Francis Delamore

71

Robin Sharkey on 9th January 2025

Francis Delamere tried hard to have his wife, Anne (nee Kelagher) travel to join him in NSW under the family reunion scheme. This was for wives and children of convicts who had served four years of their sentence. Francis could apply from 1827. And he did. His wife Anne Kelagher (maiden name recorded in the Irish correspondence) wrote to the Governor of the Gaol at Carrick on Shannon, where Francis had been held, seeking his help to obtain free passage to travel with her family to Sydney to join her husband Francis Delamere, a convict there. This correspondence is in the Registered papers of the Chief Secretary’s Office [CSO/RP/1828/626] Anne had also obtained letters of recommendation from Rev John Maguire, Catholic pastor of Kiltubride and Rev George D Mansfield, Church of Ireland rector of “Kiltubride” – this is Kiltubrid, which neighbours Kiltoghert parish to the east (see following). Francis had also sent a letter, which was enclosed with the Chief Secretary Papers file, to John Payton, Justice of the Peace at Porte, Carrick on Shannon, requesting his assistance to bring his family to Sydney. He noted that he was a native of “Kiltoughart” (actually “Kiltoghert” in County Leightrim, which is the parish where Carrick on Shannon is situated). He also stated that he was the nephew of Bartholomew Kybryan. )no such surname found, could it be Kereghan or Krigan some similar? And he said he was working for a family named Broughton on their 4700 acre estate at Mulwearey or Goulburn Plains, 200 miles west of Sydney. (1828 Census verifies this, he was a shepherd there). But despite these representations, Anne Kelagher was not put on the 1828 ship “Sir Joseph Banks” which brought wives and children to Sydney. And in May 1829, Francis was still on the list of convicts who had applied for his family to be sent to NSW at the expense of Government (N.A.ref: Free Settlers papers, FS 1830 1). It was noted that his wife was residing at Kiltoughbred – i.e. the parish of Kiltubridd. Anne and family may never have arrived as the family reunion system was haphazardly administered and deserving families, such as theirs, could be denied passage for no particular reason.

342

Maureen Withey on 9th June 2021

Irish Convict Database, by Peter Mayberry. Francis Delamore, alias Tarbert, age on arrival, 40, Isabella I (3) 1823. Carrick on Shannon Leitrim, 1823, Life, DOB 1783, Native place, Leitrim. Shepherd. ---------------------------------------------------- The following persons were left in the custody of this Assizes: ... Dominick Kelly, Thomas Delamore, ... for Burglary and Felony, to hanged, pursuant to warrant to be delivered. Roscommon and Leitrim Gazette, 22 Mar 1823.