Hugh Mcguire

Level 73

Robin Sharkey on 7th July 2020

1853 - 1861 * 1854 - had his Ticket of Leave Cancelled for being at large. Darlinghurst Gaol Entrance Book: Admitted on 30 Dec 1854 by the Water Police, for ticket of leave being cancelled. Disposed of on 2nd January 1855 from Gaol to the office of the Principal Superintendant of Convicts. i.e. was returned to government service. * 1855 another colonial offence. Entered Darlinghurst Gaol on 14th April 1855 from the Police Office for trial at the Quarter Sessions. Criminal Court Records - Quarter Sessions, Sydney "Committed at Sydney. Offence: Stealing from the person; Witnesses for the Crown: James Singleton, Francis McMullin, James Collins. Witnesses bound over for Sydney Qrtr Sessions, 10th May 1855. Witnesses for the Prisoner: (prisoner) required none. Day of Trial: 11th May 1855 Verdict: Guilty Sentence: 5 years hard labour on the roads or other public works of colony." This offence (which was stealing a necktie) got him sent back to Cockatoo Island as a convict. It's likely he was sent from Cockatoo Island to work in Qld, which was still part of NSW since he next got a Ticket of Leave in 1858 for Ipswich area. *Ticket of Leave No 58/0009, 23 September 1858 Allowed to remain in district of IPSWICH. Less than a month later, Ticket of Leave cancelled for drunkeness and highly disorderly conduct (recorded across the cancelled ticket) The Moreton Bay Courier, wWed 6 October 1858, p.2 “Hugh McGuire, a ticket -of-leave holder, was charged for the second time, with drunkenness and misconduct. Sent back to Cockatoo, and ticket cancelled." * Late 1858 - Now sent back to Cockatoo Island. * From Cockatoo Island he was sent out to the Queanbeyan area. * 1859 Ticket of Leave granted again T/L No 59/4. Dated 30 June 1859 Allowed to remain in the District of Queanbeyan "1859 Return of Ticket of Leave holders in District of Queanbeyan" (No 15 on page) Hugh McGuire Devon Assize, 1836. Ship Norfolk 2nd Conviction: Sydney Q__ S__. May 1859, 5 years Date arrived in District: 1859, July 9 Ticket Delivered: 9th July 1859, reported Gininderra, in Mr Dawes (?) or Davies (?) employment, 20th October 1859. Convict Registers of absolute and conditional Pardons 17th May 1861 COnditional Pardon given under hand of Sir John Young on 21 April 1861. He was by then 48 years of age. Given that Hugh was in the Queanbeyan area it is likely that he is the same Hugh McGuire marrying in the District of Yass in 1871 to Margaret Hannan. He would then have been about 58 years old. A Hugh McGuire died at Parramatta in 1887 "aged 73" (NSWBDM Deaths 7744/1887]. This is the correct age to be the convict Hugh McGuire per "Norfolk". As well, a Margaret McGuire died at Parramatta a few years later in 1890.

Level 73

Robin Sharkey on 7th July 2020

From Arrival until 1849: Indent of Convict Ship “Norfolk”: Hugh McGuire, age: 22 years; Education: Reads; Roman Catholic; Single; Born at County Cavan in Ireland; a Labourer, soldier; Trial: Stealing a watch, tried Devon Assizes, 17 Mar 1836. Trial Sentence: Life; No previous convictions. 6 feet tall, Ruddy and freckled complexion; Dark red hair, grey eyes; scrofula marks under his left jaw. (Scrofula is mostly swelling and lesions on the neck which can grow very large and lumpy. It is from the bacteria that cause TB creating symptoms outside the lungs) (https://www.healthline.com/health/scrofula#symptoms) 1837 Muster: Hugh McGuire aged 22, arrived Norfolk (4) in 1837 Employment: Australian Agricultural Company, Residence: Port Stephens 1839: sent to Carters Barracks House of Correction from Stroud NSW (where he was gov't servant of the AA Company). The Carters Barracks was in George St Sydney, so he was sent a long way for punishment! Entered the Carters Barracks on 13 August 1839 for an assault and for giving "falsehood in defence". To be worked on the treadmill for two calendar months and then returned to his service. 1845 Ticket of Leave Number: 45/0537; Allowed to remain in the District of Port Stephens; 1849, July: Ticket of Leave Cancelled (residence Maitland) – reason: sentenced to irons. 1849 - 1852: * 30 May 1849 - Entered Newcastle Gaol for Trial at Quarter Sessions. [1849 Newcastle Gaol Entrance Book, (No. 138 on page)] Disposed of: 18 mo, forwarded(?) to Sydney July 18th. Newcastle Jail Description Book, May 1849: (No. 138 on page) Birth year: 1812. 6ft tall. Slight build, pale complexion, red hair, grey eyes. Colonial Crime * 9th July 1849 Colonial trial. McGuire had been living at Newcastle in 1849 under his TL and was tried at the Maitland Quarter Sessions on 9/7/49 for stealing clothes from a case. He had been living for about a week during May 1849 in a portion of a house owned by Mrs McGreavy, where some cases of clothes had been placed. One case had been forced open, and a quantity of shawls and other goods were missing. Hugh McGuire was found that day at Mr Page’s public house with two bundles of the clothes. He’d attempted to run away when the police constable stated why he was at the public house. [Maitland Mercury, Wednesday 11 July 1849, p.2.] He was sentenced to be worked in irons for eighteen months on the roads or in public works. * 18th July 1849 - Admitted to Darlinghurst Jail in Sydney, from Newcastle Jail, after his trial. * 23 July 1849 - Disposed of from Darlinghurst Jail to Cockatoo Island "to be worked on the roads, or public works for 18 months". Aged 36. [See Darlinghurst Jail Entrance Book, no.846 on page] * After only 5 months on Cockatoo Island, McGuire was then sent to Norfolk Island on 15 December 1849. [N.I was a place of secondary punishment from 1825-1855 for convicts who had committed offences on the mainland or Tasmania.] He remained a convict on Norfolk Island for two and a half years. * 1 June 1852 arrived in Sydney with 6 other convicts from Norfolk Island. All were initially lodged in Darlinghurst Jail until sent two days later on 3rd July to Cockatoo Island.[Darlinghurst gaol Entrance Book, 1 June 1852, no 804 on the page]. 5 October 1852 - Second Ticket of Leave T/L No 52/80. Allowed to remain in the District of Goulburn. _________________________________

Level 73

Robin Sharkey on 7th July 2020

Details of Hugh McGuire's offence: [Taken from the 'Exeter and Plymouth Gazette'Sat. March 26th 1836, p.4] Hugh McGuire was a soldier. He didn't like being a soldier because when he was first examined before the Magistrates, he told the constable that "if he thought he should not suffer more than seven years of it he would rather have that punishment than join his regiment again". (Unfortunately he got life, so perhaps the Regiment would have been acceptable.) Hugh had broken into a pawn-broker's shop in Princess Street, Devonshire. On the evening of 17th November 1835, the pawnbroker, William Rowe, heard glass breaking so went out to put up his shop's shutters. When he came back in the gold watch and chains that had been hanging in the window were gone, value £12 and upward. Hugh McGuire had then gone to the Seven Stars public house, showed the watch and chains to a woman to where he could pledge them (i.e. pawn them); and she ended up pledging them for him for a mere 35 shillings. When he was picked up within 24 hours, Hugh said he'd found them in the street and denied breaking in and stealing them. But his right knuckles were cut and scratched as though this had been done within the previous 24 hours. He also admitted to the Magistrates that the witness accounts were true. _________________________________

Level 73

Robin Sharkey on 6th July 2020

“Hugh McGuire, aged 20, was charged with burglary in the house of Wm. Rowe at Stoke Damerel and tried at the Devon Assizes commencing 17th March 1836 (Western Times, Saturday 19 March 1836 p.3). He was found guilty, given sentence of death recorded, and thereby transported to NSW for life. The Devon Assizes criminal register records that he was aged 23 years and could read and write only "imperfectly". Attempted Jail Break McGuire was confined in the High Gaol of Devon, and on Monday 28 March 1836, only a few days after sentencing at the Devon Assizes was finished, he and the six other men given a sentence of death recorded, attempted to break out of that gaol. When the turnkeys " proceeded to the ward where the seven male prisoners who had judgement of death recorded against them at the late Assizes were confined, when the convicts, on quitting the airing ground to proceed to their cells, turned suddenly round, and Hugh McGuire snatched at the keys which were in Elliott the Turnkey’s hands; the officer, however, held them so fast that the prisoner did not succeed in his object. McGuire then made a second attempt to force the keys from Elliott, and in the struggle the chain broke, and the keys were scattered about the floor." [EXETER and PLYMOUTH GAZETTE, Sat April 2 1836 p.3 "Desperate Attempt of Prisoners to escape from the Devon County Gaol - Attack on the Turnkeys"][ The other six prisoners were engaged in various struggles, but inevitably the turnkeys subdued them and they were confined in separate cells till the following day and double-ironed. Seven weeks later, on Monday 16th May, they were all removed to the Ganymede Hulk at Woolwich. The Ganymede Hulk records state that he was aged 21 and was sent to NSW on 8 October 1836. Three others from the attempted Devon Jail break went with him on the same transport ship "Norfolk". ______________________________________

Level 94

Dennis Nightingale on 19th April 2015

Born - Cavan County Ireland. Single.