Michael Hayes

341

Maureen Withey on 9th July 2020

Colonial Secretary Index. HAYES, Michael. Per "Friendship", 1800; merchant Transported in 1800 per "Friendship"; he received a conditional pardon in June 1803 but was sent to Norfolk Island in September 1805 for illicit distilling; he returned to Sydney in 1808 and received a free pardon; he obtained a wine and spirit licence in 1810 and was granted land at Airds in 1812; he was involved in the movement to allow Roman Catholics the right to practise their religion; he was drowned in September 1825. 1805 Sep 30 - Sent to Norfolk Island for distilling spirits contrary to Colonial regulations (Reel 6040; ML Safe 1/51 p.43) 1808-9 - Received absolute pardon from Lieutenant Governor Foveaux (Reel 6001; SZ760 p.133b) 1810 Feb 14 - Petition for mitigation of sentence (Fiche 3165; 4/1846 p.106) 1810 Feb 16 - Granted a licence to retail wines and spirits in Sydney (Reel 6038; SZ758 p.19) 1811 Feb 20-1812 Dec 23 - Bonds to Naval Officer (Fiche 3283; X702 pp.27-9, 43-5, 91-3) 1811 Mar 6 - Received spirit licence in Feb 1811 (Reel 6038; SZ758 pp.181-3) 1811 May 13,15,16 -Agent for James Mitchell in High Court of Appeals (Reel 6042; 4/1724 pp.33, 35, 43) 1811 Jun 12 - On list of persons to receive grants of land in different parts of the Colony as soon as they can be measured; at Nepean (Fiche 3266; 9/2652 p.7) 1811 Oct 11 - Foreman of jury at coroner's inquest held at Sydney (Reel 6043; 4/1726 p.272) n.d. - On list of convicts who have received absolute pardons [Feb 1812] (Fiche 3292; 4/6974.1 p.77) 1813 May 12, Jul 31 - Foreman of juries at inquests on Martin Mentz and William Redman held at Sydney (Reel 6021; 4/1819 pp.455, 551) 1813 Oct 1 - Juror at inquest on William Smith held at Sydney (Reel 6021; 4/1819 p.647) 1816 Jan 16 - On list of persons to receive grants of land in 1816 (Fiche 3266; 9/2652 p.28) 1820 Jul 10 - Signature as member of Committee of Catholics appointed to select site for Roman Catholic Chapel (Reel 6049; 4/1744 pp.398-9) 1820 Jul 20 - Of George Street. Re return of memorial for land (Reel 6007; 4/3502 p.139) 1823 - In prison for debt. Memorial of his wife Elizabeth (Fiche 3065; 4/1834B No.130B pp.801-4)

60

Eric Harry Daly on 18th January 2013

Michael Hayes, dealer and leading Roman Catholic layman, was born in Wexford, Ireland, the son of a small property owner. He was sentenced to transportation for life to New South Wales after taking part in the 1798 rebellion, left Cork in the Friendship in August 1799 and arrived in Sydney in February 1800. He received a conditional pardon on 4 June 1803, but in September 1805 was convicted of illicit distilling of spirits in his house at Farm Cove. He was sentenced to be removed to Norfolk Island, and sailed in the Sydney on 29 September 1805. Already Hayes had begun several legitimate trading ventures, and acted as factor for the merchants, George Bass and Charles Bishop. He had much difficulty in recovering debts due to him before his departure for Norfolk Island, and some were still outstanding when he returned to Sydney in 1808. While on the island he traded among the settlers and again acted as factor for several of the Sydney merchants, especially Thomas Jamison, for whom he recovered many debts. On his own account he also shipped salt pork and soap for sale in Sydney. When the plans for evacuation of Norfolk Island were announced, Captain John Piper gave Hayes his assurance that he could remain until the last in his endeavour to collect debts, a task which won him the hatred of the settlers. Piper interceded in Hayes's favour with Governor William Bligh, and Hayes was allowed to return to Sydney. On 21 September 1808 Lieutenant-Governor Joseph Foveaux gave him a free pardon, which Governor Lachlan Macquarie in due course confirmed. During 1809 Hayes ran a business in Pitt's Row selling assorted goods and conducting a boot factory; in February 1810 he was one of the twenty persons given wine and spirit licences in Sydney, his public house in George Street North being later occupied by Mrs Mary Reibey; the licence was renewed in 1811, but thereafter it seems to have lapsed. In August 1812 Hayes was granted 120 acres (49 ha) on the Nepean at Airds. From that time Hayes's fortunes apparently declined, owing to speculation, bad debts and the loss of the George Bass in 1812. He was unable to return to Ireland because of his own debts and the burden of his seven young children. He constantly wrote to his brother in Ireland begging him either to emigrate to or invest in property in New South Wales, hoping this might help them both. These letters are preserved in the Franciscan Archives, Dublin, and reflect both Hayes's homesickness and his attachment to the colony. They are part of a crusade on behalf of the Roman Catholics in New South Wales who were deprived of the right to practise their religion. They castigate the immorality prevalent in the colony, the lack of educated churchmen, and the scarcity of books. His letters to another brother, Rev. Richard Hayes, finally bore fruit when the latter persuaded Rev. Jeremiah O'Flynn to make his unauthorized mission to New South Wales in 1817. Hayes helped O'Flynn to elude for a time Macquarie's order to leave the colony, and when the priest was finally removed by force Hayes wrote a protesting letter to Bishop Poynter in London. When Commissioner John Thomas Bigge arrived, Hayes led the Catholics in their appeal for justice, his signature being the first on the Catholic petition to Bigge in February 1820 seeking the benefits of their religion and clergy and the right to establish schools for the education of their children. It was to Hayes that Bigge sent his assurance that the appointment of Catholic priests to New South Wales was only delayed by the difficulty of finding suitable persons. When Fathers John Joseph Therry and Philip Conolly arrived, Hayes was elected a member of the committee to select the site for the Roman Catholic chapel in July 1820. He did not live long to enjoy the new status and freedom of Roman Catholics in the colony, for on 7 September 1825 he was found drowned off the Market Wharf. The Sydney Gazette described him as having been once in affluent, respectable circumstances and suggested that he had committed suicide. He was buried in the cemetery at The Sandhills and later reburied at La Perouse.