Denis Gleeson

221

D Wong on 3rd August 2013

Denis Gleeson was transported, along with his son William, and his brother-in-law Cornelius Bourke. Denis was married to Mary Bourke, sister of Cornelius. Denis was a genteel and well educated landowner from Tipperary. He was 5'5" tall, with hazel/grey eyes and brown hair. He was involved in a fight with his tenant, James Hayes, who was not paying the rent. James Hayes died as a result. No one knows who killed James, if anyone did. Eleven men were tried. It is believed that James died while running away, and the exact cause of death isn't clear but a verdict of "a most aggravated case of manslaughter" was found on Denis, his son William and brother-in-law Cornelius. Their land was confiscated and given to the Hayes family. All were transported on the Clyde and Denis and William sent to Port Macquarie, Cornelius was in the Braidwood district. 9/4/1846: TOL Denis's wife and children, Margaret, Honora and sons Edmond and Patrick arrived per "Livingstone" in 1841 and had gone to Port Macquarie to be with Denis. 9/8/1851: Denis was pardoned by the Governor of Victoria. Denis became a school teacher in Port Fairy (known as Belfast). 1857: Denis died and is buried at the Tower Hill Cemetery, near Warrnambool. The dates of his birth on the Irish Convicts to NSW database are not right, and must have been muddled up. His son William was born in 1808 so Denis could'nt have been born in 1819.