Old Devine

342

Maureen Withey on 16th August 2020

Norwich, 8 August. … Old alias Owen Devine, for burglary, were severally condemned, but they were all reprieved. Manchester Mercury, 19 Aug 1800 -------------------------------------------------- Colonial Secretary Index. DEVINE, Owen. Per "Minorca", 1801. 1811 Sep 21 - Sent to Newcastle as prisoner (Reel 6003; 4/3492 p.66) 1812 Feb 25 - Prisoner at Newcastle, time expired. Sent to Sydney on "Estramina" (Reel 6066; 4/1804 p.108) 1817 Jan 6,10 - Re permission to marry at Sydney (Reel 6005; 4/3495 pp.450-1) 1818 Feb 14, Jun 6 - Paid from the Police Fund for lime for Government use at Parramatta (Reel 6038; SZ759 pp.439, 441, 474) 1818 Sep 10 - On list of persons to receive grants of land in 1818; at Lower Branch (Fiche 3266; 9/2652 p.48) 1820 May 17 - Lime burner (Reel 6050; 4/1747 pp.16-8) 1822 Jan 7-1823 Mar 4 - Paid from Colonial Fund (Reel 6039; 4/424 pp.81, 127, 142, 152) 1822 Mar - On account of lime furnished for the use of the Government at Windsor and Emu Plains, 1 Apr 1821 to 23 Mar 1822 (Reel 6016; 4/5781 p.224) 1822 Aug - Signatory to petition objecting to the Commissariat's new system of paying for supplies in Spanish dollars (Reel 6017; 4/5783 p.124c) 1822 Sep 4 - Affidavit re loss of his conditional pardon (Reel 6028; 4/1690 p.14) 1823 - Farmer at the First Branch. Memorial (Fiche 3063; 4/1834B No.93 p.555) 1824 May 3 - Signatory to letter from inhabitants of the Lower Branch re a clause they wish inserted in the deed for the common at Wallambine Creek (Reel 6061; 4/1779 p.50b) -------------------------------------------------- The following report, 1804, shows that Owen Devine was working in the Hawkesbury district for James williamson, Esq. William Collins was then put to the Bar and arraigned, he standing indicted for having feloniously entered an outhouse belonging to James Williamson, Esq, in the district of Hawkesbury, on the 19th day of April last, between the hours of one and two in the afternoon, and stealing thereout sundry articles of wearing apparel the property of Owen Devine and other servants of the said James Williamson Esq. Mr John Williamson deposed that on the 20th of April one of the people informed him the servants outhouse had been robbed; and that hearing upon enquiry that the Prisoner at the Bar had been seen with a bag going towards Richmond Hill, he had applied for and obtained a warrant to apprehend him; in pursuance of which he went with a Constable and some of the servants whose property was missing, to a house at Richmond Hill, in which the Prisoner that night lay ; where, during the interval of a light being procured a bag containing the said property was thrown out of a window, the prisoner declaring the bag that contained them to be his. Jos. Burrows deposed that he accompanied Mr Williamson and assisted to apprehend the prisoner who without hesitation acknowledged he had himself thrown out the bag. Owen Devine's testimony corroborated the preceding ; he identified a number of articles contained in the bag and now produced in evidence ; and had also heard the prisoner repeatedly acknowledge throwing it from the window ; and lastly, Robert Nunn deposed, that he resided at the house in which the Prisoner at the Bar was apprehended, and at his intreaty had accommodated him with a part of his hammock; but upon an alarming noise being heard without at a late hour, he perceived that he was alone in the hammock. Near to the back window he heard a person exclaim, "Here they come; I've got the things;" and at the same instant his bed-fellow returned. The deponent then shrewdly suspected him of being the occasion of the exclamation, but was speedily relieved from all doubt or embarrassment by the prisoner's voluntary declaration that he had descended from the hammock purposely to throw the property away. The JUDGE ADVOCATE considering the evidence already gone through as sufficient to the ends of justice, informed the Prisoner that the Court was now ready to give a patient and impartial hearing to any evidence with which he was provided, as well as to any arguments he should think it expedient to urge in his defence; which went no further than generally to deny the charge. The two persons he referred for his character, but unfortunately for himself their report could be founded but upon a very transient knowledge, and was consequently unavailing where doubt was inadmissible. The Court after a short deliberation pronounced him Guilty, whereupon as he already laboured under a state of Conviction, he was for the present offence sentenced to receive Five Hundred Lashes; afterwards to be sent to hard labour at Newcastle or wheresoever else HIS EXCELLENCY should determine. Sydney Gazette, 20 May 1804. -------------------------------------------------- He married Mary Smith, who was convicted in Dublin, and arrived on Alexander in 1816. -------------------------------------------------- Colonial Secretary Index. SMITH, Mary. Per "Alexander", 1816. 1816 Jul 26 - Re permission to marry John Ferguson at Windsor (Reel 6005; 4/3495 p.52) 1817 Jan 6,10 - Re permission to marry Owen Divine at Sydney (Reel 6005; 4/3495 pp.450-1) -------------------------------------------------- An Inquest was held on Tuesday morning, the 19th instant, at the Lower Branch, on the body of Owen Devine, a settler of that place, who died suddenly in his boat, near Sentry-box Reach, on the preceding Sunday, on his way to Sydney. It appeared from the evidence of his man, and a female passenger, that the deceased complained of a violent pain in the neighbourhood of the heart, and was observed repeatedly smiting his breast with his hand a short time previous to his being found dead on his bed, to which he had been assisted by one of the witnesses. Mr. Surgeon West, of the Colonial Medical Establishment, stated, that the body exhibited no external marks of violence whatever. Verdict--" Died in a natural way." The deceased had been 23 years in the Colony, and was generally esteemed a very persevering, industrious, and honest character. He was interred on his own farm immediately after the verdict, as the body became discoloured and very offensive - the distance to the nearest burying-place being upwards of 35 miles. Sydney Gazette, 28 Oct 1824. --------------------------------------------------- MRS. MARY DEVINE, Widow of the late Mr. OWEN DEVINE, of the Lower Branch, Hawkesbury, requests all Claims against the Estate or Effects of her late Husband, may be immediately sent in; and that all those who may be indebted to the same will settle the Amount as soon as possible. Sydney Gazette, 4 Nov 1824. -------------------------------------------------- In 1828, his widow Mary Devine, was working as servant to Thomas Green at Lower Portland Head. 1828 NSW Census Index. Mary Devine, age 35, F.S. Alexander, 1816, 7 years, catholic, servant to Thos. Green, Lr. Portland Head.