Morgan Bryan

343

Maureen Withey on 8th April 2022

Colonial Secretary Correspondence. Punishments at Newcastle from 1st to 31 March 1820. Date, March 7 1820, Morgan Briant. Per 3 BBB, 75 Lashes, Offence: Breaking out of Convict Barracks with intent to escape, knocking down 2 Constables.

343

Maureen Withey on 9th September 2020

NSW Permissions to Marry. 1825-1851. Permission date not given, Sydney. Mogan Bryan, per Three Bees, age 55, 7 years, free, widower, and, Judith Foley, per ship Margaret (2), age 30, 10 years, bond. Rev. Murphy.

71

Robin Sharkey on 13th November 2015

Morgan Bryan was transported for life on THREE BEES arriving 1814, for being involved in the murders of Timothy Collins and his daughter, Mary, at Ballygarran in the County of Waterford, in their home on 24th June 1810. He was tried at Cork in 1811. MURDER and BURNING OF HOME Four other men were first tried for the crime in the Summer Assizes (July/Augsut) of 1810, sentence held over until 1811 and pronouced guilty in March 1811. These four - Thomas Kearney, Michael Farrel, Robert Magrath and Maurice Brien - were hanged immediately but in fact only one of them was guilty - Maurice Brien. The story of the murders and trial was set out in Freemans Journal of 28 March 1811 page 2-3 Morgan Bryan had been taken up as well in 1810 but he was held in gaol and not tried at the same time for fear of affecting the trial of the others. (per FJ 28/3/1811) The truth came out when John Brien, who had been the leader of the gang, was caught a year later in March 1812, and confessed to the truth of the attack. (Freemans Journal of Monday 30 March 1812 page 2) John Brien was a Caravat, known as Captain Wheeler and his brother was Maurice Brien, one of the hanged men. These two were not related at all to Morgan or Patrick Brien. However Morgan Brien and Patrick Brien were brothers. Their sister Mary (nee Brien) was married to John Collins of the family at Ballygarron. She lived in the Collins family home with her husband, and his brothers James and Timothy and Timothy’s daughter, another Mary Collins, along with a young house boy. A family disagreement had caused Mrs Mary Collins to return to her parents home. She had an attachment to John Brien the Caravat and while at her parents’, convinced John Brien that her husband John Collins had lodged information against him about an arms attack that had occurred at Killure. Together they all hatched a plot for the Collins family to be murdered on the night of 24th June 1810, the Brien family would then claim and seize the Collins property and John Brien would live with Mrs Mary Collins. John Collins brought in the brothers of Mary Collins to help him in the attack - these were Patrick and Morgan Brien. Together the men went to the Collins farm house, John fired the shot that killed Timothy Collins when he opened the door, they went into the house and set it on fire and locked the door as they left. The surviving Collins men, John and James, and the house boy managed to escape the burning house, but young Mary Collins did not escape and was burnt to death. Patrick Collins, Morgan’s brother, turned approver for the Crown and concocted a story at the 1811 trial that Thomas Kearney, Michael Farrel, Robert Magrath and Maurice Brien (John’s Brother) had all been involved, attacked the house and set it on fire, however he did say correctly that John Brien had fired the shot. He claimed that his brother Morgan had not gone into the house. His testimony got these others hanged, even though John Collins gave evidence that he could not believe these men - described as close family friends - had anything to do with the attack upon his family. Freemans Journal of 28 March 1811 page 2-3 Morgan Brien’s separate trial was not separately reported. He too probably received the death sentence, but it was commuted. The confession of Morgan’s brother, john John Brien, was fully reported in Freemans’ Journal Monday 30 March 1812 page 2 and he was executed in front of Waterford County Gaol on 24th March. TRANSPORTATION MORGAN BRYAN Three Bees, 1814 aged 29. Tried 1812 at Waterford Given 7 years. Labourer. Native place: Waterford Height: 5/8 1/4, Complexion: Fair Pale, Hair: Light Brown, Eyes: Hazel, Arrived 06 May 1814 Sydney Disembarked and forwarded to Parramatta for distribution 1814 Muster Morgan O’brien [SIC];, Mustered at Parramatta [NSW AUS], [Assigned] to Patrick Downey; Victualling: Off Stores COLONIAL THEFT CHARGE - to NEWCASTLE Sydney Gazette Sat 26 Sept 1818 page 3:- "Criminal Court Criminal Court.-On Monday the Court re-opened at ten o'clock ; when William Kennedy, Morgan Bryan, and Edward Burke were indicted for stealing from the dwelling-house of John Wyatt, at the Eastern Creek, on the night of the 7th ultimo, a musket, a quantity of lard, and a sheep ; and they also were indicted for killing a cow on the 13th ult. the property of some person unknown ; of the whole of which offences William Kennedy was found Guilty; the other prisoners were convicted of the first and second charges. " Sydney Gazette 3 Oct 1818 page 3 "John Ingram, Thomas Spencer, William Kennedy, Morgan Bryant, and Edward Bark [i.e. Bourke] , for cattle-stealing - LIFE - to Newcastle. The business terminating, the Court adjourned sine die." So it appears in NSW Morgan Brien was sometimes referred to as “Bryant” Travelling to Newcastle: co-accused William Kennedy was off Three Bees as well: “Sailor’s Return 19th october 1818” signed John Jaques, sailor *Col Sec Records - 31 August - 19 October 1818 On List of prisoners to be sent to Newcastle per “Lady Nelson”. These are all listed as “Three Bees” convicted by Criminal Court, Sept 15th 1818, Labourer, Sentence LIFE: * William Kennedy Labourer * Morgan BRIANT Labourer * AND Edward Bourke, labourer was per “Pilot”, 1820 - Morgan Brient - On monthly return of prisoners punished at Newcastle 1821 - On list of convicts at Port Macquarie 1822 General Muster - Government employ at Port Macquarie 1825 General Muster - Government employ at Port Macquarie 1826 -November departed on vessel “Amity” with Major Lockyer and 21 other convicts to establish a settlement at King Georges Sound in Western Australia (Near Albany today) 1828 Census “Morgan BRIANT” Three Bees, LIFE, King George’s Sound. 1831 - presumably returned with remainder of convicts when penal settlement closed down, arriving August 1831 Sydney No record of Morgan Brient afterwards until: DEATH - 1855 MORGAN S BRYANT (NSW BDMs)