Person:Catherine Sweeney (9)

Catherine Sweeney was born around 1852 at Sorbie in Wigtownshire, daughter of Mary Sweeney, formerly Kilcawley, and her husband Michael Sweeney, an agricultural labourer. Catherine was one of nine children, but was the only girl. She was also their first child to have been born after the family left Ireland and moved to Sorbie in Wigtownshire, in south-west Scotland. Catherine was born before birth certificates were introduced in Scotland and no baptism record has been found for her, such that we can only estimate when she was born. She appears in the 1861 census living with her family at Sorbie.

Aged about 14, Catherine contracted phthisis (tuberculosis). She did not have a regular medical attendant, suggesting the family could not afford to pay a doctor. After about year with the illness, she died on 14th January 1867, aged 15.

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 General Register Office for Scotland. 1861 Scotland Census. (Edinburgh)
   897/00 005/00 012, 7 Apr 1861.

   Address: Sorbie, Wigtownshire
   2 rooms with windows
   Michael Swenie, head, married, male, 37 [1823/4], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], b. Sligo, Ireland
   Mary Swenie, wife, married, female, 39 [1821/2], b. Sligo, Ireland
   Patrick Swenie, son, male, 14 [1846/7], b. Sligo, Ireland
   Michael Swenie, son, male, 12 [1848/9], b. Sligo, Ireland
   Cathrine Swenie, daughter, female, 8 [1852/3], b. Sorbie, Wigtownshire
   Stephen Swenie, son, male, 6 [1854/5], b. Sorbie, Wigtownshire
   Peter Swenie, son, male, 4 [1856/7], b. Sorbie, Wigtownshire
   James Swenie, son, male, 1 [1859/60], b. Sorbie, Wigtownshire

2. ↑ Death certificate, in General Register Office for Scotland. Civil Registration.

   1867. DEATHS in the parish of Sorbie in the County of Wigtown
   No.2
   Name: Catharine Sweeny, single
   When and where died: 1867 January Fourteenth, 10h AM, Sorbie Village
   Sex: F
   Age: 15 years [1851/2]
   Father: Michael Sweeny, Agric Lab
   Mother: Mary Sweeny, M.S. McCalla
   Cause of death: Phthisis, about 1 year, no regular Medical attendant
   Informant: Michael Sweeny, his X mark, father, present
   Registered: 1867 January 18th at Garliestown, Jas Dunsmore, Registrar