Funding the Earl Grey Scheme

By Averil Staunton

The cost of the Earl Grey orphan scheme was to be funded by the Australian Colonial Authorities, and the Boards of Guardians of workhouses, who agreed to join the scheme. The Board of Ballinrobe workhouse decided that they would avail of the offer of the Government to send 26 orphan girls to Australia. They made a selection of appropriate girls between 14 and 18 years of age who they recorded as having ‘volunteered for emigration’.

The cost of the Earl Grey orphan scheme was to be funded by the Australian Colonial Authorities, and the Boards of Guardians of workhouses, who agreed to join the scheme. The Board of Ballinrobe workhouse decided that they would avail of the offer of the Government to send 26 orphan girls to Australia. They made a selection of appropriate girls between 14 and 18 years of age who they recorded as having ‘volunteered for emigration’.

The Poor Law Commissioners wrote to the Ballinrobe Guardians informing them that Lieutenant Henry would be coming to Ballinrobe to choose 26 girls for emigration. The Master of the workhouse was directed to produce the names of the young women who would be considered suitable candidates. The girls were required to be  of unblemished moral character, unmarried, without children  and with no encumbrances to marrying Australian settlers.

A vigorous process of inspection followed where the girls’ literacy, health and any employment record was examined. This process was far more vigorous than for other applicants for assisted passage from Ireland from workhouses.

In due course the Master presented the names to the Board and estimated that the cost of kitting them out, plus travel to the port of embarkation, to be £160/13/4. This included their food on board ship.