Showing posts with label IRISH CONVICTS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label IRISH CONVICTS. Show all posts

Tuesday, 28 January 2020

HARD TO BELIEVE.. TROVE TUESDAY.. 28th Jan 2020




Courtesy of Pixabay

HARD TO BELIEVE



MERCURY  (Hobart, Tas.- 1860-1954)  20 Jul 1946   nla.news-article26185106.3 


Courtesy of Pixabay

Not quite ready to return to the serious research as yet? 

Then take a few moments to read some of the weird and dare I say, wonderful, snippets from TROVE..

Gundagai Times and Tumut, Adelong and Murrumbidgee District Advertiser (NSW : 1868 - 1931), Friday 2 Oct  National Library of Australia http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article129673123
















Gundagai Times and Tumut, Adelong and Murrumbidgee District Advertiser (NSW : 1868 - 1931), Friday 28 Nov 1924     National Library of Australia http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article121770123






Examiner (Launceston) 5 Aug 1935  National Library of Australia  
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article51948606




Illawarra Mercury 4 Jun 1943


















Adelaide Observer (SA : 1843 - 1904), Saturday 28 September 1895, page 35  National Library of Australia  http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article161828272





Laverton and Beria Mercury (Laverton, WA : 1899 - 1921), Thursday 16 September 1920,
page 2  National Library of Australia  http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article255630811





















Sun (Sydney, NSW : 1910 - 1954), Friday 19 July 1946, page 1  National Library of Australia
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article231574698



Tuesday, 6 March 2018

CONVICTS AND CURIOUSITIES ! TROVE TUESDAY 6TH March, 2018








CONVICTS AND CURIOUSITIES !   

It seems that I am not alone with my interest in convicts and the early convict era of Australia's history. So, with that in mind, I decided to look for some of the lesser known stories, and maybe those items and places that you may not have seen. 

TROVE to the rescue, along with Pinterest, and many of the archives and libraries that we are fortunate enough to have at our fingertips.

From Tasmania...

Convict-powered tramway. Port Arthur to Eagle Hawk Neck.
tasmanregion.com.au
Convict-powered tramway. Port Arthur to Eagle Hawk Neck.

Convict tramway

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Convict Tramway was a tramway (sometimes also called a railway)[1] that ran from Norfolk Bay to Port Arthur, Tasmania.[2] The tramway was the first passenger-carrying railway in Australia.[3]
Started in 1836, the carriages of tramway were pushed by Port Arthur convicts.[4] The tramway was created to replace the hazardous sea voyage from Hobart to Port Arthur.[3][1] Charles O'Hara Booth oversaw the construction of tramway.[5]








Convict leg irons, said to have come from Tasmania. From the collections of the Dixson Library, State Library of New South Wales: http://acmssearch.sl.nsw.gov.au/search/itemDetailPaged.cgi?itemID=442956
Convict leg irons, said to have come from Tasmania. From the collections of the Dixson Library, State Library of New South Wales: 
 http://acmssearch.sl.nsw.gov.au/search/itemDetailPaged.cgi?itemID=442956


Two pairs of convict manacles, said to have come from Port Arthur, Tasmania. From the collections of the Dixson Library, State Library of New South Wales:           http://acmssearch.sl.nsw.gov.au/search/itemDetailPaged.cgi?itemID=449230
Two pairs of convict manacles, said to have come from Port Arthur, Tasmania. From the collections of the Dixson Library, State Library of New South Wales: http://acmssearch.sl.nsw.gov.au/search/itemDetailPaged.cgi?itemID=449230


TROVE...
It seems that the newspaper sought to make a few extra shillings by providing many of the necessary forms that kept the colony running...
The Cornwall Chronicle (Launceston, Tas. / 1835 - 1880)  Sat 5 May 1838  
' Applications for Marriage Licences without publications of Banns'  among the many items listed.









Watercolour prisoners under escort (1850)

National Library Australia

From Victoria...
TROVE
Evening News (Sydney, NSW : 1869 - 1931), Monday 7 May 1877, page 3

A Convict's Fortunes
A romantic case is a subject of inquiry before a Commission held at the suit of the Attorney-General of Victoria and nine claimants, one resident in Ireland and the rest in America. The case is one of interest, and the question of substantially raised is the legitimacy of the claimant. The amount of property involved is estimated at between £60,000 and £90,000. It was realised by one Patrick Cody, who, it is stated, was born in the old goal of Newgate in Dublin on St. Patrick's Day, 1816, and died in Australia on the 16th of June l872. The mother of the deceased was a servant, who was convicted of stealing plate which belonged to her master, Mr. R. Sweetman, who lived in Montjoy-square. She was sentenced by the then Recorder of the city to seven years transportation, and while awaiting the arrival of a convict ship at Cork to take her to New South Wales she gave birth to the deceased, who was baptised Patrick in the Roman Catholic Chapel of St. Michan, which has the entrance directly opposite that leading to Old Newgate in Halston street. At the termination of her sentence his mother got ' the run ' of the country, and married a freed convict named Buckley. Whether this second marriage was bigamous or not does not appear, but the Buckleys prospered. The woman died at an advanced age, and her memory is honoured in poetry and prose in monumental marble in the Roman Catholic Cathedral of Sydney. Her son, having been one of the earliest squatters in Gippsland, amassed a very large fortune and bore a high character for benevolence and rectitude. After her death search was made for a will but none could be found. Whether any existed or not there are no means of ascertaining, as the authorities had all the records relating to the arrival of convicts and other circumstances In their penal life destroyed, lest they should bring disgrace on families which had grown rich and respectable. Two suits were instituted in Australia, one in Chancery and the other in Probate. In the latter a forged will was set up by a man named Maher, but the fraud was detected and Maher sent to gaol to await his trial for the offence. Inquiries were instituted by Mr. Octavins O'Brien J.P. of this city, and the result is that the present set of claimants have come forward. In order to establish these rights evidence has been taken by Commission in the United States, Canada, Newfoundland, Kilkenny, and now finally in Dublin, before the trial which is to determine the question at issue is held in Australia. A number of old records relating to Newgate, also to registrations of marriage and baptism, and of the sailing of the convict ship, were given in evidence, and the examination of witnesses was closed on Wednesday.— Times. February 23.

 re Irish Convict, NSW, Victoria, Dublin Ireland,


From New South Wales...

National Museum of Australia


TROVE...
The World's News, 12 Jan 1938 nla.news-page16091992 convict marriages
Originally published in The Sydney Herald , Jan 11, 1838
Click to enlarge..

Conditional pardon granted to Patrick Geraghty by Lieutenant General Ralph Darling, Governor of New South Wales. Pardon granted by Darling on 11 March 1830; grant confirmed by Darling, after approval by the Secretary of State for the Colonies, on 21 June 1831. Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales: http://www.acmssearch.sl.nsw.gov.au/search/itemDetailPaged.cgi?itemID=423843Conditional pardon granted to Patrick Geraghty by Lieutenant General Ralph Darling, Governor of New South Wales. Pardon granted by Darling on 11 March 1830; grant confirmed by Darling, after approval by the Secretary of State for the Colonies, on 21 June 1831. Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales:
http://www.acmssearch.sl.nsw.gov.au/search/itemDetailPaged.cgi?itemID=423843



TROVE...
World's News (Sydney, NSW : 1901 - 1955), Wednesday 26 June 1935, page 18 
National Library of Australia
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article136321230 

The Convict Barracks...
Click to enlarge..



























From Queensland...


Artist's impression of the Convict Barracks Queen Street Brisbane. Neg no. 31216. John Oxley Library


TROVE...
Queensland Times, Ipswich Herald and General Advertiser (Qld. / 1861 - 1908)   Sat 22 Feb 1873 
Story from Victoria...and NSW
 Capture of a Desperate Character
 
CAPTURE OF A DESPERATE CHARACTER
In June last four notorious criminals effected their escape fom the goal at Ballarat. A great deal of daring was exhibited in their mode of breaking out of prison, and every effort was made, but unsuccessfully, to recapture them. The Government offered £200 reward for their apprehension; but even this was not sifficient to induce their companions to give them up. On Monday evening (says the Wagga Wagga Advertiser), however, the police in Wagga received information that one of the escaped prisoners was employed in the establishment of Mr. Walsh, butcher, Newtown. It was stated that he was armed with a knife and a pistol, and Sergeant Carroll, accompanied by another constable, proceeded to arrest him on a charge of stealing a coat. At first the man, who now calls himself Wilson, was inclined to show fight, but subsequently surrendered at discretion, and was marched to the watch-house, where he was charged, under the name of John Darmody, alias Harris, with being an escaped convict. He admitted the charge, and also said that he had on him the marks as described in the Police Gazette, namely warts on one wrist, and an anchor tattoo on the back of the other hand. He was brought before the magistrates on Tuesday, and remanded for a week for further inquiry. There can be no doubt whatever that this man is of the missing prisoners; and it is a matter of congratulation that so desparate a character has again come within the grasp of the gaoler.


From Western Australia...


       Perth Gaol in about 1865 with exterior yards and walls visible  - Public Domain
RUNAWAY CONVICTS
Return of convicts who have escaped from the colony between the 1st June, 1850, and the 31st of March, 1859. http://encore.slwa.wa.gov.au/iii/encore/record/C__Rb2487454__SWestern%20Australia.Comptroller-General%20of%20Convicts.__Orightresult__X3?lang=eng&suite=def

If you go to the link above, you can enlarge far more easily, you will need FlashPlayer.
Lots of detail, including appearance, ship, etc.
e.g. 
15. - From the Perth District, 3rd July, 1854
Reg.No. 2692, John Rose, per Sea Park, tried at Maidstone 10th March 1849;
14 years; painter and paper-hanger; age 35 years; height 5feet 5 3/4 inches; hair light brown; eyes blue; visage long; complexion brown, appearance slight; marks, Woman, Anchor, with word "Hope" inscribed. Figure of a man with glass in his hand, and letters H.H. on right arm. A temple with two women standing at the door; a slop and anchor, and letters H.H. A figure of a man with glass in his hand, with a woman leaning on his arm - on left arm; ring on left forefinger.

Return of convicts who have escaped from the colony between the 1st June, 1850, and the 31st of March, 1859.  http://encore.slwa.wa.gov.au/iii/encore/record/C__Rb2487454__SWestern%20Australia.Comptroller-General%20of%20Convicts.__Orightresult__X3?lang=eng&suite=def


TROVE...
WASun (Kalgoorlie, WA / 1898 - 1919), Sunday 29 June 1902, page 3 
nla.news-article211215237.2 The Convict Days
Click to enlarge...



A line of convicts chained together
Backhouse, Edward, A chain gang, convicts going to work near Sidney [i.e. Sydney], New South Wales  1843, nla.obj-138467409


Tuesday, 14 November 2017

IRISH CONVICTS, SHIPWRECKS, PIRATES, COURT CASES, and much more TROVE TUESDAY 14TH NOVEMBER, 2017






Convicts in a prison ship


We can learn so much about our early colonial history not just from the history books and newspapers, but also from the Gazettes of the time. Some Gazettes were the newspapers of the time, full of all manner of news and snippets, while others were rather dour government  publications.

 I can't resist the former... take the following for example...

Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803 - 1842), Saturday 5 February 1820, page 3 
National Library of Australia
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2179245 


John Oxley

It begins with Ship News, the arrival from New Zealand of the schooner Elizabeth and Mary, then after a short paragraph which mentions at least one very well known name and his then position in the colony, goes into detail about a common problem that still occurs today... lack of room in a burial ground, causing it's 
closure, and the provision of a new one.

Courtesy of wikipedia
John Oxley
Born1784
Kirkham Abbey, Yorkshire, England
Died1828 (aged 44)
Camden, New South Wales
OccupationBritish explorer

Seems it was quite an occasion at the time... interesting to note that the sermon at the opening was presented by the Rev. Mr. Marsden, who just happened to marry my fourth great grandparents, Robet Hobbs and Bridget Eslin/Heslin, on the 30th October, 1815, at St. Matthew's C of E, Windsor... along with quite a few others over the years...

I was interested to see that the old Burial Ground was 'closed and shut up'... to keep some out or to keep all in?
Old Sydney burial ground map detail
That then became the Old Sydney Burial Ground.. the 'new one' was at Brickfield Hill.


Detail from Sheet E1 of the 1865 Trigonometrical Survey of Sydney (City of Sydney Archives/State Records) showing the size and boundaries of the Old Sydney Burial Ground. Druitt Street runs along the bottom of the picture, Bathurst Street along the top, and George Street to the left. The building within the cemetery grounds is the wooden temporary St Andrews Church.



In this early part of the year, a ship, Castle Forbes, arrived carrying 140 male prisoners...all in good health. I wonder just what standard of good health... as the Captains were often paid according to the condition of their 'cargo' when they arrived, so long as they were fit to work, all would be well.

N.B. More re the Castle Forbes https://www.jenwilletts.com/convict_ship_castle_forbes_1820.htm


News from home, whether it be England, Ireland or elsewhere, was very well received..and the scandals of the day made good reading. America also featured heavily in overseas news...including the riots that had occurred late in May the previous year.



The passing of 'Assistant Surgeon Hamilton, of the 48th Regiment, at Hobart Town, on the 16th January' was mentioned at length.



The 'melancholy ocasion' of the funeral was well attended by many dignitaries.

 Quite a contrast to the 'Anniversary of the Commemoration of the Establishment of this Colony' and the rousing song sung at the dinner on January 26, 1820.. I think I might prefer Advance Australia Fair..


 It seems this edition has a few celebrations to report, including the Fifteenth Anniversary of the British and Foreign Bible Society.. quite a number of impressive titled men were present



There was even a very formal apology re non attendance.. these days, you are never quite sure who is attending an event till you count them on the day. How manners and customs have changed over time.


The rest of this edition seems to be concerned about the printing of millions of bibles and their distribution .. interesting to read the 'flowery' language of the time, where the thought of using just a few words instead of dozens simply 'didn't do'.





A month later and the news was about shipwrecks, in detail, plus some of the court cases, which seemed to result in far heavier sentences then in comparison to those meted out today...


Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803 - 1842), Saturday 25 March 1820, page 2 
National Library of Australia
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2179344 

Ships involved were the Duke of Wellington, under Captain William Collins, accompanied by the Frederick, under Captain Williams. So much livestock was lost, due to the conditions. Sadly, the Frederick was wrecked, and 22 of her crew, with just the Captain and four others, including two boys, surviving. The details of their survival and their subsequent transfer to the 'Wellington' and what happened on that voyage are hard to comprehend.

N.B. more on the Frederick  https://www.jenwilletts.com/convict_ship_frederick_1817.htm
More info frederick https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/frederick

Frederick A convict ship..



The sad and horrific tales continued, including the raiding by pirates, formerly seamen who had been shipwrecked, seems almost unbelieveable today. Sea journeys were for the brave...



The brig, the Greyhound, under Captain William Campbell, was another that suffered a nearly total loss...

 N.B. more on the Greyhound  https://www.jenwilletts.com/convict_ship_greyhound_1818.htm


We leave shipwrecks for a while and read of the trials in the 'Court of Criminal Jurisdiction...'

Some of those before the court include...
Thomas Till, Michael Haggerty.. stealing sheep
William Brown.. stealing a colt
Thomas Smith, Thomas Blaney, Edward Aibney (?), Thomas Fox and John Sears...stealing a boat... (What's with all the Thomas'?)
Joseph Cunningham, Samuel Medworth.. stealing cattle
John Davidson..contempt of court 'the most vile, most insolent, and intolerable'
Theophilus Chamberlain..stealing a mare


Dominick McIntyre.. stealing sheep
George Ison.. acquitted from charge of larceny
William Jones..charge of assault
John Davis..stealing a bullock
Thomas Rourke..stealing sundry articles of wearing apparel (female?)
James Francis..stealing a cow





































Threatened by the prospect of execution... enough to bring about a sense of contrition?


What do you think about their ultimate sentences? Were they stealing for food, or profit, or did one 'marry' with the other?


The Age

 From these wretched souls to the report of a loss of an infant by drowning..then the passing of a Mr. Richard Tuckwell at his house in Pitt Street..




to the loss of a 'useful member of society', something to which we all aspire to be, I would hope...
'William Denman, an old and well known inhabitant'

 This edition finished with some advice 'One Being Out of Debt'.. as much as things change, they remain the same...