John Burke

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Patrick Bourke on 26th February 2016

NSW Burial Record states that John Burke was 34 when he died on 29 April 1839. The entry on the NSW Archives Office Convict Records Summary fiche is not very clear but it looks like he was 22 or 24 when he was sentenced for highway robbery in 1826. On his burial record , NSW BDM 1381/1839V18391381 23A , it is stated that John Burke , died " From the Coroner Suicide from insanity." The Archives Office of NSW Convict Death Register # 84205 states that he shot himself at Maitland on 29 April 1839. The Burial Register, Glebe Cemetery, East Maitland (St Peter's) #48203 states that John Burke died 34.Ticket of leave holder. Suicide. Buried in Glebe Cemetery. PS. The Glebe Cemetery, East Maitland, is also where Francis Greenway, Governor Macquarie's noted architect, is believed to be buried too. Convict records ( NSW Convict Indents 1788-1842 ) and the 1828 Census show that John Burke was assigned to Thomas Icely at Bathurst as a stockman in 1826/27. In the 1837 Convict Muster it is stated that John Burke was assigned to J B Bellington in the Cassilis area of NSW - upper Hunter Valley. There are several references to John Burke working in Iron Gangs and Road Gangs in the construction of the Great North Road , Sydney to the Hunter Valley, which was built between 1826 and 1836.This road is now world heritage listed. In the Index to Convicts , Road Parties and Iron Gangs 1827-1830, compiled by Kaye Vernon & Billie Jacobsen, State Records, The Rocks, NSW ,2009 , John Burke of the Phoenix is listed in 43 Road Gang under the charge of Michael Hartney at Breakfast Creek, Richmond Road, May 1830. His wife,Mary Downey was on the Red Rover ship which brought 202 free young unmarried Irish women to Sydney in August 1832. Mary was a general servant when she arrived in Sydney and was employed for 9 pounds per year by Miss Anne Marie Bourke , Governor Bourke's second daughter. Very likely Mary Downey remained with Miss Bourke until August,1833,when the Bussorah Merchant ship arrived in Sydney with more free young unmarried women.Anne Marie Bourke probably encouraged Mary Downey to seek work in Bathurst. This is where I believe Mary Downey met John Burke.Over 3,000 young women from Ireland and England were assisted to came to Australia in the 1830s as part of a scheme to correct the serious imbalance of the sexes in the colony.More information about the " Red Rover " women is in the book, Fair Game , Australia's first immigration women, written by Elizabeth Rushen & Perry McIntyre.Anchor Books Australia.2010. Patrick Bourke Great,great grandson.

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Cheryl Perry on 18th February 2016

All information re John Burke is correct but there is newspaper info stating he accidently shot himself whilst crossing the Wollombi bridge Reference: The Sydney Herald Friday 13th Sept 1839 page2.+Early Days of Port Stephens 16/4/1830 Extracts from Sir Edward Parry's Diary p.20 re missing his muster.

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D Wong on 22nd September 2015

John Burke was 24 years old on arrival in NSW. John was single and a clerk/shopman. 1834: Married Mary Downey (an Orphan from Ireland who arrived per Red Rover in 1832)– they had 3 children – Mary Ann, John and Michael. 11/3/1837: TOL Cassilis. 29/4/1839: Convict Death Register: John Burke shot himself (supposedly because he missed the muster) whilst in custody at Maitland Gaol – recorded as suicide. Mary Downey then married Phillip Savaker (should be Saywaker)in 1840 at Abercrombie District/Bathurst and had another 6 children. Mary died in 1896 and is buried in Frogmore Cemetery, NSW. SAYWAKER, Mary, died October 6, 1896, aged 84 years (with Philip) SAYWAKER, Philip, died September 16, 1884, aged 76 years (with Mary.)