Walter Fitzmaurice

41

Stephen Stuart on 31st December 2019

Ticket of Leave, Appin, 12/3/1832.

71

Robin Sharkey on 7th February 2016

Known as Captain Rock (and so a leader of local peasantry in their agrarian protests around Cork) Walter Fitzmaurice was tried at County Cork assizes with William Costello and five others for the forcible carrying away of Miss Honora Goold so that John Browne could marry or defile her. Seven other men had been tried a month earlier at Limerick for the same crime. Fitzmaurice pleaded guilty but only William Costello was found guilty out of all the others. The Belfast Newsletter dated 3 Sept 1822 reported that the two had received the death sentence. THE CRIME (Freemans Journal 2 August 1822 p 3 re Limerick trial and FJ 27 August 1822 p 3 re Cork trial) Honora Goold was aged 15 at the time. On 4th March she was staying at her brother’s house at Aughrim, Co Cork. An armed party went to the house at night and forced their way n by warning her brother they would burn the house. Four men entered her bedroom, They asked her if she was the eldest and although she replied not, but came back. She was told to dress and was carried downstairs and put on a horse in front of a man named john Browne. Browne was the one who it was intended would marry her. With about 12 men accompanying she was taken to brown’s father’s house a mile away where a coat was put on he and a pillion for her on the horse. She had been crying and Walter Fitzmaurice had come up to her and said unless she held her tongue, he would have her life. They moved on to a village named Freemount where six more men joined, stopping there for spirits. From Freemount the whole party rode on through the night until 8am. Before daybreak the party of men fell away leaving just four or five including Fitzmaurice and Brown. They kept her at a house of a man named Leahy in Limerick for two days against her consent. At the house of David Leahy she was left in a bedroom to the mercy of Browne. Seven men - David Leahy, his son James Leahy and Maurice Leahy (A very opulent farmer) and Daniel and William Doody and John Cassin and David Reidy - had all been tried in late July at Limerick and found guilty. All together they kept her three weeks, moving her to the houses of various Leahys, cabins of others and through the mountains in order to avoid the military and never sleeping a second night consecutively in the same house before finally leaving her in a cabin at the road side because Browne became very alarmed at the activity of the search being made for her. Here she was found. FITZMAURICE’S SENTENCE Fitzmaurice’s sentence, obviously, was commuted to life transportation. Belfast Newsletter 1738-1890, Friday, 13 September, 1822; Page: 4 “On Friday a further respite was received for Walter Fitzmaurice … and whose execution was fixed for next day.” [per Cork Paper] However, William Costello was executed on the 7th September 1822. “He declared his innocence of the crime at the last moment” per Belfast Newsletter dated 13 Sept 1822 page 2. In the trial on Saturday 24 Augsut 1822, Costello was identified by Miss Goold’s brother as coming into the house, and it was reported that “not understanding any English, he did not know what the witness [Richard Goold] had sworn against him."[Freemans journal 27 August 1822] TRANSPORTATION to NSW Walter Fitzmaurice, Age: 30, Born: Limerick (County) Blacksmith, Height: 5/6 1/2, Complexion: Pale, Hair: Brown, Eyes: Grey, Convicted: Cork (County) Life; Transported per Recovery 2, Arrived 31 Jul 1823 Sydney Ticket of Leave 32/61 1823, Aug 4; Walter Fitzmaurice, On list of convicts landed from the "Recovery" and forwarded to Liverpool for distribution. 1824, Mar; On return of convicts returned to Government, transferred and assigned to settlers in the District of Appin. 1824, c.Apr; Trade or Calling: Blacksmith; Original Remarks: Blacksmith. Assigned convict mechanic whose master was a defaulter in payment for; listed as Fitzsimmons. 1825 Muster - “FITZMORRRIS” Govt Servant, Appin [to] Mrs Broughton 1828 Census: Walter Fitzmaurice, Age: 35, Catholic, Arrived per Recovery 1823, 7 years, Govt Servant; Blacksmith to Mrs Broughton; Householder; Household Return district: Goulburn Plains Ticket of Leave Number: 32/0061 Year: 1832; Allowed to remain in the District of Appin; Walter Fitzmaurice Place of Trial: Cork Co,Ship: Recovery, Year: 1823, Native Place: Limerick Trade or Calling: Blacksmith; Source Reference: SRNSW 4/4082; Reel 916. Ticket of Leave Number: 32/1183 Year: 1832; Allowed to remain in the District of King;Trade or Calling: Blacksmith; Source Reference: SRNSW 4/4086; Reel 918. Tickets of Leave Index 1810-1848ABOUT 1837 Dec Walter Fitzmorris, Status: TL (Ticket of Leave); Occupation/Residence &c, Yass [NSW AUS]

221

D Wong on 5th November 2014

Walter Fitzmaurice was 30 years old on arrival – he was transported for the abduction of Miss Honora Goold, a 16 year old. Walter had the alias of Captain Rock. The ship’s surgeon Peter Cunningham said of Fitzmaurice, ‘a quieter better behaved man could not exist’. Colonial Secretary: FITZMAURICE, Walter. Per "Recovery", 1823 4/8/1823: On list of convicts landed from the "Recovery" and forwarded to Liverpool for distribution (Reel 6011; 4/3509 p.4) Mar 1824: On return of convicts returned to Government, transferred and assigned to settlers in the District of Appin (Reel 6028; 2/8283 p.55) April 1824: Blacksmith. Assigned convict mechanic whose master was a defaulter in payment for; listed as Fitzsimmons (Reel 6061; 4/1778 p.265e) 1832: TOL Appin.