Catherine McGANN
Father:  ?                                                                  Mother:  ?

Catherine could neither read nor write so the spelling of her name and other details are uncertain, every certificate shows her age as 29 years and the name is spelt according to how the writer heard it.  She was born in Ireland and came to Australia on the ship "Isles of the South" very little else is known of her early life.

She lived as wife in Tasmania to transported convict Robert Sadd and, it appears, that her first child William Henry (1867) was registered initially in the name of Sadd. Later it was changed to Wylie. Robert Sadd worked as a timber cutter in Hobart and died of Gangrene in the leg a few weeks before Catherine married Adam Wylie on 14 May 1868.

Catherine and Adam moved to Sydney when his Regiment disbanded and they chose to stay in Australia. They lived in Shadforth Street Paddington, opposite the Victoria Army Barracks, until he deserted her and the children.

As she was drunk and an unfit mother, the children were admitted to the Benevelent Society Home for 12 months and then transferred to The Randwick Children's Asylum until indentured out to work some years later. 

Catherine was in and out of goal until her death (date unknown). She used a number of aliases including Halloren, Waly etc.

Darlinghurst Goal Records for Catherine Wylie (nee McGann)
Entrance Book, Reel 2343, 7 Feb 1878, Whiley 931, Obscene Language 1 month sentence. Arrived on Isle of the South.
Description Book, 8 Feb 1878 Age:34, Whiley 931, Catholic, Eyes: Brown, Education: R.
Description Book, Reel 868, 8 March 1878, Wiley Age:36 1674, Drunk 4 days 1878, Agnes Also known as Catherine Wyley, 3668, Drunk 4 days Age: 36
Entrance Book Reel 2343, 23 Sept 1878, Miley 931, Drunk And obscene Language, 11 days 16 Nov 1878, Wyllie, Drunk, 7 days
Description Book, Reel 868, 1 Feb 1879, Wyllie, Drunk, 7 days Age: 34 May 1879, Wiley 3654, Age:34 Drunk 4 Days
Entrance Book Reel 2344, 26 Sept 1879, Wiley 6716, Drunk & Obscene Language, 1 month and 7 days, Age: 40 5 May 1880, Wiley 3254, Drunk & Obscene Language 9 days