Summary
Personal Information
Transportation
John Frawley was transported on the Java, departing 24th Jul 1833 and arriving 18th Nov 1833 with 208 passengers.
Embarked: 206 men Voyage: 117 days Deaths: 5
Java (generic)References
| Primary Source | Irish Convict Database, by Peter Mayberry |
Claims
"John Frawley's details have been added to the Early Deaths register for the Warwick district in Queensland."
Photos
No photos have been added for John Frawley.
Convict Notes
The Story of John Frawley: A Life Transformed by Circumstance John Frawley, born around 1816 in Limerick, Ireland, led a tumultuous life marked by hardship and resilience. He died on January 25, 1901, at Maryland Station in the Tenterfield District of New South Wales, Australia, where he had made his home. His journey, however, began far from these shores. From a young age, John found himself in trouble with the law in his homeland. In 1833, he was convicted in Limerick for stealing clothes and sentenced to seven years of transportation. He embarked aboard the convict ship Java, captained by John Todd and supervised by Surgeon Robert Dickson. This ship set sail from Cork on July 24, 1833, carrying 206 male convicts. After a gruelling 117-day voyage, the ship arrived in Sydney on November 18, 1833, with only 201 convicts, as some had succumbed to illness during the journey. The ship's surgeon noted the poor health of many Irish convicts, attributing their ailments to the abrupt transition from Ireland’s damp climate to the humid heat of Australia, compounded by their inadequate nutrition prior to embarkation. Upon arrival at just 19 years of age, John Frawley was noted as a Catholic and an errand boy. His early life was shaped by the struggles of poverty and the harsh realities of servitude that awaited him in a new and foreign land. John was assigned to work in the Illawarra district, where labourers were in high demand on farms and in households. Around 1838, he crossed paths with Mary McGarry in Wollongong. Mary, also a convict, was assigned as a housemaid to the Rev. Mears. Within two years, John and Mary were married at St. Francis Xavier’s Catholic Church in Wollongong on July 6, 1840. Both had served part of their sentences and were building new lives in the colony. However, John’s legal troubles continued even after his transportation. In a notorious case reported in the Sydney Morning Herald on April 29, 1863, his name was associated with a significant criminal charge involving the theft of a cow and calf from James Manning, a well-known squatter in the region. Evidence suggested that Frawley had branded the animals as his own, leading to his conviction. The case garnered public attention due to the involvement of a local figure and the dramatic courtroom proceedings, which included an unusual request to shave the cattle for a clearer inspection of the brands. Ultimately, John Frawley was found guilty and sentenced to five years of hard labour on the roads, reflecting a community's growing intolerance for cattle theft. Adding to this legacy of criminality, John and Mary’s son, also named John, eventually faced charges himself. He was convicted of obtaining money under false pretences by passing a counterfeit note, resulting in a twelve-month sentence in Parramatta Gaol. Following John senior's release from prison, records suggest that while some of their children remained close to the Illawarra and Shoalhaven districts, John and Mary, together with some of their children, moved north into the Darling Downs and Brisbane regions of Queensland. This reflected the gradual movement of Irish families inland as land became available. John and Mary initially settled in Toowoomba. It was here, on October 21, 1880, that Mary was admitted to the Dunwich Benevolent Asylum on North Stradbroke Island, her cause of admission listed simply as “senile debility.” John then moved to Maryland via Killarney. It was here that he died on January 25, 1901, at the age of 86. He was laid to rest in the small country cemetery there, but his grave remains unmarked, and its exact location has been lost over time. John Frawley’s life intertwines with themes of hardship and transformation — a story emblematic of many Irish emigrants in the 19th century who sought to overcome their past in a land that promised a fresh start, only to confront new trials and tribulations. Posted by David Owens, in honour of John Frawley and his legacy.
NSW Convict Marriage Permission John Frawley, per Java, age 26, 7 years, Free; and Mary McGarry, per Diamond, age 27, 7 years Bond. Date of permission 28 Mar 1840, Wollongong; RCC. NSW. Marriage. 1840.Ref 25/1840.John Frawley and Mary McGawley, LQ district. (Roman Catholic, Illawarra; Wollongong. Births: Children of Mary and John Frawley: 1841. John LQ 1842 Ellen LW (Roman Catholic. Cooma; Monaro; Manaroo district; Queanbeyan; Twofold Bay.) 1843. James LW 1844. Stephen LW 1848. Patrick. LW 1849. Thomas LW
The following transport convicts from this City were put on board the hulk Surprise at Cove on Wednesday, in pursuance of their sentence :— … John Fraleigh, ... Limerick Chronicle, 25 May 1833.
Irish Convict Database, by Peter Mayberry John Frawley, jun., age on arrival, 19, per Java, 1833, Tried at Limerick, 1833, 7 years, for Stealing clothes. DOB 1814, native place, Limerick. Single. Catholic. Trade, Errand boy.