Michael Culhane

218

Dianne Jones on 13th August 2022

FOOTNOTE 3: MORE ACCOUNTS OF THEIR TRIAL AND THE AFTERMATH — NEWSPAPER REPORTS: TRIAL: 17 July, 1849: John Hennessy, Michael Nash, Patt Dempsey, John Crowe, and Michael Colhane, were indicted for taking away a gun the 6th of May last at South Cappa, from Loghlan Sharpe. For assaulting L Sharpe, at South Cappa, with intent to endanger life the 6th May last. ... (Limerick Reporter, p3). 19 July, 1849: MURDEROUS ATTACK ON LORD MONTEAGLE’S STEWARD. At the Limerick Assizes, Michael Nash, John Crowe, John Hennessy, Patrick Dempsey, and Michael Culhane, were put to the bar charged with taking arms from Lachlan Sharpe, and also with maliciously assaulting him, so as to endanger his life, and so as to do him grievous bodily harm on the 6th of May last. Three men named Michael Crowe, Michael Carroll and Patrick Walshe, were included in the indictment, but not proceeded against… A man named Connors, who had been steward to Lord Monteagle, was discharged, and the prosecutor, Lachlan Sharpe, a Scotchman, was appointed in his place. Sharpe introduced some new regulations affecting the management of the land; and had reason to… [indistinct] with several of the persons employed on the land, amongst others, with the prisoner Nash, who was a herdsman [woodsman?] and had liberty to graze two cows, but who used improperly to keep more at his lordship’s expense and Mr. Sharpe told him he should not take more privileges than his lordship allowed him, and for this reason this barbarous attack was concocted, which is a disgrace to the country and to humanity. Mr. Bennett then proceeded through the details of the case. He remarked that, in point of law, they would be warranted in finding a verdict of guilty, even if the approver was uncorroborated; but he would produce such testimony as, if believed, must entirely establish the truth of the approver’s story. An Approver deposed to the facts of the case. Crowe was acquitted—the rest found guilty.” (Morning Herald London, p3) — WITNESS ‘DROWNED’: 22 March, 1850: “David Fitzgerald, a crown witness [approver], at last summer assizes for this county, when John Hennessy, Michael Culhane, Patrick Dempsey, and Michael Nash, were convicted of a violent attack upon Mr. Loughlin Sharpe, steward to Lord Monteagle, so as to endanger life, South Cappa, on the 6th of May, and who were sentenced to transportation for life [incorrect, they were sentenced to 7 years’ transportation] was found drowned in a bog hole, near the Roman Catholic chapel of Stonehall, on Saturday, with the sinews of both arms cut through across the elbow joint, and his throat also desperately lacerated. Dr. Enright, coroner, held an inquest on Sunday, when a verdict of found drowned was returned, in the absence of any evidence to account for the catastrophe.” (Morning Herald London, p2) —00—

218

Dianne Jones on 12th August 2022

FOOTNOTE: ACCOUNTS OF THEIR TRIAL AND THE AFTERMATH — NEWSPAPER REPORTS: TRIAL: 17 July, 1849: John Hennessy, Michael Nash, Patt Dempsey, John Crowe, and Michael Colhane, were indicted for taking away gun the 6th of May last at South Cappa, from Loghlan Sharpe. For assaulting L Sharpe, at South Cappa, with intent to endanger life the 6th May last. ... (Limerick Reporter, p3). 19 July, 1849: MURDEROUS ATTACK ON LORD MONTEAGLE’S STEWARD. At the Limerick Assizes, Michael Nash, John Crowe, John Hennessy, Patrick Dempsey, and Michael Culhane, were put to the bar charged with taking arms from Lachlan Sharpe, and also with maliciously assaulting him, so as to endanger his life, and so as to do him grievous bodily harm on the 6th of May last. Three men named Michael Crowe, Michael Carroll and Patrick Walshe, were included in were included in the indictment, but not proceeded against…. A man named Connors, who had been steward to Lord Monteagle, was discharged, and the prosecutor, Lachlan Sharpe, a Scotchman, was appointed in his place. Sharpe introduced some new regulations affecting the management of the land; and had reason to… [indistinct] with several of the persons employed on the land, amongst others, with the prisoner Nash, who was a herdsman [woodsman?] and had liberty to graze two cows, but who used improperly to keep more at his lordship’s expense and Mr. Sharpe told him he should not take more privileges than his lordship allowed him, and for this reason this barbarous attack was concocted, which is a disgrace to the country and to humanity. Mr. Bennett then proceeded through the details of the case. He remarked that, in point of law, they would be warranted in finding a verdict of guilty, even if the approver was uncorroborated; but he would produce such testimony as, if believed, must entirely establish the truth of the approver’s story. An Approver deposed to the facts of the case. Crowe was acquitted—the rest found guilty.” (Morning Herald London, p3) — WITNESS ‘DROWNED’: 22 March, 1850: “David Fitzgerald, a crown witness [approver], at last summer assizes for this county, when John Hennessy, Michael Culhane, Patrick Dempsey, and Michael Nash, were convicted of a violent attack upon Mr. Loughlin Sharpe, steward to Lord Monteagle, so as to endanger life, South Cappa, on the 6th of May, and who were sentenced to transportation for life [incorrect, they were sentenced to 7 years’ transportation] was found drowned in a bog hole, near the Roman Catholic chapel of Stonehall, on Saturday, with the sinews of both arms cut through across the elbow joint, and his throat also desperately lacerated. Dr. Enright, coroner, held an inquest on Sunday, when a verdict of found drowned was returned, in the absence of any evidence to account for the catastrophe.” (Morning Herald London, p2)

218

Dianne Jones on 17th July 2022

FOOTNOTE 2: John Hennessy and Michael Nash rounded out the four who went to VDL per St Vincent and via Gibraltar. See their bios at: Dempsey - https://convictrecords.com.au/convicts/dempsey/patrick/4269 Hennessey - https://convictrecords.com.au/convicts/hennessey/john/7224 Nash - https://convictrecords.com.au/convicts/nash/michael/3779. --0--

218

Dianne Jones on 17th July 2022

FOOTNOTE: Patrick Dempsey was also sent to Gibraltar at the same time, and transported to VDL per St Vincent as well.

218

Dianne Jones on 17th July 2022

SENT TO GIBRALTAR: 3 October, 1851: CULHANE, MICHAEL #1936, arrived on Gibraltar from Ireland per Rodney. Held on the Europa hulk, he was listed as 25 years old, native place Limerick, Catholic; 5'7¼" tall with light brown hair, hazel eyes, fair complexion; single; semi-literate; native place Limerick (UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951; Misc.; Register of Prisoners; 1810-1822 [mislabelled]). Gibraltar and Bermuda were listed public works stations (and the second stage in the penal process). On Gibraltar, as “convicts worked together with free men on the dockyards, lines between them became blurred. Convicts, like seamen, were ‘easily recognised’ by ‘their swarthy, weather beaten complexions…[and] muscular well-knit frames’. The discipline on the penal settlement was also influenced by the naval department, who superintended part of the works. In the 1840s, for example, convicts were provided ‘a half gill of rum’ at 11am and 5pm, which they drank from a trough. This mirrored the daily allowance of diluted rum, known as grog, to Royal Naval seamen in the Victorian era. Convicts were also allowed to use part of their earnings, to buy goods, usually tobacco, which they were allowed to smoke in the evening in the barracks. Though official correspondence cited health reasons for grog allowance, it seems likely that the convict authorities feared insubordination if they were banned from drinking and smoking, which were provided to the sappers and dockyard workers whom they worked alongside… In 1854, the acting overseer stated that “half of the offences were committed when the men were excited by rum”. For more serious offences, convicts were flogged with a ‘cat o’nine tails’ whip against the ‘flogging mast’, and during an investigation Dr William Baly concluded that the whip which was used was an old naval cat, which was ‘much heavier than any now used in the government prison and hulks at home, or in the army.’” (Roscoe, Katy (2018), “Convicts and the Sea: the naval influence on Gibraltar Convict Establishment” at https://staffblogs.le.ac.uk/. 3 February, 1853: Sent aboard the St Vincent for transportation to VDL. --00--

218

Dianne Jones on 17th July 2022

BACK IN IRELAND: 16 July, 1849: Convicted and sentenced to 7 years’ transportation for common assault and stealing firearms (http://foundersandsurvivors.org/pubsearch/convict/chain/ai16319) --0-- NEWSPAPER REPORT OF THE TRIAL: 18 July, 1849: “ASSIZES—Monday, July 16. ATTACK ON LORD MONTEAGLE'S STEWARD. John Hennessy, Michael Nash, Patt Dempsey, John Crowe, and Michael Culhane, were indicted for taking away a gun on the 6th of May last, at South Cappa, from Loughlan Sharpe; also for assaulting L. Sharpe, at South Cappa, with intent to endanger life, on the 6th May last. A witness told the court a group of men were at Nolan’s public house after the fair at Newbridge. Michael Nash told the witness "to beat Loughlan Sharpe". He said he saw Michael Culhane strike Mr Sharpe “with a flesh-hook in the ear”. The witness and a man called Carroll went upstairs to look for a gun, and Carroll found it; when they came back Mr Sharpe was “knocked down, and John Hennessy had a leg on his throat” (Dublin Evening Mail, p3). --0--

221

D Wong on 23rd July 2014

Michael Culhane was 28 years old on arrival in VDL, he was transported for “Common assault and stealing fire arms”. Michael could read & write a little, was single, RC, 5’6 3/4” dark complexion, dark brown hair and whiskers, hazel eyes. b. james (america), daniel, patrick (america); s. margaret, catherine, mary np. 1/10/1853: was a Constable in Hobart. 17/10/1854: TOL 28/8/1855: CP 1861: was mining up the Crooked River, Victoria. Mary Kirk age 21, sailed from Plymouth on March 27th 1869 on board the sailing ship Gresham and arrived in Melbourne on the 24th June 1869. She married Michael on 30 December 1869 in Gippsland. They had 10 children.

4

Nicole Maloney on 23rd July 2014

Michael Joseph Culhane - arrested at age 14 with Patrick Dempsey, John Hennesy and Michael Nash in Limerick Ireland and transported to Van Diemen's Land for seven years. Later married Mary Kirk and settled in Talbotville, Victoria as a goldminer. Michael and Mary had 10 children. If you have any additional information - I can be contacted at nicole_cuce@hotmail.com - I am Michael's great, great granddaughter.