Michael Caulfield

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Heather Stevens on 3rd August 2018

He is Michael 'Caulfield' in the Atlas I's muster roll, but in most records in NSW he is known as Michael 'Cantwell'. Michael 'Canfil' is the name in the court record ('Crown Book') of the trial at Queens County Spring Assizes in 1801 - this was ascertained with some difficulty in 1836 (see above), when it was shown that the original court record had a sentence of 7 years, but by the time it had been copied into the ship's muster roll, it had changed to 'Life'. This must have been devastating news for him when he staggered off the Atlas I, one of the worst convict ships to come to NSW. 1806 muster: Michl Cantwell assigned to A Landrin, Parramatta 1814 Population Muster: Mic Cantwell Residence: Windsor, Atlas 1st, "to have a TL" 1821 land grant Michl Cantwell 30 acres Seven Hills (district of 'Bathurst') 1818 receives Conditional Pardon. Michael Caulfield. Register has description: calling labourer, 5 feet 4 and a quarter inches, dark sallow complexion, black hair, hazel eyes 1821 and 1822 Michael Cantwell, Memorials to Gov Brisbane, has been settled on a new farm in the district of Bathurst (Seven Hills) and by his Labour and Industry in 1822, has got 20 acres 'of timber fell' and 16 acres clear and in cultivation, and he asks to grant to him the 'usual indulgence' 1823 land grant Michl Cantwell 50 acre Castle Hill 1824 a memorial asking for another grant of land - apparently unsuccessful 1828 census 'Michael Cantwell' 51 CP settler 80 acres, is with his brother in law Michael O'Brien at Seven Hills 1830: Michael Cantwell, Atlas 1 is on a list of people whose petitions were received by the Governor, 'for their wives and families to join them in this colony', however 'on printed form but incomplete, signature wanting' 1831: In January, Michael Cantwell is arrested with his brother in law Michael O'Brien and most of the O'Hara family for receiving stolen goods and harbouring bushrangers. On 28 June he was found not guilty and released. His brother in law Michael O'Brien is convicted with his wife Mary and most of the O'Hara family, and sentenced to 14 years transportation, In July the three Seven Hills properties were sold (O'Brien's 40 acres; O'Hara's 60 acres; and Cantwell's 30 acres). The Sydney Gaol description book 1831: 'Michael Cantwell or Canfield' Atlas 1st, born '1760', calling labourer, five feet two inches, slight, sallow complexion, grey hair, grey eyes. 1839 Death [CANTWELL MICHAEL 114/1839 V1839114 132 AGE ADT] Sources: Muster lists; Colonial Secretary's records; Stevens, H 2000, 'The O'Hara story: John and Mary O'Hara and their descendants', Diploma thesis, Society of Australian Genealogists.

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Heather Stevens on 2nd August 2018

National Archives Ireland. CRF 1836 B31: This record consists of letters written between September 1835 and June 1836 between Whitehall and Ireland and within Ireland including Under-Secretary for Ireland Thomas Drummond. The correspondence was in response to a request from Patrick Lalor M.P. for Queens County for confirmation that Michael Bryan and his brother in law Michael Caulfield were actually sentenced in 1801 for 7 years, not for life. Eventually the relevant documentation was found (in the ‘Crown Book’ with names ‘Michl Breen’ and ‘Michl Canfil’) and included the information that they were convicted of stealing two sheep from John Lawler. Finally Governor Bourke received a letter from Secretary of State Glenelg in December 1836 confirming that the sentence was for 7 years. The letter has the names ‘Michl Breen’ and ‘Michl Canfil’ and that they were convicted in the 1801 Queens County Spring Assizes, but unfortunately the letter does not give the name of the ship! Not all the records of the Superintendent of Convicts have survived so it is not possible to know for sure if any changes to the records were made. Michael Cantwell's brother in law Michael Bryan (now known as O’Brien) was serving a colonial sentence at Norfolk Island at the time, and there was no effort to use this information to mitigate his sentence, so it appears they were not informed. [Stevens, H 2000, 'The O'Hara story: John and Mary O'Hara and their descendants', Diploma thesis, Society of Australian Genealogists.]