John Connery

71

Robin Sharkey on 10th February 2014

JOHN (Sean) CONNERY, CRIMES: Taking forcible possession of property and breaking out of Clonmel Jail (17 Augu 1835) and at Waterford There were three CONNERY brothers who gained hero status in Waterford for first resisting an eviction and then escaping from custody over it, the two of them being protected by the country people over three years while they were hunted from 1835 until 1838 for escaping from custody on their way to Cork and a 7 year transportation sentence. * All had been involved in Waterford faction-fighting (including using shillelaghs at fairs). They were: 1. SEAN (James) Born approx 1806 2. PAURIC (Patrick) Born approx 1807 3. SEAMUS (James) Born approx 1810 * Parents Patrick & Mary Connery, nee Lynch. * Village of Ballyconnery nearby indicates the family had been in the area for centuries. * This Connery family lived near the town-land of Bohadoon, Bohadoon is in the Colligan valley on the slopes of the Commeragh mountains, then thickly wooded. The parents rented 20 acres of hillside land. * The Connerys were members of the local Poleen Faction - fighters at fairs etc AT Bohadoon - * The middleman Sir John Nugent Humble sub-let in small parcels to farmers. He placed a man named Maurice Hackett on the parcel next to the Connerys, supposedly to watch over them, and made him gamekeeper of an area up the mountain that had been Sean’s job. the feeling was that Humble wanted them off the land. * May 1831: John and James killed Hackett. They dressed as women and fired shots at him while he was walking in a field beside a relative who was ploughing. They missed, he ran but got him climbing over the wall into the wood. They bashed his head into the ground with the butts of their guns. Waterford Lent Assizes, 6th March 1834: SEAN (John) charged with murder of David Tobin who had been walking with Sean and others on 5th October 1833 returning home from Dungarvan market (about 7 miles) when he was hit by a stone on the side of his head, became paralysed and died two days later. NOT GUILTY SEAN (John) Charged with Manslaughter of Currane/Krehane whose head was bashed with sticks by a gang of men at the fair of Ballykeerogue on 2nd October 1833 so that he died two weeks later. He had been selling porter in a tent at the fair and Sean had taken a cart-load of beer to the fair to sell for a man in Dungarvan. Presumably economic rivalry was involved worsened by the fact that Currane was a member of the rival GOW Faction. Sean was NOT GUILTY together with 7 other members of the Poleen faction. (Waterford Mirror and Waterford Chronicle, both 8th March 1834) Waterford Lent Assizes, 12 March 1835 3. SEAN (John) and SEAMUS (James) Both charged over the death of Maurice Hackett, bashed to death in a field four years earlier in May 1831 near the village of Bohadoon. They were charged with conspiracy to murder and shooting at Maurice Hackett. * NOT GUILTY on the conspiracy to murder charge * HOWEVER Seamus (James) was convicted of manslaughter of Hackett (shooting at him) on direct evidence that he was overheard to say that he had shot Hackett and that Hackett could not recover after what he had given him. * NOTE also the principal prosecution witness was Laurence Crotty who told police he recognised both Sean and Seamus but then in court claimed he did not know Sean. Therefore, he was convicted of perjury for this and transported for 7 years on the same ship as Seamus. * SEAMUS (James): Death recorded commuted to LIFE * Sent to NSW on the ship “Hive” departed May 1835, arrived December 1835. * The Connery boys had previously illegally put their cattle on 5 acres of land near the town land of Ballylemon Wood, illegally because they had no lease. * In July 1835 the land agent obtained an eviction order and served it on John & Patrick, with police protection, and with the land agent, a solicitor named Foley, immediately decamping to Dublin. * But Sean (John) & Pauric (Patrick) returned to the land with their cattle, reoccupied it, and scared off the man Foley had put there to watch over the land. * Soon they were arrested charged with taking forcible possession of 5 acres, but got bail with a forged bail bond. * 22 July 1835 HEARING at WATERFORD ASSIZES, the charge was changed to resisting a legal decree. * FOUND GUILTY and sentenced to 7 Years’ TRANSPORTATION ESCAPE and HIDING * 17th August 1835 - They escaped from the lock-up at Clonmel, Tipperary on their journey to Cork for a transport ship to NSW by getting over the jail wall; two other prisoners who were trying with them fell back in and were captured. While the Waterford Keeper in charge of them went off for the day, the Connerys had been allowed in the kitchen by the Clonmel keeper, where they had been able to break their shackles. They completely removed these at a nearby farmhouse. (Waterford Mirror, 23/8/1835) * They spent the next 7 months in hiding around Waterford with the help of the local people protecting them. * Captured at Patrick Conners’ hotel in Waterford town right opposite the military barracks, after they were recognised. * 7 May 1836 led a break-out from Ballybricken Prison in Waterford, releasing 7 other men also due to be moved the next day to Cork for transportation to NSW. * Were again in hiding around Waterford for two more years. * 27 March 1838 were informed on while at a farmhouse there was awry high reward on their heads. * 18 July 1838 appeared at Waterford Assizes on a new charge of jail breaking. They were sentenced now to 14 years’ transportation, and this time they could not escape. * 24 August 1834, departed Waterford for transfer to more secure Kilmainham jail in Dublin and eventually Departed on the “Elphinstone” for NSW * Arrived NSW on 29 December 1838, three years after their brother Seamus (James). John (Sean) CONNERY - CONVICT LIFE IN NSW: INDENT of “Elphinstone” Both John and his brother Patrick listed as: “ RC, Single, Laborer, Co Waterford. Tried 16 July 1838; Offence - Gaolbreaking and forceable possession; 14 yr sentence.” Both had sallow and freckled complexions & both brown hair, * JOHN aged 28 (est B 1810) could R&W. Hazel eyes. Many scars listed -forehead and back of right side of head; many scars on hands/fingers. * PATRICK aged 32 (est B 1806) no education (can’t R&W). Grey eyes. only a scar on thumb & outside small of right leg UNCLAIMED LETTERS AWAITING JOHN CONNERY at Post Office * SMH notices dated 7 July 1842, 10 August 1842 and 8 September 1842, * SMH Notice dated 6 March 1843 * SMH Notice dated 16 June 1843: John CONERY, Woolloomoolloo Stockade ELLEN ENGLISH, WIFE: Lived with ELLEN ENGLISH who had come per “China” in 1839, until finally married 1848 * Ellen B 29/9/1822 at Cappoquin in Waterford, near Connerys’ home village. Aged 17 on arrival, * Father was Andrew ENGLISH B 1793 approx, TRANSPORTED “Waverley” arrived 17 June 1839. Convicted at Waterford on 16 July 1838 for killing a sheep at Leperstown. In Waterford, lived at the Carrigeen, and dealt in sheep skins and goat skins. Was found with warm skin of a killed sheep belonging to Edward Dower, prisoner English claimed he had bought it from someone else. He was 57 years on arrival, could read & write, Catholic. Had 4 sons and 4 daughters; had lost his 2 front upper teeth and was only just over 5’ tall. * The father was assigned at Bathurst when he died - accidental death - in 1844 (so aged 63 years old) * Mother was Ellen Griffin. Was dead when her husband was transported. * Ellen’s siblings were all born in Cappoquin. Since Ellen and all her siblings, and her father, still lived in Waterford up to the Connerys’ final arrest in 1838, (although she was only 16) she would have known of the Connerys’ exploits before she arrived in NSW and actually met John … perhaps she had even already met him in Waterford. Perhaps he seemed a romantic figure. She emigrated with her siblings on the “CHINA” immigrant ship shortly after their father’s departure; arriving December 1839. Besides Ellen, there were * her elder sister, Catherine 22 (B 1817) who could only read, and * older brother John, 23 (B1816) who was a shoemaker, with his wife Johanna (Moore), a 21 year old native of Waterford who could neither read nor write, and was 6months pregnant on arrival in NSW with their first child being born in March 1840. * as well as two younger siblings Patrick aged 9 and Honorah aged 13 who were travelling officially with Mrs Johanna Connery. (Possibly the oldest sibling, Mary stayed on in Ireland). Ellen called herself a house and childrens’ maid, had turned 17 on 29th September and could Read and Write. They followed their convicted elderly father to NSW the same year and also went up to Bathurst. Ellen and her sister Catherine were engaged, as assisted immigrants, to a Mrs Gurner in O’Connell St, as maids. She had met John within the next eight no months though by August 1840 at the latest, as she gave birth to his child the following May. * 1841, 4th May, First Child, PATRICK born. Died as baby. * Baptised 16 May 1841, St Mary’s but DIED December 1841, buried 7th December aged 7 months. Address was “Frazier’s lane” LIVING AT THE ROCKS - this is where Frazier’s Lane is located * 1842, 22 November 2nd child, JAMES, born. incorrectly on BDM Indexes as “Curtin” instead of Connery. Baptised on the 11th December 1842 LIVING AT THE ROCKS - CUMBERLAND ST (where baby James was Baptised). Both brothers John & Patrick Connery received the same sentence mitigations and worked in same place: * TICKET OF LEAVE - 8 August 1844 prisoners number 38/27011 (6 yrs after sentence) Ticket of Leave 44/2042 * Allowed to remain in Bathurst District on recommendation of Hyde Park Bench (of magistrates) dated April 1844 (but do not appear to have been at Bathurst) * Working at Waterworks at Centennial Park * 14th April 1845 - “Returned to Sydney while working at the Waterworks at Lachlan Swamp” written on Ticket of Leave. His brother also was moved to the waterworks at same time. 1848 MARRIED Ellen on 23 September 1848 at Scots Church Sydney Was he waiting for a Conditional Pardon before they married, and knew it was coming??? His residence at marriage was “Laughlin Swamps” i.e at the Centennial Park waterworks. Witnesses were one of Ellen’s sisters - Hanora - and her husband William Orr of Surry Hills. * Why did they - both Catholics - marry in the Presbyterian Church when they had previously had their children baptised in the RC Church?? * CONDITIONAL PARDON 20 Dec 1848 - noted as laborer, Offence: jail breaking and forcible possession, 14 years sentence. B 1806. 5’10” tall SMH, Thursday, 8th February 1849 - CONDITIONAL PARDONS. - " His Excellency the Governor has directed it to be notified, that Her Majesty has been graciously pleased to authorise the issue of pardons to the undermentioned persons, on condition that they do not return to the countries or colonies from which they were respectively transported during, the remainder of the term of their respective sentences:—Pardons available everywhere, save in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Dated-20th December, 1848 ..… JOHN CONNERY, ‘Elphinstone’, PATRICK CONNERY, ‘Elphinstone’ " * 1851 Decided to try his luck at the Goldfields, with one of his broterhs: But if brought bad luck: * DEATH (3rd July 1851) SMH Tuesday July 8th 1851 Coroners Inquest. An Inquest was commenced yesterday before the Coroner at Wellington Inn, Parramatta Street, on view of the body of John Connolly (sic) then laying dead in the Benevolent Asylum. It appears that the deceased with several others was proceeding to the gold diggings, and on the 28th May [1851] camped at Emu Plains. There, a number of the residents came round the encampment and insisted upon examining the cradle, & c, and one of the cradles being broken by them a dispute ensued, which ended in a fight. The deceased was severely beaten; and he and his party were afterwards taken into custody and committed for trial by the Penrith Bench for assault. They were, however, admitted to Bail; but the deceased, who had never ceased to complain of blows inflicted upon him, died on Thursday last [i.3rd JULY] at his residence at the Water Reserve near Paddington, he and his brother having returned to the district. Dr. Cuthill attended him since his return, and a post mortem examination of the body was made by that gentleman and Dry Tierney; the particulars of which the Coroner desired should not be published until after the resumption of the inquest which he then postponed until Monday next. SMH, 15 July 1851 INQUEST into death of Mr John Connery. Verdict - Death caused by pre-existent disease. HOW ON EARTH DID THEY COME TO THAT DECISION?? * Was not stated which of his brothers was with him, Patrick or James. CORONER, 25 July 1851 Register of coroners Inquests and Magisterial Inquiries. STATE ARCHIVES REEL NO 190 Year 1851 No 6057 Held at Sydney Date received 14 July 1851 Coroner 25 July 1851 Result - Died of natural causes. SMH, Saturday, 5 July 1851 FAMILY NOTICES - “The friends of the late Mr John Connery are requested to attend his funeral to move from his residence, paddington, old South Head Road, tomorrow, Sunday afternoon, at a quarter to two o’clock. James Curtis undertaker, Hunter Street, July 5th.” BURIED: Sunday, 6th July 1851 WIFE ELLEN was left with an 8 year old son, James, and was pregnant with another child who would be born in1852 - MARY HELENA CONNERY ___________________? SMH 19 June 1866 and 3 June 1866 1866 MARRIAGE of his SON JAMES CONNERY. On the 6th instant [June], by special license, by the Rev. Dr. Fullerton, of Elizabeth-street, Sydney, Mr. JAMES CONNERY, native of Sydney, to ELIZABETH, youngest daughter of Mr. ALEXANDER URQUHART, of Waverley, and formerly of Ross-shire, Scotland. Note: James was born in 1842 so was aged 24 years They had nine children: 1867 Female Connery Born at Paddington 1869 Ellen All the rest were at Newtown: 1871 James 1874 Elizabeth Ann Died same year 1876 John 1877 Elizabeth M 1880 Charlotte 1882 Elsie M 1886 William James Connery son of James and Ellen died 1912 St Peters. Would be aged about 71 years. 1875 MARRIAGE of Daughter MARY CONNERY (aged 23) and Richard Henry Stokes DUMMETT * She had 9 children from 1876 (aged 24) to 1895 (aged 43). * The last birth was registered at Smithfield, where she also died in 1918. Many of them must have gone to war: their ages in 1915 were: Victor 39, Percy 37, Percy 35, John 32, James 30, Claud 27, Ramond 20.