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John CAREY and Catherine SWEENEY were married in Banagher Roman Catholic Church, Kings County (now County Offaly), Ireland, June 8, 1855, the witnesses being Denis Slattery and Elizabeth Carey. This information was searched by Mr. E.J. McAuliffe, Genealogical Researcher of 14 Beechwood Road, Dublin 6 at a total cost of $76.01 plus cost of sundry correspondence before and after researching commenced - say $6. Any prior family information could only be ascertained, if it was available, by searching Catholic cemeteries and registers in Banagher.

In the South Australian Archives - Red Reference Book: 313 Index A-K John and Catherine Carey's reference 56/2 refers Blue Year Book 1856/2, Frame 1 shipping list which shows they arrived at Port Adelaide on the ship "N1MROUD" from Southhampton 1/1/1856, John was aged 38 years and Catherine 28 years and that they came from Kings County Ireland. John's age at 38 years is confirmed by his death certificate, it being deduced he was born in 1817 or 1818. Also there is reference in a family bible to being born in 1817. Catherine's age at 28 indicates she was born in 1827. This is substantiated by Little Sisters of the Poor Home at GLen Osmond (now Myrtle Bank) ph. 796899 where Sister Anne Marie was contacted 5/11/1981 and on looking up records four Mrs. (K)atherine Carey of Mount Barker was admitted to the home 15/11/1919 91/92 years of age when she died. The family bible indicates born 1825. The Death Certificate which indicates she was 83 years when she died 1/12/1919 can only be deduced as being incorrect. The Death Certificate indicates that both John Carey and Catherine Sweeney were born in Kings County, probably at or near Banagher in 1817/18 and 1827/28 respectively.

In the South Australian "Register" Wed. Jan 2 1856 the Ship "NIMROU0" - 925 tons H. Tilman Master from London September 18th. 1855 arrived in Adelaide yesterday with Government emigrants: including married couple John and Catherine Carey. Family hearsay indicates when they arrived at Port Adelaide it was a barren place with goats.

Their first child Edward was born 18/4/1856 at Mount Barker 3 months and 18 days after their arrival in South Australia, indicating Catherine would have been 2 months pregnant when the ship "Nimroud' left London, September 18th 1855 and probably Southhampton a few days later. Mount Barker and district (Little Hampton and Little Totness 'Totness') remained their home for the remainder of their lives.

Edward died at Mount Barker 15/3/1857 - 11 months. Other children born while living at Mount Barker were Mary 26/2/1858, who later was a witness to her younger sister Margaret's marriage to George Wilson 31/3/1883, and married Mr. 0'Callaghan and had two children Andrew (who never married) and Norah who became Mrs. Jack ~ Gregg - Mary apparently never left the Mount Barker area and died there 27/5/1939 aged=D 81; and John (Jack) 8/4/1860 who married Annie Clancy (the Clancys came from Little Totness) and died 6/4/1936 aged 76.

Between 8/4/1860 and 10/7/1861 when Elizabeth was born they moved to Little Hampton. ~ Elizabeth died in 1881 aged 20. Margaret was born at Little Hampton 28/12/I863, married George Wilson 31/3/1883 when aged 19 and lived at Hay Valley in a cottage believed to be owned by Charles (Potty) Jacobs, a witness at her marriage, where she had 8 children. She died at her daughter's - Mrs. Margaret (Maggie) Matz's home No. 11, 18th St, Gawler West 30/12/1936 aged 73 and was buried in ~ the Willaston cemetery.

Michael (Mick) was born 6/8/1865 at Little Hampton and it is believed went to Western Australia and died at the age of 33\ probably in 1899. ~ James (?Pat) was born at Little Hampton 28/10/1867 and it is believed went to Western Australia.

The last three children were born at Little Totness - Catherine (big Auntie Kate) 21/4/1869 who married Thomas Andrew Gregg, had an adopted child Grace (nee McMartha) and died at 75 years of age near 1944 at ? Quorn; Peter born 29/6/1872 married Miss Mangelsdorf of Woodside and had two children Roma Dove and Doreen (Dodd) - he died 12/3/1961 aged 91-and was buried at Woodside. He was ~ of stocky short stature and was known to be a butcher at Mount Barker and Woodside; Timothy born 12/7/1874 died at Mount Barker 24/10/1903 aged 29.

The Mount Barker Inquest Book (Archives Ref. G.R.G. 5/170/5) indicated an Inquest was held at Graus Inn, Mt. Barker 26/12/1891 and witnesses at the ~ hearing were Caterine Carey (wife), Charles Jacobs (George and Margaret Wilson nee Carey lived with their young family in Charles Jacob's cottage at Hay Valley), George Wilson, Mary Howell, Leonard Bickle Frederick Johns and Frank Wright. The report states: - Photo copy from inquest book in? Folder John Carey died at Little Totness (Totness) 26/12/1891 aged 73 after being thrown from a horse about 10 hours before, having received injuries to the skull, ribs and collar bone and never regained consciousness. He was returning home t-o Little Totness (Totness) from Little Hampton about 7.00 pm 25/12/1891 on horseback. Frederick Johns, G.F. Wright and George Edwards were cantering on horseback behind. Edwards passed and when Frederick Johns was passing their horses collided owing to unevenness of the ground and both men were thrown violently to the ground. It is believed the accident happened on the steep narrow section of what is now Cleggett Road (previously Totness Road and maybe Little Totness Road). Arthur Crompton, son of Wilfred Crompton, remembers his great uncle telling him the "Little Totney" people always did their shopping in Little Hampton and used to cut across farming land to the top of Totness Road and then down into Little Hampton - they never went the other way via the Adelaide Road.

In the same Inquest Book an inquest held in Grays Inn, Mount Barker, found that William Furst (5 years) a boy boarded out from the Destitute Department to John Carey of Little Totness was accidentally drowned - witnesses John Carey, Catherine Carey and Mrs. Mary Callaghan (nee Carey). Catherine cared for other children from the Destitute Department, including a boy named Evans and Bruce Nester around 1908/1910. Bruce Nester, now aged 81, who lives with his son-in-law at Renmark said he remembered Mrs. Carey as a nice old lady, shortish and plump - "got around slow" (she would have been about 81 then) and she was paid 2/6d. per week for looking after the boys and also he remembers two houses on the same property.

On 16/11/1892 about a year after John Carey's death, Catherine purchased C.T. 386/115 being part lots 10, 11 and 12 containing 37 perches on the corner o Mill Lane 125'11" and Mary Street (now Hutchinson St.) 80', Mount Barker North, from Alfred Compson Daw of Mount Barker, Buther for 78 pounds. On 17/7/1907 she transferred that portion of the property on the corner of Mary Street and 57' down Mill Lane to her daughter, Mrs. Mary Callaghan, and on 5/5/1909 transferred the remainder to Peter Carey, her youngest surviving son, then 37, a butcher of Woodside.

On 15 /11/1919, as mentioned previously, Catherine was admitted to The Little Sisters of the Poor Home at Glen-Osmond (now Myrtle Bank) from Mount Barker and died shortly after 10/12/1919 at 91/92 years. She was buried in the Mount Barker Cemetery, probably grave 330 alongside her husband John and near Timothy her son.

The family lived at Mount Barker from the time they arrived in South Australia from Ireland for 5 years from 1856-1860, Little Hampton for 7 years 1861/1867, Little Totness for 24 years and then Catherine moved back to Mount Barker for her remaining years from 1892/1919.