Summary
Personal Information
Crime
Voyage
Transportation
Christopher Harper was transported on the Three Bees, departing 8th Dec 1813 and arriving 6th May 1814 with 221 passengers.
SHIP NEWS.—On Wednesday arrived the Catherine transport, Capt. Simmonds, with 97 female prisoners from Ireland; which she received at Cork, and afterwards went to Falmouth for convoy, whence she sailed for this Colony the 8th of last December. Yesterday arrived the Three Bees transport, Capt. Wallace, with 209 male prisoners, also from Ireland, but last from England having sailed in the same convoy with the Catherine, under protection of the Niger and Tagus frigates; which captured, off the Cape de Verde, the Ceres French frigate, rated 36, but carrying 46 guns, after an action of 15 minutes in which the Tagus only was engaged. Sydney Gazette, 7 May 1814.
Three Bees (generic)References
| Primary Source | Trial transcripts - State Records of NSW; Sydney Herald 2 August 1832 |
Claims
"Christopher Harper is my 3 x great grandfather, his daughter Jane married George Irvine Thompson (my 2 x great grandparents)."
Photos
No photos have been added for Christopher Harper.
Convict Notes
Family connections for Christopher (Harper) are: Some amendments added Aug 2025. HARPER doingin entry for Christopher (Harper THREE BEES 1814) on this Website. ??? (Harper) produced perhaps 2children: 1.Patrick (Harpe/ur), brother of Christopher, was born about 1780 at Painstown Meath Ireland & became a labourer. He is reported as stealing, with his brother Christopher in April 1813, some fowl & clothes from Drury (James) Esq. He was tried with his brother for smuggling/insurrection against the Crown at Dublin city Ireland, sentenced to 7years & arrived in NSW as a convict on 6 5 1814 after a voyage of 5months on THREE BEES. He had a relationship with/married (Smees records show defacto) Celia (Conroy/McGinnis) & produced 15children. In 1825 he was at Evan, in which year he received a land grant. On 12 4 1832 he received a land grant at Londonderry; his Estate was 'Landyle Estate' South Creek. He was licensee of the Currency Lass Hotel Shannon Hill Broulee Parramatta when he died on 14 2 1852 age72 & was buried at Windsor Catholic cemetery. ..[Some details taken from this Website] ..Margaret/Celia/Cecilia (Conroy/McGinnis) was born about 1791 & became a dressmaker/mantua maker; it seems her husband or fathers or mothers name was (Conroy) or (McGinnis). She was tried w/1other for stealing cambric (white linen), on 23 6 1792, of William (Presser) at Old Bailey on 1 7 1812, sentenced to 7years, held at Middlesex Gaol Delivery & arrived in NSW as a convict on 9 1 1814 after a voyage of 5months on WANSTEAD; she was 5' fair pale complexion black hair grey eyes; she was sent to Parramatta for assignment & became a servant. She was issued her Certificate of Freedom No.93/725 in 1814. She is recorded in 1825 wife of Pat (Harper) at Castlereach & Evan. She died as Margaret Cecilia on 17 7 1865 age74 at home of a son in Paddington NSW. ..[Some details taken from this Website] .. 2.Christopher (Harpe/ur), brother of Patrick, was born about 1793 in Meath Ireland & became a carpenter. He is reported as stealing, with his brother Patrick in April 1813, some fowl & clothes from Drury (James) Esq. He was tried with his brother for smuggling at Dublin city Ireland, sentenced to 7years & arrived in NSW as a convict on 6 5 1814 after a voyage of 5months on THREE BEES; he was Catholic. He appears to have received his Cerificate of Freedom No.17/2467 in 1817, which was reissued later. He was a labourer when he married Martha Ann (Sharp her first marriage) on 15 6 1818 at St Phillips CofE Sydney. He is recorded in 1822 as Free by Servitude carpenter at Parramatta & on 6 9 1822 at Prospect. In 1824 he was at Upper Minto. He is recorded in 1828 as labourer for F (Mitchell) at Luskintyre Melville. He was tried on 17 3 1828 for assault of William (Warren) & Susan (Lynch) on 8 3 1828 at Hunter River after anger at accidental shooting of one of his pigs. He was released on 40lb bond & sentenced at Quarter Sessions on 19 8 1828 to 1week gaol at Newcastle, plus 3weeks for a separate assault of William (Foxley. He was tried for assault of Hugh (Murray) publican & a policeman, on 30 7 1832, at Sydney Quarter Sessions on 9 10 1832. He was licensee of the Currency Lass Hotel Shannon Hill Boules Parramatta from 1855-6. He died on 1 4 1862 age69 at Moruya NSW. [Some details taken from this Website] ..Martha Ann (Sharp) was born on 8 2 1801 & baptised on 25 12 1801 at St Johns CofE Parramatta. She had a second relationship with Robert Magrane (Reilly) whom she married (perhaps bigamously) on 24 2 1858 at Hinton. She died on 26 11 1861 age about60 at Adelong Tumut mother of 12children. ..Details of Martha Ann (Sharp)s family are given in entry for Martha (Burrell SPEEDY 1800) on this Website. ..Christopher (Harper) & Martha Ann (Sharp) produced 7children: mostly girls ..1.Elizabeth (Harper) was born in 1820. ..2.Edward (Harper) was born in 1821 in Sydney & baptised on 10 3 1821 at St Marys RC Sydney. He died on 30 11 1895 age about74. ..3.Eleanor Mary (Harper) was born in 1822. She died in 1907 age about85. ..4.Jane (Harper) was born in 1823 at Upper Minto & baptised on 10 2 1825 age about1 at St Marys RC Sydney. She died in 1907 also age about84. ..5.Mary (Harper) was born in 1824. She died in 1896 age72. ..6.Anne (Harper) was born on 28 8 1825 at Pattersons Plains & baptised on 26 10 1827 age14m at St Marys RC Sydney. ..7.Patrick (Harper) was born in 1827. He died in 1917 age about90. Reference: Craig James Smee 'Births and Baptisms Marriages and Defacto Relationships Deaths and Burials New South Wales 1788-1830' ..a complete listing from church & other records in the early colony.
The Saunder’s News-Letter of 21 April 1813 reports that the brothers Christopher and Patrick Harper were arrested in Dublin in that week for stealing "some fowl together with some clothes that were left out to dry" from the house of Drury James Esq. and were "fully committed for trial".
At a trial on 17th March 1828 Christopher was charged with having assaulted William Warren and Susan Lynch on Saturday 8th March 1828 at Hunter River. William Warren was "working trees" for Susan Lynch and her husband and she told him to fire a shot so that the pigs that were there might move away. Unfortunately, when he fired the musket, he hit one of Christopher's pigs. Christopher then knocked Warren to the ground and gave him a rather vicious beating with a waddy (piece of hardwood). Mrs Lynch called out for mercy for fear he might kill him and must have picked up the musket, which Christopher forcibly removed from her grip, broke into pieces and hit her as well. He was released on a bond of 40 pounds and reappeared at the Quarter Sessions on the 19th August 1828, where he was found guilty of the assault of Warren and not guilty of the assault of Lynch. He was sentenced to a week's imprisonment in the gaol at Newcastle. On the day before he was sentenced he assaulted William Foxley at Newcastle, so, at the same Session, he was sentenced to another 3 weeks in gaol. On the 29th October 1832, he appeared at the Quarter Sessions in Sydney, again for assault. On the 30th July 1832 he gave Hugh Murray, a publican whom he had done out of a pot of beer, a beating and when Thomas Weaver, a constable, tried to arrest him, he gave him a beating as well.
Christopher crime was "Insurrection against the Crown". Brother Patrick held the licence of The Currency Lass Hotel, Shannon Hill, District of Broulee in 1853 and Christopher held it in 1855-56.
Christopher was also known as "Harpur". He was 20 years old on arrival, born in Meath, Ireland. Christopher arrived with his brother Patrick also on board. Colonial Secretary: 6/9/1822: Of Prospect - on list of persons receiving an assigned convict. 1824: of Upper Minto. Memorial. Received a COF in lieu of COF 17/2467 (so looks as if he got his 1st COF in 1817). 15/6/1818: Married Martha Sharp (B 8/2/1801 in Parramatta to Thomas Sharp and Martha Burrell and she died 26/11/1861 at Adelong, Tumut. They had 6 children. Then on 24/2/1848 Martha married Robert Magrane Reily, (b 1801 in Dublin), they had 5 children, all born between 1831 and 1844 around Maitland and before they married. Christopher died at Moruya NSW 1828 Census: Aged 33, Free by Servitude, Labourer. Employed by T Mitchell, Melville.
1822 Muster: Free by Servitude ex 3Bees (1814) sentence 7 years. A carpenter of Parramatta. 1828 (November) census: Christopher 33 FS 3Bs 1814 7y Catholic labourer F Mitchell, Melville, Luskintyre.