Bartholomew Cavanagh

71

Robin Sharkey on 22nd January 2018

Bartholomew Cavanagh arrived In NSW on the transport ship “Boyd”. He was probably about 32 years old at the time, given later stated ages. He had been tried at Cork City in the Spring sessions of the Assizes. Probably tried end of March or 1st April. Sentence was pronounced on 1st April 1808 on all prisoners found guilty at these Cork Sessions: Finns Leinster Journal, Saturday April 9th 1808 page 3. “COUNTRY INTELLIGENCE. “LIMERICK April 2nd “Barth. Cavanagh, for stealing to the value of 1s 7dh, from Mr James Seward, grocer, on the 13th February [i.e. 1808], to be transported for 7 years.” Bartholomew Cavanagh was more commonly known as “Patrick". He even referred to himself Patrick in a newspaper notice in 1821 and he appears often in NSW Government records as Patrick. He was a stonemason by trade and remained a prisoner until he obtained his freedom in 1815. He set up with one woman in 1814, married another in 1816, had at least one child alive by 1821 (Ann) when he moved his family to Tasmania where the family became harder to trace through the records _________________________________________ The 'Boyd' arrived on 4th August 1809. Cavanagh was a stonemason [ per Col Sec Correspondence, 1813 index to letters]. He would have worked out of the government lumber yard on George Street, being sent out to jobs from there. He’d have had to find his own accommodation in the town – often this was in a ‘skillion’ tagged on to another convict’s rough hut, or on the kitchen floor of a house. 1813 Patrick Cavanagh is noted in "Index to letters received" which notes that he came per ‘Boyd’, and was a stonemason. He was given his Certificate of Freedom when his sevenyears were up. (Certificate no 9/1400 dated 6 March 1815). Bart may have been something of a ladies’ man. In 1814, after five years in NSW, he was recorded living with Ellen Holland, who had arrived on the ‘Archduke Charles’ ship a year and a half before, in February 1813. There was one child off stores, so this was probably her child, not necessarily theirs together. However, two years later at Parramatta St John’s Church, on 8th July 1816, he married Mary “Phillips”, who was only 20 yrs old, per Wanstead. Bartholomew said he was aged 40. He signed his name but Mary could not sign. There were two marriage witnesses – David Byrnes and Elizabeth Johnson. Witness David (sometimes “Davy”) Byrnes/ Burns would have been a friend of Bart’s, who of course was an Irishman himself. Byrnes had been transported for being a United Irishman (political activity) back with the 1798 Irish Rebellion and arrived on “Friendship” in 1800, and had finally been given a conditional pardon at the beginning of 1813. 1816 Settler Lists – Patrick Cavanagh per Boyd 1809, tried Limerick, Emancipated, Labourer, Sydney 1820 – Labourer (no place stated) May 1821 - moved to Tasmania Sydney Gazette 19 May 1821 “PATRICK CAVANAGH and Wife, Thomas Hoskisson, and Richard Dalton, leaving the Colony in the Ship Duchess of York, request Claims to be presented.” They departed NSW on the ship “Duchess of York” on 21 May 1821, which was plying between Sydney and Hobart in early 1821 and which left for England later in October 1821. On the listing of departing crew and passengers for Hobart on 21 May 1821 the family is found listed as follows: “Barth’w Cavanagh. Free by Certificate no 9/1400 dated 6 March 1815. “Mary Phillip ux Cavanagh [ i.e. wife of Cavanagh]. Free by Certificate 5/2418 dated 6 March 1820. "Anne, child of the above." 1824 P Cavanagh is in Index to letters received. “Memorial” Is this him? He is still in Tasmania in 1826 [1826 Tasmanian List of Convicts. Bartholomew Cavanagh per Boyd. ‘Free Certificate 5th March 1815”.] Mary and Patrick/Bartholomew had another child in Tasmania: (1) “KAVANAGH, Elizabeth” baptised 12 July 1824 at Hobart, Roman Catholci Records Parents names (in latin) Maria [Mary] Phillips, Patricio [Patrick] Kavanagh Sponsor: Maria [Mary]Livinson Woodhouse. However, 2 year old Elizabeth Cavanagh died on 27 July 1824. This is most likely the same child, meaning she was born in 1822 - in Tasmania. In 1828 he was committed on trial on suspicion of theft of money. Outcome unknown. This earned him time in prison (awaiting trial) and a record in the Tasmanian Convict archives: Tasmanian Convict Records: CONDUCT RECORD for Bartholomew Cavanagh CAVANAGH, Bart’w Per Boyd 1809 [to Tasmania] Per D [Duchess of] York 1821 Limerick March 1808 – 7 “February 18th 1828 Free by Servitude. Committed for trial on suspicion of stealing £2.16 from Charles Kirk (J. Simpson i.e Magistrate) In 1837 there was an Inquest Record for a Patrick Cavanagh at Bosworth. Could this be the same man? He would by then be 60 years of age. No age was stated.