The Abyssinia

The Abyssinia was one of the first of the Donegal Relief Fund ships to arrive in Australia carrying evictees from Derryveagh, Co. Donegal. The Donegal Relief Fund was set up in May 1858 to assist the poor in Donegal to emigrate. Among the founding sponsors was Cardinal Cullen.

The first four ships to arrive in Sydney, New South Wales were:

  • The Sapphire arrived on May 24th, 1859 after a journey of 15 weeks
  • Lady Elma Bruce arrived July 14, 1859 with 258 sponsored emigrants. The ship was quarantined for two weeks on arrival due to an outbreak of measles
  • The Caribou arrived October 4th, 1859
  • The Nile arrived May 1861 with 166 passengers from Gweedore

The Derryveagh evictions commenced in 1861. Some evictees moved to stay with local families or relatives in other areas of the county but many stayed near their former homes or at the side of the road. Their conditions would have deteriorated fairly quickly. As soon as word reached Australia of their misfortune, collections were taken up to sponsor emigrants. The first ship carrying these sponsored passengers was "The Abyssinia" which departed from Portsmouth, England The 150 passengers made their way to Letterkenny where they got the train to Dublin. A dinner was held for them in Dublin where they were addressed by Fr. McFadden. From there they got the boat to Liverpool and thence to Portsmouth. The journey took 114 days and they arrived in Sydney on May 29, 1862

There were 68 single men, 70 single women and one married couple with two small children. Not all of the passengers were evictees from Derryveagh. Some young people from Glenswilly and Churchill were also on board. One of the passengers was Susan Coll (from Derryfad? - the daughter of a publican). Seven passengers died on the journey (including one of the small children). The causes of death were bronchitis, pleurisy, diarrhea and consumption.The matron was a Mrs Brooks who herself became ill and had to be hospitalised on arrival. The Surgeon-Superintendent was Thomas Slater a veteran of several journeys to Australia.

On docking, the male passengers were hired to local landowners as farm labourers; the women went to work as general servants in the local areas including Maitland and Singleton to the north of Sydney; Bathurst, Berrima, Woolongong to the west and Kirima to the south.

 

From "After the Battering Ram- The Trail of the Dispossessed from Derryveagh 1861 - 1991" by May McLintock, An Taisce

 

References cited:

  • Minutes of Letterkenny Workhouse Records
  • Derry Standard April 1861
  • New Ireland by A. M. Sullivan
  • Records of the Abyssinia
  • The Sydney Freeman Journal
  • Sin, Sheep and Scotsmen by Dr. Vaughan
  • Land War and Evictions in Derryveagh, 1840 - 65 by Liam Dolan
  • Film: The Echo of the Distant Drum