Maria West Crosses The Irish Sea

Rolling back through time to Downpatrick to the family of Godfrey West and Elizabeth Hadzor, it is time to relocate Maria West, the younger sister of Susanna West, and the x2 great-grandmother of Hetty Jane Owen.

Looking up the Quoile River towards Downpatrick, just near Captain Richard West's Tower House, 2016

To recap: Godfrey West ran into financial problems and left Ireland for good, leaving his wife, Elizabeth Hadzor behind. Elizabeth lived on until 1816, long enough to see her daughter Susanna West married off to William Casement, and the birth of her grand-daughter, Rose Casement, who was later to marry James Rentoul. From this marriage, we have been able to put together quite a comprehensive picture of Susanna's descendants.

With Maria West however mysteries abound. She was born in Downpatrick, or at least was baptized there, on the 13th February, 1765. We know nothing more about her early life.

However, at some point, certainly before 1798, she crossed the Irish Sea and most likely never ever returned to her home country. 

Could she have gone with her father, Godfrey West to Liverpool following his bankruptcy? 

Or might she have departed to Bristol to stay with her cousin, Elizabeth Carson, daughter of John Potter, the then owner of the Irish lands? 

Or did Elizabeth Hadzor have contacts still from the connections of the Hadzors in the British military and decide to take advantage of these contacts to move Maria away from rebellion prone Downpatrick? In which case why did other members of the family not follow or accompany her? 

Family scandal would be another possibility. So too, in fact, would be involvement directly or indirectly in the political activities of The United Irishman, to whom Elizabeth Carson hinted sympathy in her will.

All interesting questions, but there are simply no clues in the available documentation to support any of these theories, and no sight of Maria at all until she suddenly appears in London in 1798.