Patrick Dempsey

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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)

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Dianne Jones on 18th July 2022

IN VDL: 26 May, 1853: On arrival in VDL, PATRICK DEMPSEY was listed as convict #27897, a labourer, 26 years old, 5’7” tall with dark brown hair, grey eyes and a ruddy complexion. Sentenced to 7 years for assault and robbery, his behavior on Gibraltar was listed as "good". He was single, Roman Catholic, and literate (https://stors.tas.gov.au/CON33-1-115$init=CON33-1-115p50). Family: Father Dennis; brothers James, Richard and Dennis -- all at his native place (https://stors.tas.gov.au/CON14-1-47$init=CON14-1-47_00150_L). For further details see his VDL Conduct record at https://stors.tas.gov.au/CON33-1-115$init=CON33-1-115p52. —00—

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Dianne Jones on 18th July 2022

On Gibraltar, Patrick Dempsey was listed as 25 years old when convicted, born in Limerick, Ireland; Catholic; light brown hair, hazel eyes and fair complexion, 5’7½” tall; literate; labourer; single. 3 February, 1853: He was sent aboard the St Vincent for transportation to VDL (UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951; Misc.; Register of Prisoners; 1810-1822 [mislabelled]).

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Dianne Jones on 18th July 2022

3 October, 1851: DEMPSEY, PATRICK #1937, arrived on Gibraltar from Ireland per Rodney. Held on the Europa hulk (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/). —0—

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Dianne Jones on 18th July 2022

MORE ABOUT PATRICK DEMPSEY: 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). --00--

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Dawn Nash Durbin on 31st May 2022

Dawn Nash Durbin on 21st May, 2020 wrote: Michael Nash was born in County Limerick, Ireland circa 1807. He was a woodranger for Lord Monteagle at Mount Trenchard. He married Margaret Walsh 26/2/1843 in Foynes, County Limerick, Ireland. Sponsors: Lawrence Naish and Joanna Hayes. In 1849, Michael Nash paid 3 men, Patrick Dempsey, Michael Culhane and John Hennesey to cause bodily harm to the steward of Lord Monteagle, Loughlin Sharpe. Loughlin Sharpe was paying the poor, on the public works projects, only a schilling a week and pocketing the rest of the money. This angered Michael. The men met at Nolan’s Pub in Newbridge and Michael paid them. They then proceeded to the house of Loughlin Sharpe where they cut off his ear and slit his achilles tendon. All four men were sentenced to 7 years transportation. Here are the records of Michael Nash. Michael Nash was convicted of a charge of malicious assault on 7/16/1849. His sentence was 7 years in the penal colony system. He was “transported” from Cohb (Cork), Ireland on the ship RODNEY on 12/20/1851. The Rodney weighed 877 tons and was built in Sunderland in 1850. The ship had 312 convicts on board. The ship’s Master was Alex MacLean and the Surgeon was Harvey Morris. He sailed to Gibraltor, Spain, and spent 18 months there and then was transferred to the ship the Saint Vincent and was on the last boat of convicts to Hobart, Tasmania in 1853. The Saint Vincent dropped off 100 convicts in Gibraltor and picked up 102 convicts for the final voyage. The Saint Vincent was rigged as a ship of 633 tons, built in London in 1829. Her master was John Young and Surgeon Thomas Sommerville.

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Dawn Nash Durbin on 31st May 2022

Convicted with Michael Nash and Michael Culhane. See convict record for Michael Nash for details. Looking to connect.

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Dawn Nash Durbin on 31st May 2022

Convicted with Michael Nash and Michael Culhane. See convict record for Michael Nash for details. Looking to connect.