Moses Brennan

75

iain Frazier on 25th January 2025

Family connections for Moses (Brennan) are: BRENNAN ??? (Brennan) married Mary (???). Mary (???/Brennan) describing herself as a poor widower looking after 5 orphan grandchildren and a beggar, in 1799, petitioned for mercy for her son. ??? (Brennan) & Mary (???) produced at least 2children: 1.Moses (Brennan) was born about 1779 & became a general labourer. He was apparantly tried with his brother Michael & 1other after the 1798 Wexford Ireland uprising at the Wexford Summer Assizes on 27 7 1799. sentenced to Life & arrived in NSW as an Irish Rebel on 26 1 1801 after a voyage of 7months on ANNE; during the voyage he assisted the keeping of order after a mutiny; he was apparantly Catholic. He became overseer at the dockyards. He was a labourer when he married Mary (Rooney/Runey age16 according to Smees records) on 31 8 1813 at St Phillips CofE Sydney. He was issued his Conditional Pardon on 3 6 1809, which was subsequently cancelled. In 1812 & was issued his Ticket of Leave, his Conditional Pardon on 31 1 1813 & his Absolute Pardon in 1816. In 1816 he was granted 20.7acres at Appin, next to his brother-he shared a house with his brothers family. On 21 3 1818 he was appointed constable & pound keeper at Appin. In 1822 he was dismissed as District Constable. He died on 17 10 1842 age63 & was buried at St Bedes Appin next to his brother. ..[Some details taken from this Website] ..Mary (Rooney) was born about 1797 & became a servant. She was tried for stealing whisky at Dublin city Ireland in 1812, sentenced to 7years & arrived in NSW as a convict on 16 2 1813 after a voyage of 9months on ARCHDUKE CHARLES. ..[Some details taken from this Website] ++ A reference on this Website to a marriage between Mary (Rooney) & Thomas (Akins) about 1839 at St Patricks RC Parramatta appears to refer to a different lady who arrived in NSW as a convict on 25 12 1837 on SIR CHARLES FORBES. ++ 2.Michael (Brennan) was born about 1779/82 & became a general labourer. He was apparantly tried with his brother Moses & 1other after the 1798 Wexford Ireland uprising at the Wexford Summer Assizes on 27 7 1799. sentenced to Life & arrived in NSW as an Irish Rebel on 26 1 1801 after a voyage of 7months on ANNEalso; during the voyage he assisted the keeping of order after a mutiny; he was apparantly Catholic. He leased a farm at Cooks River. He had a first relationship with Elizabeth (Smith), produced 4children & later married her. He was Free by Servitude by 1811 & was issued his Ticket of Leave. He was issued his Conditional Pardon on 31 1 1813. On 8 10 1816 he was granted 50acres at Appin, next to his brother-he shared a house with his brothers family. He was living at Appin with Conditional Pardon when he married Elizabeth (Smith) on 19 2 1825 at St Marys RC Sydney. He was Free by Servitude by 1826.>>> ..[Some details taken from this Website] ..Elizabeth (Smith) was born about 1779/82 & became a servant. She was tried w/1other for receiving cotton gown etc from 2others who stole the items from John (Roberts) (1of them being James (Smith) who was sentenced to be hung) probably at Old Bailey, sentenced to 14years, held at Middlesex Gaol Delivery & arrived in NSW as a convict on 14 12 1801 after a voyage of 6months on Fleet ship NILE. She was Free by Servitude by 1811 & was issued her Certificate of Freedom 1/1363 on 4 7 1814; she was 5'2" ruddy complexion light brown hair hazel eyes. She died in 1842 age about62. ..[Some details taken from this Website] .. >>>Michael (Brenna/en) had a second relationship with Caroline (Middleton her first relationship). He died on 10 1 1855 age about76 father of perhaps 5children & was buried at St Bedes Appin next to his brother. ..Caroline (Middleton) was born in 1809 in Sussex. She arrived in NSW with her mother on 10 1 1814 on HMS KANGAROO. She is recorded in 1822 & 1825 at Appin with her parents. She married secondly Thomas (McAlister) on 20 4 1828 at St Peters CofE Campbelltown & produced at least 2children. She produced at least 3children in her lifetime. ..Details of Caroline (Middleton)s family are given in entry for William (Middleton EARL SPENCER 1813) on this Website. ..Caroline (Middleton) & Michael (Brennen) produced 1child: ..1.Eliza (Brennen) was born on 30 5 1826 & baptised on 18 6 1826 at St Peters CofE Campbelltown. Reference: Craig James Smee 'Births and Baptisms Marriages and Defacto Relationships Deaths and Burials New South Wales 1788-1830' ..a complete listing from church & other records in the early colony.

71

Robin Sharkey on 29th March 2016

Moses Brennan and his brother Michael could not have been captured as rebels in 1800 since they had already been tried at the Wexford Assizes in the summer of 1799. These Assizes were occupied with the trials of many people for crimes committed during the taking of Wexford in the 1798 uprising - a gentleman named William Cooper for administering a treasonable oath who was acquitted however as having been found to have done this “along with many other humane acts, to save the lives of Protestants.” Another gent named Edward Hay was acquitted of having held a command among the rebels as he was found to have been forced to do it. Felix Fardy was found guilty of several murders and of being involved in setting fire to the barn at Scullaboge where 230 Protestants perished. Then the Brennans, together with John Murphy were found guilty of murder: Freeman’s Journal; Tuesday 30 July 1799 page 3, column 2 (2nd last paragraph from bottom) “WEXFORD ASSIZES “Ended on Saturday last [i.e.27th July 1799]. The following persons were tried before the Hon. Baron Smith. ... Moses Brennan, Michael Brennan, and John Murphy were found guilty of several murders. A number of persons, being rebels and charged with murder, put off their trials.”

221

D Wong on 19th July 2014

Moses and brother Michael Brennan were captured as Rebels in 1800. Records of the “Anne” indicate that there was a mutiny aboard ship, and two of the prisoners helped the Captain to keep order. Circumstantial evidence suggests that these two prisoners were the Brennans, as, they both were granted conditional pardons relatively quickly after arrival. Moses was listed as one of the prominent political offenders from the Irish Uprising who had established themselves in positions of responsibility in the colony - he was an overseer at the Dockyard. 3/6/1809: CP - Cancelled 1812: TOL 311/1/1813: CP 1813: Married Mary Rooney at St Phillips CE, Sydney. Mary Rooney, was a convict who was sentenced in 1812 at the age of 30 to seven years transportation for stealing two quarts of whisky. Mary was born in Dublin in 1782 and arrived in the colony aboard the ‘Archduke Charles’. Moses received his absolute pardon in 1816 and was granted Lot 50 of 20.7 hectares of farmland at Appin – the third oldest settlement in the colony and about two years later, 21 March 1818 was appointed constable and pound keeper in district of Appin. This position was renewed in 1820. In 1822 Moses was dismissed as District Constable of Appin possibly over his protests for having to pay for supplies in Spanish dollars while being paid in ‘local currency’. This action by the government had major impacts on the purchasing power of the socially disadvantaged as they could not afford to purchase a dollar, a large amount for the times. After his time with the troopers Moses and his wife Mary [nee Rooney] continued to successfully farm in the Appin area; on 20th December 1826 he made an application for an additional Grant of Land without Purchase. Moses died 17th February 1842 at Appin NSW. He is buried at St Bede’s Church in Appin (Moses and Michael are buried side by side.) In 1844 at St Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church at Parramatta, Mary Rooney was remarried to Thomas Akins who arrived in the colony as a convict on board the “Three Bees” in 1814.