My name is Heather Gillespie nee Yates and my gggrandmother was Catharine
Shea (O'Shea)from Co. Tipperary. She was born in 1833, I think in Tipperary
town and at the age of 19 was transported to Hobart Town in Tasmania for
the crime of Larceny- stealing books. Her sentence was for 7 years and she
was bonded to work as a dressmaker.She sailed on the Midlothian arriving on
24th Feb 1853. She married my gggrandfather John Yates (also a convict)
from Staffordshire on 3rd Dec 1855 and they had 9 children(2 born in
Tasmania) the rest in Newtown, Sydney,Australia.
I think her father's name was Nicholas, mother Catherine and sister
Bridget.
