While completing some research work on the Belfast Charitable Society and the Poor House I came across a document in PRONI which referenced a young boy, William Daly having been sent to the Poor House in 1825 as his mother Sarah Cramshee [sic] was sent for transportation. I haven’t been able to find much out about William, however I have been more successful in tracking down what happened to his mother.
Sarah Cramsie was born in 1799 and appears to have had two sons. She was sentenced in 1825 for robbery in the street and was taken to Cork. She was then transported on Brothers (2) in 1827. She married James Graylish in New South Wales on 14th April in 1830 and received her Certificate of Freedom in 1832.
I am intrigued as to what happened to William. The letter in PRONI was written by an Alex Boyce who was in Australia and was writing back to his father. He asked his father to make contact with the Poor House to request that William is sent to Australia to be reunited with his mother.
On Australia Day it would be lovely to hear any information anyone has on this story to see if we can track down William. ~