Henry Higgins

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Maureen Withey on 5th April 2026

Henry Higgins, aged 18, George Fooks, aged 19, and his Susannah Robinson, aged 16, on the 9th day of October, by the Rev. John  Pretyman, charged on the oath of of William John Early and others, with having on the 4th of October last at the parish of Newport Pagnel, feloniously broken open and entered the dwelling-house of the said Wm. John Early, and stolen therefrom divers articles of wearing apparel. Bucks Gazette, 20 Feb 1830. Henry Higgins and George Fooks, were indicted for having feloniously broken into the dwelling-house William John Early, and stolen various articles of wearing apparel, &c; and Susanna Robinson was indicted for receiving part of the above property, knowing it to stolen. The prosecutor, was a minister Newport and it appeared that that he had left his house on the evening of the 4th of October last, for the purpose of going to chapel. The house was safe when he went out, but on returning about eight o’clock, discovered that some one had entered the  back window, and had taken away two pair of silver spoons, pair of cap, some handkerchiefs, &c. They had also taken a tobacco stopper of a peculiar kind. He had subsequently seen all of these articles at the Magistrate, Newport, and identified the whole. Mr. Thomas Kilbourne searched the lodgings of the prisoner Higgins, at Leicester, and found there a penknife and in a purse his pocket was a pawnbroker’s duplicate marked October 3th  1829. Gown, 2s. H. Higgins.” [The gown taken from the pawnbroker’s, and produced in court, was sworn to by Mrs. Early.}  A tobacco stopper was also found Higgins’ lodgings, which Mr. Early also identified. The lodgings of Fooks, at Leicester, were also searched, and on his person a handkerchief, which was proved to be Mr. Early’s property. Susanna Robinson  had followed the two prisoners to Newport upon their apprehension, and wore at the time a cap, belonging the prosecutor’s wife.—These facts were corroborated by Mr. Kilbourne. Prisoners, when examined before the Magistrate , said that they saw a man coming from the prosecutor’s premises, with a bundle, which he threw down, and they took it with them to Leicester, not knowing what was in it.—The girl Robinson said she knew nothing of the cap being stolen till afterwards. John Hart gave Robinson good character. Higgins and Fooks, Guilty- Death recorded.— Robinson. Not Guilty.  Bucks Gazette, 6 March 1830. The following convicts were sent off from Aylesbury gaol, on Monday , to be conveyed on board the Leviathan hulk, Portsmouth, for Life. —John Herridge, for horse-stealing; Geo. Fook and Henry Higgins, for house-breaking; and Wm. Worker, for sheep-stealing. For Fourteen Years.—Thos. Mortimer and William Turvey, for stealing a donkey. For Seven Years. —Wm. Paine, for stealing from the person, Thomas Cooper, for stealing butter;  Matthew Goodson, for house-breaking; Win. Hephard, for steal- potatoes, Edward Cox, for stealing a beech tree.  Bucks Gazette, 1 May 1830. Leviathan Hulk Records. HO-9-8_6 page 11/54. Received from Aylesbury 26 April 1830. Geo Fooks, age 19, Ho Breaking, Tried 1 March 1830, Aylesbury, Life, To NSW 26 June 1830, R. Admiral. Henry Higgins, age 18, Ho Breaking, Tried 1 March 1830, Aylesbury, Life, To NSW 26 June 1830, R. Admiral.

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Rob Rogers on 2nd April 2026

I recently discovered his wife Catharine 'Kitty' Barry or Berry. Arrived on an assisted passage (not convicts) to Sydney in 1835, aboard the Duchess of Northumberland.

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Neil Duffin on 28th April 2022

Henry Francis Higgins ( 11 Jan 1809-7 Feb 1885). The Higgins family were wealthy landowners and businessmen in the 18th & 19th Centuries. Clearly Henry's bit of the family fell on hard times, unless of course he was a Raffles like Gentleman thief, which I doubt ! His Great Uncle Thomas Higgins (1741-1810) was lord ion the manor of Turvey in Bedfordshire UK. I have researched this family in detail, the results o9f this are at www.cameron-family.co.uk This site is split between Camerons & Pursers. Details of the Higgins family are in the Purser side of the website.

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Rob Rogers on 6th September 2015

Their son Henry Francis b. 11 January 1809 Ravenstone, Buckinghamshire, England d: 7 February 1885 Reidsdale, NSW Burial: 9 February 1885 Braidwood Cemetery, plot 976, Braidwood, NSW & Reidsdale Cemetery, Reidsdale, NSW. Henry francis received a death sentence 1/3/1830 for housebreaking from Norfolk easter Assizes, Aylesbury. Sentence commuted to transportation for life. Moved to Leviathon hulk 13/4/1830. Arrived Sydney aboard ‘Royal Admiral’ 8/11/1830 & immediately assigned to Dr. Reid ‘Inverary’ Bungonia.. Height was 5 ft 3.5 ins. Brown hair, hazel eyes, ruddy complexion, scar on forehead, tattoos forearms. Eldest in family & could read & write. He married Catherine BARRY b: 1816 Cork, Ireland. married: 12 December 1836 Bungonia Courthouse, NSW d: 7 January 1898 367 Liverpool St, Sydney, NSW. Their daughter Catherine M HIGGINS b: 13 December 1841 Reidsdale, NSW d: 30 August 1914 Petersham, NSW married Karl KARTZMANN (b: 1826 Coblin, Prussia) married: 28 March 1859 St Bedes R/C, Braidwood, NSW d: 18 April 1892 375 Liverpool Street, Darlinghurst, NSW Burial: Rookwood Cemmetery, Lidcombe, NSW