Bridget Bourke

3

Sandra on 24th May 2020

Bridget has many living descendants in Australia.

221

D Wong on 23rd October 2019

*** TWO BRIDGET BOURKE'S ON THIS VOYAGE*** The other Bridget Bourke was tried at Galway. 3/4/1838 Mayo Constitution Mayo, Republic of Ireland: INFANTICIDE. Bridget Bourke stood indicted for the murder her child, by leaving it exposed in a potatoe field. John Bourke examined by Mr. French__recollects being out on a Sunday digging potatoes, at Curry, in the Parish of Mayo ; found a dead child in the field ; ran home and brought the people there ; it was a female child. The prisoner had no counsel employed, and the Court assigned Mr. Walsh to act for her. He asked the witness if there were any bruises on the child, and he answered not. Mary Naughton, examined by Mr. Ellis__Remembers that a poor woman came to her house last harvest ; she came to her on Saturday, and remained until Monday week ; she was begging, and asked witness to give her lodging, which she did ; she was brought to bed in her house ; she remained in the house until the Thursday following ; the child was a female ; she got some clothes from a woman in the neighbourhood ; heard a child was found, but did not see it ; the prisoner is the woman who was brought to bed in her house. Cross-examined by Mr. Walsh__Never saw the woman before ; she did not attempt to conceal from her that she was in the family way, but told her she was ; she had no clothes prepared for the child, and was going to tear some of her own for it until a woman gave her what she wanted ; cannot tell what time the child was found ; she could not mistake the woman. To a Juror__Heard a child was found but the woman was not in her house then, she had left it two or three days before ; she said her husband went to England. Eleanor Malley, examined by Mr. Monaghan__Is a midwife ; know Nancy Naughton, the last witness ; recollects having attended a woman in her house last harvest ; the prisoner is that woman ; the child had only a little shift and bed gown on it ; the shift now produced is that which was on the child ; knows it because there was a burn on it. Cross-examined by Mr. Walsh__She was delivered of a child in her presence ; she was very ill, but not worse than most women ; she suckled the child, and appeared very fond of it ; did not hear the woman was subject to the falling sickness. The woman fell into a fit in the court yesterday. Mary Bourke examined by Mr. M'Dermott__Recollects going to the house of Nancy Naughton in August last, saw a woman there in labour, but could not tell if she would know her again ; brought the woman some milk, and sent her a little shift for the child ; the one now produced is the one she sent her ; saw the shift afterwards on the body of the infant, in a sandpit where it had been buried. Cross-examined by Mr. Walsh__She appeared to be very fond of the cild, and was going to break up a shift of her own for it 'till witness prevented her by giving her one of her own ; saw her afterwards as she was passing the door ; the place where the child was found is about a mile from her house ; in a field not far from the road. Catherine Hynes__Was living in the house of Nancy Naughton the time the woman was confined ; the prisoner is that woman. Mr. Walsh cross-examined the witness__The child was sick, and witness recommended the prisoner to get it christened lest it might die. Police Sergeant Gun__Saw the child after it was found in a lea field ; witness kept the clothes which were on the child, and they are those now produced ; got the prisoner's description and arrested her on the lands of Mossbrook ; there was no thorough-pass through the field in which he found the child ; Mossbrook is about five miles from Curry ; she said her name was Peggy Kilroy ; asked her if she was ever in Ballyglass, and she said she never was ; she said she had beeen obliged to go to the salt water as she feared she was getting the dropsy, and did not care if he brough her to Ballyglass, as no one there knew her ; after he arrested her she burst out crying on the way, and said she would give her curse to bad advisers ; he asked her who they were and she said the father of the child, Thomas Begly ; asked her what advice Begly gave her, and she said he told her to remain away until she was delivered, and never to bring back the child ; she said she left the child alive in a potatoe field ; she did not hear at that time that the child was dead ; when she was told the child was dead she fell into convulsive fits. Cross-examined by Mr. Walsh__Thomas Begley, he heard is a comfortable farmer, brother to the man in whose house the prisoner was a servant ; he asked her where was her child and she said she had no child, and defied him to prove it ; Begley's wife said the prisoner was subject to falling sickness. To the Judge__Examined the prisoner's breast, partly by force, and finding that she had breast milk, asked her where was her child, and she answered that she had no child ; she asked witness if her ever heard of a woman having breast milk without having a child ; he answered that he never did, and she said he might and not wonder at it either. John Browne, Policeman__Went with the last witness to Begley's house, and after talking some time the last witness asked the prisoner if she was ever in Ballyglass, and she said not ; he then examined her breasts ; she did not allow hil willingly at first to do so ; when he found that she had breast milk he said she was the person he wanted, and to prepare to go to Ballygalss with him ; he asked her where was her child and she said she had no child ; the serjeant did not charge her with having killed the child ; she spoke of bad advisers who told her to go away and come back without the child ; only for bad advisers she said she would not be a prisoner, as he advised her to destroy the child, and leave it abroad ; is certain she considered the child was dead. ross-examined by Mr. Walsh__The serjeant put his hand in her bosom and no thanks to her, is certain she knew what they were about when the sergeant asked her where was her cild ; she did not make any confession to the sergeant until after he asked her about her child. Doctor Hamilton, examined by Mr. M'Dermott__Was at the inquest held on the child ; found no marks of violence on the child, it appeared to have been full grown, and death appeared to have been caused by night exposure and the inclemency of the weather ; it appeared to have been dead three or four days ; it did not appear to have been a healthy child ; it could not have been more than three or four days old. Mr. Walsh addressed the Jury on behalf of the prisoner. The Jury found her guilty, by direction from the court, of Manslaughter, and she was sentenced to be transported for life. Bridget Bourke was listed as 35 years old on the Irish Convicts to NSW website - and 30 years old on Ancestry Convict Indents. Bridget was illiterate, single, 5'0" tall, Grey eyes, brown hair, fresh ruddy complexion, small mole on right side of mouth, small brown natural mark on right cheek, mark of a boil on back of lower left arm. No date: TOL, Yass 1864: Bridget Allison died, NSW.

3

Sandra on 22nd October 2019

married John Allison. Lived at Gundaroo. Mother of my great great grandmother Elizabeth Allison who married George Nye