnston in official documents. Caroline/Catherine seems to have consistently stated that she was from County Tyrone, Ireland, however a specific town has so far not been discovered on any official documentation. Cookstown Co Tyrone is looking like a distinct possibility.

Irish Famine Memorial Website http://www.irishfaminememorial.org/en/
http://www.irishfaminememorial.org/orphans/database/
Surname : Johnston
First Name : Catherine
Age on arrival : 16
Native Place : Cooke Town, Derry [on shipping]
Parents : Not recorded
Religion : Roman Catholic
Ship name : Diadem (Melbourne Jan 1850)
Other : possibly in Tyrone, Cookstown PLU but is noted on ship from Londonderry, Cook Town; shipping: house servant, reads & writes; Noted from Cookstown, Tyrone [sic] when empl. by Patrick Ryan, Melbourne, £6, 1 year, apprentice.

http://wiki.prov.vic.gov.au/index.php/Catherine_Johnston
.Irish Famine Orphans and their Supervisors who arrived in Victoria on the "Diadem"
Catherine Johnston is associated with ' located at these coordinates 53.41291, -8.243889999999965
Date of Birth: 1834
User Tags: irish famine orphan, diadem, earl grey scheme
Biography: Catherine Johnston was one of the Irish Famine Orphans on the Diadem. She had never been in Service prior to leaving her native place; she was Roman Catholic; . (Nominal Passenger List - VPRS 14/P0000/000)
Catherine was received into the Immigration Depot on 12th January 1850 and left there on 18th January. She was engaged as an Apprentice by Patrick Ryan of Melbourne for 1 year at £6 per annum. (Disposal List - VPRS 14/P0000/0006)

The Kyneton Observer (Vic. : 1856 - 1900) Thu 12 Nov 1891 Page 2 Advertising
Kyneton District Hospital
WHISKY IMPOUNDED,
Caroline Slater, a recent patient in the hospital, wrote complaining that Dr. Smith, resident Surgeon, had refused to allow her brandy, though Dr. Ryan had consented to her daughter bringing her some into the hospital. Her daughter brought her some whisky, which the matron impounded, at the same time ordering her to leave the hospital, which she did. Mrs. Slater asked that the whisky should be returned to her.

The House Committee recommended that the whisky be confiscated, and the matron's action be approved, but as it appeared that there had been some misapprehension, the letter was referred back to the House Committee for further enquiry and answer.


The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954) Sat 24 Sep 1904 Page 19 Advertising
RO B U R TEA.
In each package we place a ticket, which guarantees the contents to be Pure Tea, and full weight of the leaf. By collecting these Guarantee Tickets until you have a great number of them, and then sending them in to our Monthly Competition, you may secure £10, or some smaller amount, for your trouble. See fuller particulars on back of Guarantee Ticket.
Below are the names of those who were successful In the August Competition, 1901:-
5/ REWARD.
....................... Mrs. Slater. Langley. .........................

Caroline married John Benjamin SLATER [1307] [MRIN: 403], son of Thomas SLATER [1325] and Sarah SHANNON [1324], on 24 May 1852 in Melbourne, VIC, Australia ²²⁵⁶.^,2257 (John Benjamin SLATER [1307] was born about 1830 in Manchester, Lancashire, England, christened on 4 Aug 1830 in Manchester, Lancashire, England,²²⁶⁰ died on 23 Oct 1907 in Black Hill, Vic, Australia ^2261,2262 and was buried on 25 Oct 1907 in Kyneton, Vic, Australia.)