Summary
Personal Information
Voyage
Transportation
Robert Flanagan was transported on the Boddingtons, departing 15th Feb 1793 and arriving 7th Aug 1793 with 129 passengers.
The Boddingtons was Built in 1781. She departed Cork Ireland on 15 February 1793 bound for New South Wales.
Boddingtons (generic)References
| Primary Source | Belfast Newsletter Friday 29 April 1791 page 3 NSW State Records, Convict Ship Indents, "Boddingtons". Craig James Smee 'First Fleet Families Of Australia 1788' Craig James Smee 'Second Fleet Families of Australia Ju 1790' Craig James Smee 'Fourth Fleet Families of Australia 1792' Craig James Smee 'Born In The English Colony Of New South Wales' Craig James Smee 'Births and Baptisms Marriages and Defacto Relationships Deaths and Burials New South Wales 1788-1830' Dr C J Smee 'Convict Families Th |
Claims
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Photos
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Convict Notes
Iain Frazier: Please provide the source for these statements: 1. "Before 1798 he was sent from Parramatta for assault upon John (Doody). " 2. "He was gaoled in 1798 & broke out twice." 3. "After 1798 he disappeared, may have escaped from the colony w/Edward Turkey (Smith)/Marquis Cornwallis) by means of bribes paid to a Government clerk who altered records from Life to 7yrs." If your own research please name the documents where these facts/assertions are found. If someone else's book or papers, please state author and book title.
Robert (Flannagan) had 2children, Elizabeth & Susannah, with Ann (Marsh) who were adopted by her future husband William (Chapman) who has an entry on this Website.
Robert (Flanagan) was earlier tried for robbing James (Brady) at Newry on Kings highway & acquitted at Downpatrick Assizes co.Down in 1790. During trial he was described as 'a desperate"riotous and lawless villain' not wanted by locals Before 1798 he was sent from Parramatta for assault upon John (Doody). He was gaoled in 1798 & broke out twice. After 1798 he disappeared, may have escaped from the colony w/Edward Turkey (Smith)/Marquis Cornwallis) by means of bribes paid to a Government clerk who altered records from Life to 7yrs. Ann (Marsh) has an entry on this website.
_______________________________________________ FROM Ireland-Australia Transportation Database, item no PPC3880. The database notes that Robert FLANAGAN had been given a sentence of death at Armagh Assizes for highway Robbery. This document is described as a letter dated 29 April 1791 from the inhabitants of Newry, Co Down, "requesting that the convict is not granted a pardon or a reprieve of his sentence other than transportation." "States the convict, who resides in Newry Town, is a villain and a robber and has often been in Downpatrick Gaol for various offences."
DAUGHTER SUSANNAH Robert & Ann Flanagan's daughter Susannah married in 1817 also, to John Hunter who came free. In 1817 he was a crew member of the colonial brig "Active" and went on to trade at Tahiti and have many children with Susannah. The ship he later built, "Ulitea" traded between Sydney and Tahiti, and Susannah and children were reported arriving on it (Mrs Hunter and children) in Sydney in December 1832. ROBERT FLANAGAN's CHARACTER Back in Armagh county, Robert Flanagan was known to the law before he appeared at teh 1791Assizes. Reserch done by Con Costello and appearing on the "Inside ireland" website states that Flanagan was from Newry. This town straddles both County Armagh and County down, and is 18 miles south of Armagh city. Quoting Con Costello's research: "[Robert Flanagan's] case was unusual in that there had been a public subscription to pay the prosecutor, and five gentlemen wrote to the authorities requesting that Flanagan should be transported. Their letter, dated April 1791, stated that he was 'a desperate, riotous and lawless villain, and a robber of most infamous character.'Â This petition letter may have been the reason that consideration of Flanagan's sentence was respited at the time of his trial. Many family history websites report that Flanagan absconded in NSW, probably in 1798 and did not reappear again. Unfortunately no references or direct sources are given for this information. It would however explain why his wife Ann set up with William Chapman, probably during that same year 1798 given the birth of a child with him in 1799.
Robert Flanagan's wife, Ann Marsh, had arrived on the "Lady Juliana" in June 1790.
Robert Flanagan - on ship indent as "Flannagan" - was tried at the Co Armagh Assizes in April 1791 and found guilty. Belfast Newsletter Friday 29 April 1791 page 3 "ARMAGH ASSIZES "Robert Flanagan found guilty of a highway robbery, judgement respited till further orders." "Judgement respited until further orders implies that he was originally given the death sentence, but some appeal or consideration on his behalf caused it to be put into abeyance until further consideration of those matters. In the end, he was transported for seven years -per record on the indent of "Boddingtons" on which he sailed. "Boddingtons' indent also recorded him as aged 42 years. As the ship did not depart until February 1793, the indent was made up shortly prior to then. He had been incarcerated since at least April 1791 - getting close to two years. He may have been more like 40 years when he was tried. ARRIVAL in NSW "Boddingtons' arrived at Sydney Cove on 7th August 1793. There are few records of Robert Flanagan. He would have been due to become free in April 1798. He formally married on 27 November 1796, at St John's church Parramatta to convict Ann Marsh. Unusually, they had the permission of the Governor, John Hunter, to do so. It is possible one or both had been married already. Both signed their names in the register as did the witnesses, James John Grant, and Ann Blady. Ann Marsh must have been 4 - 5 months pregnant when they married since their daughter Susannah was born on 17 April 1797, but was not baptised until two years later, at St Phillip's Church in Sydney, on 31st March 1799. 2 year old Susannah was baptised together with her one year old sister, Elizabeth, born on 7 April 1798. Richard Flanagan's wIfe, Ann Marsh, had arrived in NSW on the Second Fleet on " " She had already had two children to different fathers. A daughter, who did not survive, was born in 1791 to the ship's surgeon, Richard Alley. Ann then had a son - baptismal record as John "Irvine", also "Irvin" and "Irving" - with convict John Irving embarked "Scarborough but arrived 'Lady Penrhyn". John Irving the convict died in 1795 (NSWBDM). Ann's relationship with Robert Flanagan follows John Irving's death. There is no record of what happened to Richard Flanagan. However Ann was living with William Chapman by 1800 (an emancipated convict per "PItt" in 1791) when she had a daughter to him baptised in 1800 - Eliza. Thereafter Ann had many re children with William Chapman until he died in 1810. Robert Flanagan & Ann's daughter, Elizabeth, became known by the name of Chapman, since she was married in 1817 as Elizabeth Chapman to Edward Priest.