Peter Dennahay

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Robin Sharkey on 15th January 2014

Peter Denahy was 47 at the end of 1810 when he boarded the Providence Convict ship in Cork for NSW. He had been found guilty only a couple of months before at Cork County Assizes and sentenced to 7 years' transportation: "Peter DENAHY for sheep stealing, to be transported for Life." - per Freemans Journal dated 7 September 1810. In fact his sentence written on the ship's Indent was 7 years, not life. Peter Dennahy's name is written many different ways in the NSW records by clerks unable to come to grips with the Irish sound of his surname or achieve a consistent spelling: Denahy - Freemans Journal Dennahay - Indent Danahy, Danahoy, Denahoy - various NSW Musters Donohoe - 1828 Census * 1814 Muster - Assigned to Mr Redfern. Mustered at Liverpool * 1816 - Servant to Mr Lucas, Liverpool * 1818 Muster - servant to Mr Morris (should that be Lucas??) * 1820 Muster - Servant to Mr Lucas * 1822 Muster - Peter Danahy, F-by-S, Landholder, Liverpool. Leasing 50 acres, cleared 8 acres, 6 horned cattle. * 1828 Census "Peter Donohoe aged 75 per Providence. Catholic. Living in the household of HENRY DONOHOE in Kent Street, Sydney. * HENRY DENAHY It was likely that Henry Denahy (ship indent) was Peter's son as Peter was living with Henry and his young family in 1828. Henry per Hadlow arrived 5th August 1820 aged 21. Henry was called Donohoe in 1828 Census. * Henry "DENAHY" had his Cert of Freedom granted on 3 August 1826. (no 010/5527) * Henry, aged 28, had permission on 6 Nov 1827 to marry Mary McCarthy aged 19, a convict per the "Almorah" with a 7 year sentence. They did marry in 1827 (NSW BDM "Dennehy" and "McCarthy"). * Henry's child Daniel was born in August 1828 (NSW BDM recorded as "Danahy"). and baptised St Mary's church 22 August 1828 with sponsors Thomas & Ann Dillon. * In 1831 Henry Denahy was the baptism sponsor to a child born to Margaret Denahy and Daniel Ryan. * IN 1832 Henry was living at Clarence St when he was assigned a gov't servant called Bridget Clifford off the ship "Hooghley" (Sydney Gazette 5/11/1832 "DANAHY"). * IN 1837 Henry had a stall in the Sydney Markets, with John Wright, advertising in the Sydney Monitor of 8/10/1837 ("DANAHY") that they had been to Tasmania and selected the best Brown's River potatoes which they would sell in their stalls in the market. MARGARET DENAHY * Another relative, Margaret Denahy, had also arrived in 1828 possibly Peter's daughter given that Henry Denahy was the child's god-parent. * 1828 Margaret Denahy servant to Mrs Ward in Pitt Street. *1829 Permission ot Marry Daniel Ryan aged 29, per Medina (1823) * From the details of Margaret's Ticket of Leave no 33/487 dated 20 August 1833: Arrived as a convict on the "City of Edinburgh" - DENOHY on ship's Indent. She was born in 1804, a servant, native of County Cork and in 1825 was given a Life transportation sentence for House Robbery in Cork. In 1833 she received a ticket of leave. She was then already "married to Dan Ryan of the Sydney Police" * 8 March 1839 Conditional Pardon. no 39/2595 * 24 Nov 1833 he was dismissed for striking the inspector and drunkenness. DEATH OF PETR DENAHY No record yet found of death of Peter. He was said to be 75 years in 1828 (although based on his stated age in 1810 he would be only 65) so he is unlikely to have lived much longer. However, if Henry was his son, and Margaret his daughter or niece, then he had some joy in his later life with seeing family again and having grandchildren. * Governors Court Case Papers each year 1820 - 1821 Series NRS 4565 Item [4/7880] case numbers: 1820 - 040 1821 - 192 1823 - 304 1823 - 306 I