Woolaghan, Eliza (Woleghan, Woolahan, Oulaghan, Woolaghan, Willigan, Hoolahan, Wolaghan or Woolonghan)

1834 - 1874  (40 years)

• Name	Woolaghan, Eliza
  Suffix	(Woleghan, Woolahan, Oulaghan, Woolaghan, Willigan, Hoolahan, Wolaghan or Woolonghan)
  Born	1834	Strabane, County Tyrone, Ireland   [1, 2]
  	From her children's names it would seem likely that her parents were called Robert or James and Ellen. DNA results showing that descendants of Eliza and Mary-Anne are related in this time frame as if they were sisters or first cousins.
  Gender	Female
  Died	21 Jan 1874	Ballarat, Victoria   [3]
  	at Ballarat District Hospital after hospitalisation of 4 days for Cancer of uterus and Asthemia. Olive Tree Geneology describes asthemia as analogous to debility, which is: "Abnormal bodily weakness or feebleness; decay of strength. This was a term descriptive of a patient's condition and of no help in making a diagnosis." Cancer is described as: "A malignant and invasive growth or tumor. In the nineteenth century, cancerous tumors tended to ulcerate, grow constantly, and progresses to a fatal end and there was scarcely a tissue they would not invade." There were no known parents, and whilst it is noted that she was married, there were no details of the spouse or any offspring. She is noted as having lived in Victoria for 23 years and been born in Ireland. This is consistent with her arriving in 1851 at age 17, and marrying on 5 October 1852. The informant was Charles Burrows, Secretary, Hospital Ballarat. The death was registered by Sam Walker on 24 January 1874 at Ballarat. Ballarat Hospital Records show: Harris, Eliza. Age 40, Address Golden Lake, Married, Occupation Housewife, Religion Anglican Admitted 17 January 1874, Released 21 January 1874, Dead Born Ireland, 23 years in Colony Recommended by Golden Lake Gold Mining Company The Golden Lake GMC, at Golden Lake, was registered on 25.02.1863. During its life it produced 1099.1 kg of gold. It was originally registered as the Zuyder Zee GMC in 1862 but this was changed on 25.02.1863. Thomas & William HARRIS were shareholders in Golden Lake GMC.
  Buried	24 Jan 1874	Ballarat, Victoria   [4]
  	Eliza is buried in the new Ballarat cemetery. The burial took place on 25 January 1874 at Ballarat with the undertaker being John Lee. The witnesses were William Wilson and William Rathay, (who possibly were employees of the cemetery.) #0003 Eliza Harris, 40, 24 Jan 1874, Hosp Ballarat, No Occupation, Area: OGNK, Remarks: Remit OGNK means "Open Ground Not Known" meaning that the site of the grave is unknown and there is no headstone. "Remarks: Remit", is understood to mean that it was a pauper funeral.
  Person ID	I64	Woolaghan
  Last Modified	4 Oct 2022

  
  

  Father	WOOLAGHAN, Robert,   b. CA 1813, Urney, Co Tyrone, Ireland ,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Mother	[Unknown], Isabella ?,   b. CA 1813, Urney, Co Tyrone, Ireland ,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Family ID	F326	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Fairfax-Harris, John Richard,   b. 22 Mar 1824, Middlesex, London, England ,   d. 28 Feb 1885, Ballarat, Victoria  (Age 60 years)
  Married	5 Oct 1852	Melbourne, Victoria   [5]
  Children	1. Fairfax-Harris, Edmund,   b. 1870,   d. 1927  (Age 57 years)
  Family ID	F16	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  "Between October 1848 and August 1850 over 4,000 female orphans arrived in Australia from Irish workhouses as part of Earl Grey's pauper immigration scheme. Famine and poverty in Ireland had driven the yound women to the dreary walls of the workhouse. Earl Grey, the British Secretary of State for the Colonies in Lord John Russell's Whig Government, thought he could solve Australia's problems of a shortage of labour and an imbalance of the sexes by alleviating the overcrowding in Ireland's famine filled workhouses." T McClaughlin Further research is required on the following information: According to 'A Short History of First Castlederg Presbyterian Church' the Castlederg Workhouse was constructed in 1840. We should check if Eliza Woolaghan was housed here before being sent to Australia? Terry Eakins book 'Research in Ireland' says "Minute books of the Boards of Guardians, c.1840-1948 survive for most of the Poor Law Unions in most of Northern Ireland. The minute books occasionally list the names of the female orphan girls sent to Australia and the district electoral division from which they originated." PRONI has these records - Castlederg, Co Tyrone reference # BG/8. You have to search these records personally at PRONI in Belfast or have a researcher do the work. I've checked my microfiche of the Griffiths Valuation for Co Tyrone (1860) and the only Woolaghans were in Urney Parish (a few miles south of Strabane) near Castlederg. Kilcroagh Townland - William Woolaghan leased a house from William M'Cormick. Pullyernan Townland - Thomas and John Woolaghan leased houses, offices and land from Henry C. Lighton. Churches in Urney Parish - Church of Ireland at Castlederg have been filmed by PRONI (Film No. MIC.1/16) Baptisms 1807-87, marriages 1807-45 and burials 1839-81. Alt Presbyterian PRONI Film #MIC.1P/249 Marriages 1845-1955. 2nd Castlederg Presbyterian PRONI Film # MIC.1P/248 Baptisms 1880-1985, marriages 1861-1935. Unfortunately Presbyterian records are not a good as Church of Ireland. (Faye Logue)

  
  

• Sources

  [S11] Birth Certificate Edmund Harris (Reliability: 3). [S10] Victorian Register of Births, No 13930 of 1865 for James Harris (Reliability: 2). [S12] Victorian Register of Deaths, No 13990 (Reliability: 3). [S13] Ballarat District Cemeteries Consolidated Index, #0003 Eliza Harris (Reliability: 2). [S25] Victorian Register of Marriages (Reliability: 3).