Mary Ann Stanley was born was born about 1819-1820 in Ireland, daughter of Oliver Stanley and Catherine Kirwan.
Mary Ann's mother, Catherine Kirwan is believed born in County Galway, Ireland, about 1798. She was sentenced at County Leitrim, Ireland in the Summer Assizes, 1822, for 7 years. She sailed from Cork, Ireland on board the ship "Woodman" on 25 January 1823. The six year old, Mary Ann, accompanied her mother on the voyage. According to the Surgeon's Report, on 30 January 1823 "Katherine Kirwan, Prisoner, married, age 32 years safely delivered of a male child during a gale of wind". This was Mary Ann's brother, Patrick. After an uncomfortable voyage of 151 days, during which three of the convict women died, the "Woodman" arrived in Sydney, on 25 June 1823.

The Parramatta Female Factory was the destination of all transported women who were not assigned as servants to settlers and the colony's principal female penitentiary. The Female Factory, acted as a workhouse, jail and holding area for newly arrived female convicts and their children. Female convicts assigned here were engaged in activities such as spinning and carding, and even hard labour such as breaking rocks.It played an important role in the provision of medical care for the wider female population and was also the means of enforcing moral and social standards upon both convict and destitute free women. Commissioned by Governor Macquarie and designed by convict architect Francis Greenway, the Factory was intended as a place of refuge for the women of the colony so they would not be forced to prostitute themselves simply in order to get food and shelter for the night. Catherine Kirwan was placed in the "Female Factory" of Sydney. Women in the "Female Factory" lost contact with their children who were four years old and over. These were sent to the Orphan School but according to some reports, were returned to their mothers when the latter left the Factory. Some contact was allowed in this period, but usually only in return for good behaviour. Mary Ann was admitted to the Female Orphanage on 6.1.1824 - aged 4. Mary Ann, however, was not one of those returned to her mother when she left the factory.

According to records, "aged 10 or thereabouts", on the 30 November, 1829, Mary Ann was apprenticed to James Young.

Mary Ann married John GALVIN, a convict, on 18 Jan 1835, at St Mary's Catholic Church, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. John was born in 1796 in County Limerick, Ireland. John & Mary Ann had a family of seven. The family lived around the Bargo, Mittagong, and Berrima areas. According to the 1841 Census John and Mary were living at "Homer's farm" in the Berrima District and had two free men working for them. John Galvin died 9 September 1844, at age 48, after an illness or injury of eleven days and he was buried at Berrima, New South Wales, Australia.

Follow this link for information on the children of this marriage.

Mary next married George Thomas WELDON, Convict, son of George WILLDEN and Sarah, on 2 Sep 1845 in St F Xavier's Roman Catholic, Wollongong, Colony of New South Wales, Australia. They were married by the Rev John RIGNEY - the witnesses were Robert McCAWLEY and Eliza GAWTHORPE. George & Mary Ann had a family of six.

Mary Ann died on the 7th of May 1897 at Queanbeyan, NSW, Australia. She was buried on the 9th of May 1897 at the Queanbeyan Riverside Cemetery, Section RC, Grave unmarked. The cause of death was Bronchitis.

Certificates I have for Mary Ann are;

• Marriage Certificate to George Weldon.
• Death Certificate.