Summary
Personal Information
Crime
Voyage
Transportation
Mary Garraghan was transported on the Woodman, departing 25th Jan 1823 and arriving 25th Jun 1823 with 104 passengers.
1823 Journey. SHIP News.— The ship Woodman, Captain Ford, arrived from Ireland, via Rio de Janiero, on Wednesday evening the 25th ult. She brings 94 female convicts, in good health; together with 8 children. Including children, there are 38 free passengers, by this opportunity, mostly destined for Van Diemen's Land. Sydney Gazette, 3 July 1823.
Woodman (generic)References
| Primary Source | Ancestry Woodman Indent 1823 |
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Convict Notes
NSW BDMs Deaths CALLAGAN CATHERINE 2667/1837 V18372667 21 INFANT CALLAGAN MICHAEL 2670/1837 V18372670 21 AGE 10 CALLAGAN PETER 2649/1837 V18372649 21 AGE 45
The Sydney Monitor (NSW : 1828 - 1838) Mon 7 Aug 1837 Page 2 FRIDAY, AUGUST 4, 1837. John Keep, late of Liverpool, laborer, stood indicted for the wilful murder of Michael Callaghan, at Kemp's Creek, Cabramatta. The prisoner pleaded not guilty. Mr. Windeyer stated the facts of the case to the jury, the deceased was a boy about ten years of age. On the day laid in the indictment, he was sent by his mother with a message to a house called Cox's ; he stopped at a house on the road, kept by one Livingstone, where he met with the prisoner, they proceeded on the road together, and were last seen by two men, at a place called Martin's., after which, all traces of the deceased were lost, until the Thursday following, when his body was found in the bush in a mangled state; eaten away, in a great measure, by the native dogs. A stick was found lying near the body covered with blood, and with some hair adhering to it. The appearances were such as to induce the belief, that murder had been committed, by smashing the skull. It was very unfortunate that the evidence against the prisoner was very slight, as is generally so in such cases, he was last seen in company of the deceased going in a direction that might lead to the spot where the body was found; another circumstance was, that he had been heard to make some observation which might apply, and the fact that some spots of blood were seen on his trowsers were corroborative. These were circumstances which the jury would judge of. James Smith, of Kemp's Creek, shoemaker, being sworn, stated that in the month of June last, the body of a boy was found in the bush, witness saw the body and: identified it to be the: body of Michael Callaghan; witness had known the boy about eight years; there were distinguishing marks about' the body.. small hands and feet, large teeth, and sandy hair ; the hair on' the stick produced seems to be the colour of the boy's hair ; the last time witness' saw him alive, was on the Thursday or Friday before the deceased was missed. William Hughes, of Denham, Court, miller, stated 'that on-the day before the inquest, as he was' going' from Denham Court to Cecil Hills about twelve o'clock in. the day, he lost his way and strayed into the bush, till he came upon a cattle track or blind' path, where. he found the body. lying on the path; the path leads from Kemp's ,Creek to the high road to Bringello " the body was found about a quarter of a mile 'from the road, and not far from Cox's ; the prisoner lived at Captain Weston's and the path would lead there: the body wat lying on the left side the trowsers were turned down within a few inches of the knee; they were not torn away; the flesh in that part was eaten away; witness found the stick produced 'lying about two yards from the body; the wood is from the box tree, and it weighs about four pounds; there was much' blood and hair on the stick, and bits of skull strewed near it;' the' body appeared to be dragged from the spot where the stick was lying; the skull was completely broken to pieces; the hat of the deceased was found about two yards from the body in a different direction. William Irving, free man, in the employ of Mr. Nicholls, stated that on the Sunday before, the body of Michael Callaghan was found, witness was at the house of William Livingstone, about two hours before sundown, the prisoner was there, and said that his master would give him no kind of 'liberty, and that he would do murder before the Week was out'; the deceased came up and with the "prisoner, walked off in the direction of Cox's ; witness had some conversation with the prisoner after the, body was found; witness asked him where he left the boy, he? answered he left him on the hill not far from where he was murdered. On, the Sunday the prisoner wore a kind of fustian or moleskin dress, with 'a striped shirt and new straw hat; the place where the prisoner "said he left the boy, is not on the road from his mother's to Cox's, but in a different direction, altogether; the' spot where the body was found is not the direct road to Captain Weston's, but you can go that road. Cross-examined ;.on the Sunday; witness was outside the- house, and not inside, these was no one inside at the time. prisoner was talking to. witness, that he was aware of; the prisoner offered to sell him his hat' for three shillings; had no rum at the house ; no other conversation occurred between him and the prisoner; he did not. say anything to witness about selling a bull puppy; never saw the prisoner inside the house. By the Court; the prisoner was sober when the prisoner was taken to the place where the body was found, the expression he made use of,. Was, that he parted from the boy on the ridge of the hill, not far from where the body was murdered; the prisoner was 'standing at the place where the body was found; witness Was not inside the house with Keep on the evening of the murder, and the conversation about his master giving him no liberty--and getting him flogged--and that he would do murder before the week was out occurred inside. Thomas Howard, stonemason of Kemp's Creek, sworn stated, that he recollected the body of Callagan being. found; be. saw him on the Sunday previously; about a quarter before sundown, he came up the road following a young man ; the prisoner is the man; witness was at a house called Martin's; the prisoner came up and asked for George the sawyer; told him that he should call on him the next Sunday ; witness gave the deceased some bread and meat, knowing that his mother was in low circumstances, he thanked witness and went on; the prisoner' followed, and after he had got a little distance from the house in the direction of Cox's, he cooed to the boy, who turned round,. but continued walking on; prisoner again cooed to him, the boy again turned his head, but still walked on when he first called to the boy, he was about thirty yards ahead; the prisoner overtook the boy, and they walked on together, and witness saw no more of them; the place where the body was found was never pointed out to witness ;. did not ask Keep where he was going; Cox's can be seen from Martin's, 'but not the whole of the road, some fallen trees intervene; did not notice how the prisoner was dressed.', Cross-examined; was at Cox's about two or three in the day, and saw Keep there'; saw him In the morning at Hopping Bill's (Livingstone's); 'the last witness was there also, they were in the house",' it is not a public house; the prisoner seemed sober; he had on light trowsers and a straw hat ;"'thinks the trowsers were fastian ; did not see the prisoner and the boy turn off the road. Timothy:Cater, of Campbelltown, plasterer, stated, that he was at Martins on the Sunday in question; the last witness gave the boy some bread and meat; it was between four and five, about half an hour before sundown ;. the prisoner was with him; after the body was' found, witness had some conversation with the prisoner; on Thursday night he was put in a room with witness and Howard in charge of a constable ; the prisoner wished to change trowsers with Howard' for half a crown; he said his trowsers were lighter, and would suit Howard better ; the prisoner first mentioned the wish to change trowser witness' said he would not have the prisoner's trowsers for five hundred pound;, to this the prisoner made no reply ; in the course of the night, the prisoner got up for some purpose, and asked the man in charge, to let him have a piece, the man had one in his hand at the time; witness jumped up and seized a piece of batton, and swore he would knock down the constable if he gave up his piece, and then awoke Howard ; did not, know what became of the trowser'. Cross examined; saw the prisoner go with the deceased towards Cox's. By the' Court;' the body was found beyond Cox's in the bush turning from the road. . Howard was recalled, and corroborated the evidence of the last witness relative to the trowsers. Mary Callaghan, mother to the deceased, stated that she sent him with a message to Cox's sometime before sunset. In consequence of his not. returning, after sufficient time had elapsed, she went in search of him; the deceased was ten years of age. John Graveson, watch-house keeper, of Liverpool, produced a pair 'of trowsers, which exhibited some spots resembling b!ood, but which the witness stated were more distinct at the time of the inquest; the prisoner accounted for the marks, by saying he had been killing pigs. Dr. Rutter examined, the body of the deceased was lying in the path when found, there was a very extensive fracture of the skull, the whole of the abdominal viscera and the muscles of the thighs were gone. (consumed,) portions of the skull were strewed about in the vicinity; blows from the stick produced would be sufficient to cause death. Graveson being recalled, stated that he knew the country about Kemp's Creek he said that the spot where the body was found, is not the direct road to Westons; but a road by which the prisoner could go home; it was not in the boy's way home. It is about half or three quarters of a mile from Cox's, to have gone there the boy must have gone about, half a mile beyond - Cox's. This was the case for the .prosecution. The prisoner said nothing in' defence, but he called his overseer to corroborate his assertion of haying been employed killing pigs Elsey, overseer to Captain Wes ton, stated that on the Monday before the body of the boy was found, the prisoner assisted witness in killing two pigs. Witness stuck the pigs, and the prisoner held the legs; did not observe any blood spurt on the prisoner; it might have done so; at eight o'clock on the Sunday when witness mustered the men, the prisoner was in bed did not observe what dress the prisoner wore that day. His Honor briefly summed up the points of the case, and the circumstances attaching the prisoner to the crime in question, which he stated were not clearly defined; it any doubt occurred to the jury, they must give the prisoner the benefit of it, The jury after an absence of a few minutes returned into Court, with a verdict, of Not Guilty.
The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803 - 1842) Sat 10 Jun 1837 Page 2 Some day last week, the widow of constable Callaghan, late of the parish of Cabramatta, went out in the evening, locking within the house five children, as was her custom. She had not been long gone before one of the children stooped to take a potatoe from the ashes; its foot slipped, and the child fell into the fire. The other children screamed out, and extinguished the burning habiliment to the best of their ability, and the neighbours, being alarmed, came to the spot, when the child was handed through the window, but so dreadfully burned that it soon expired. The coroner of Penrith came ; an inquest was held on the body, and a verdict of " Accidental Death" returned.
The Sydney Monitor (NSW : 1828 - 1838) Mon 19 Jun 1837 Page 2 NEWS OF THE DAY. MURDER - A dreadful' murder committed near Cabramatta was discovered last week, under the following circumstances - A young lad; named Michael Callagan, about twelve year's of age, had been missing since Sunday ;the last time he had been seen was in the company of a man named John Keep, a prisoner assigned to Captain Weston,- in the neighbourhood of the place where the body was subsequently found. A few days afterwards, a man of the name of Hughes, on his way from Denham Court to Sir John Wylde's Estate, having missed his way, strayed into a rather thick part of the bush, and saw, what he at first conceived, was the mangled remains of a dead, sheep, but which, on a nearer inspection, proved to be the body of a boy, with marks of great violence on it : a stick covered with blood an air was lying near the body, and a quantity of blood was on the ground the trowsers were down, which, with other circumstances, tended to create a belief that unnatural violence had been used. In- formation was immediately given to the Police, and the man Keep was taken into custody, A Coroner's Inquest was held on the body on Friday, at the house-of Mr. Martin at Kemp's Creek, Cabramatta, before Mr. Heywood, the Coroner of Parramatta; and it was proved in evidence that the deceased was last seen in the company of the prisoner, going in the direction of the place where the body was found. Keep, admitted that the deceased accompanied him a part of his way home, which, was in quite a contrary direction from that in which they were seen. The Jury returned a verdict of willful murder against John Keep, who was committed on the coroner's warrant. It is supposed that he first committed an unnatural assault on the boy, and afterwards murdered him to avoid detection.
1828 New South Wales, Australia Census (Australian Copy) for Peter Calaghan (NRS 1272) 1828 Census: Alphabetical Return Surnames A-C Peter Calaghan 31 FS Surry 1816 7yrs cath Constable Mary Calaghan (alias Garragan) 26 Woodman FS Woodman 1823 7yrs Cath Michael Daniel Calaghan 1 1/2 BC Ann Calaghan BC 2 months Residing at George Street Sydney
New South Wales, Australia, Registers of Convicts' Applications to Marry, 1826-1851 Granted 1826 Mary Garagan 25 Bond (7Yrs) per ship Woodman granted to marry Peter Callaghan 30 Free (7yrs) per ship Surry (2) Rev J J Therry Sydney
There is a Mary Callaghan in the 1828 census but she is born much later than the other and has the alias Garraghan and is listed as such in the convict indent
UK, Royal Navy Medical Journals, 1817-1856 for Mary Garraghan 16/5/1823 W Woodman complaining of pain in her breast impeding respiration pulse 84. Gave magnesium sulphate (epsom salts) and was better in two days New South Wales and Tasmania, Australia Convict Musters, 1806-1849 New South Wales General muster A-L 1825 Convict and government servant assigned to John Connor Sydney Mary Garraghan in the New South Wales, Australia, Certificates of Freedom, 1810-1814, 1827-1867 12/11/1828 cert no 28/940 5' 4" high fair ruddy some pockpitted complexion, dark brown hair blue eyes