Ann Joyce

341

Maureen Withey on 20th May 2021

Colonial Secretary Index. JOYCE, Ann. Per "Woodman", 1823 1824 Feb Re permission to marry in the Roman Catholic Church at Sydney (Reel 6012; 4/3510 p.269) -------------------------------------------------- KELLY, Patrick. Per “Southworth”, 1822 1824 Feb: Re permission to marry in the Roman Catholic Church at Sydney (Reel 6012; 4/3510 p.269) 1824 Nov 23: On list of prisoners assigned (Fiche 3290; 4/4570D p.66) -------------------------------------------------- 1828 Census Index. Patk. Kelly age 25, F.S. Southworth, 1822, 7 years, catholic, Labourer, Lower Portland Head, has 20 acres of land, all cleared, 12 acres cultivated. Has 6 cattle. Ann, age 30 F.S. Woodman, 1823, 7 years, catholic, Mary, age 7 born in colony. Honora, age 2 BC Patrick, age ½ BC. ----------------------------------------------------- Patrick Kelly’s situation caused a lot of interest in the newspapers of the time, as can be read in the following account. Patrick Kelly, was transported to this colony in 1822, in the ship Southworth. In 1824, by permission of the Governor, he married Ann Joyce, who arrived in the colony a prisoner of the crown, in 1823. They lived together in Sydney about 18 months, the husband having been assigned to his brother, Edward Kelly, a free man. Edward sent his brother up to Richmond, to drive some cattle belonging to Mr ***** to Newcastle. Mr. ***** was so pleased with, Patrick, that he told him, if he could get his brother’s permission for him and his wife to enter his (Mr. *****‘s) service, he would hire them as free persons, and give them free wages. Edward having consented before they entered into an agreement, Mr.***** accompanied both by Edward and Patrick, went up to Mr. Crawford, late chief clerk in the Secretary’s Office, to enquire whether, until Patrick obtained his- ticket-of leave, which was already due, it would be safe for him to hire himself and wife with Mr. ***** ? Mr. Crawford, with that frankness, urbanity, and good-nature, which made him so popular with the colonists, said that, as Patrick’s ticket was already due, and awaited only the forms of office, he could not see any substantial impropriety in Patricks’s going with his wife into Mr. ***** s’ service. Accordingly the bargain was struck, and Patrick and his wife soon found themselves on Mr. *****‘s farm, on Hunter’s River. After being three months in Mr. *****‘s service, Patrick as overseer and his wife as dairy woman, Mr. ***** told them he could not afford to keep them any longer, as he could get a prisoner overseer cheaper. Accordingly, they left Mr.*****, and the magistrate of the district, the wife being now become free by servitude, allowed them to live in the Government House, in order to keep it clean and airy; it being at that time empty. There they resided three months, Patrick labouring as a free man, and his wife taking in washing. At the end of that period, Mr. ****, having a hankering after his old servants, let them twenty acres of his ground on a clearing lease. They built a good house of sawn stuff, worth 30l, and proceeded to clear the land. This was in June last year. They felled seven acres, and cleared and sowed five. A rough agreement in writing, usual on such occasions, had been signed by the parties. The twenty acres were not marked out, but Mr. - directed Patrick to select twenty acres of the land he liked best in the front of the river, and when the house was built, and not before—mind, reader—when a valuable dwelling, was erected, and the rich quality of the land (for Patrick was a good judge) and the beauties of this Australian Naboth’s vineyard were developed by the pleasant opening created by his sinewy arms, but not before, fault began to be found. Mr. - ‘s wife it seems cast a wishful eye on the pretty spot. When an emigrant proprietor wants to get rid of a convict tenant, there are a number of little sly ways of doing it without outraging the laws. Patrick all this time having had the countenance of the magistrate, who had put him into Government House .&c. &c. &c. and knew all the circumstances of the case, had been tempted to neglect his ticket-of-leave. De facto, therefore, he was a mere convict on his own hands, without other permission than that of the Colonial Secretary’s late chief clerk, with the tacit concurrence of the magistrate above mentioned. (When the concern is quite ripe we shall perhaps mention names, at: present we speak only in parables.) THE present age is the age of moral cant. Whenever a magistrate or a gentleman wants to nick a prisoner of his property, he must begin to cant. Ahab, King of Israel, in murdering Naboth to get possession of his land was an honest rascal in comparison of the rogues of this villainous colony. A certain concubine, of Newcastle, a native of the colony, who save her concubinage, is a sober, industrious, well-behaved woman, and exactly answers the description which Judge Field, in his letters lately published in the Australian Newspaper, gives of the native girls of the colony, quarrelled with her male friend. She accused him of infidelity. She had been in the habit of taking journeys up the country to collect debts due to her friend, and on one of these excursion she staid at Patrick’s house, being well received by his wife, inasmuch as the said concubine did what such females in England seldom think about; namely, she began to make gowns, shirts, &c. &c. in reward for the wife’s hospitality. Ah, luckless Patrick! Little did you think what a horrible sin you were committing in “harbouring” a bad woman, when some of our justices themselves harbour only two! The wife of the landlord of course, was quite shocked to hear that any tenant of her husband’s should be so immoral. ” The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water.” So it proved in this case. It was intended to wash the Australian Naboth out of his vineyard, the Jewish short-cut of killing tenants not being yet in vogue amongst us Gentiles. After they had been about eleven months on the farm, that is to say, about a month ago, the above-mentioned magistrate of the district, who knew the beginning and ending of Patrick, and all about Mr. Crawford, &c. &c. sent for him, and had the courage to put to him the following question—” What, Patrick, have you to shew for your liberty ?” Patrick saw the lightning’s glance in this quere—with sullen, desperate heroism, he assisted to launch the thunder-bolt-” Nothing,” cried Patrick. ” Constable,” said the worthy—” constable, ” give Patrick Kelly two days to dispose of his property,” and then take him to Newcastle, and deliver him over ” to the Superintendent of Convicts.” The righteous mandate was obeyed. Kelly sold the house worth 30l. and crops worth to Kelly, 60l. and pigs and fowls worth 25l.- the whole he sold for 22l. 2s. 6d. !!! 10l, was paid him in hand, and the purchaser took possession. But as Mr.—will not allow the purchaser to hold the land, Patrick will never be paid the remaining 12l. 2s. 6d. … On the arrival of the poor wretches at Newcastle, word was sent to Edward Kelly, the free brother, of all their calamities. He was residing at Broken Bay, about 80 miles distant. He journeyed to Newcastle on foot. After remaining four days, he and the wife took their passage to Sydney in the Isabella, to seek that redress which they were certain they should receive at the paternal hands of His Excellency General Darling. A PETITION was accordingly sent to the Governor ; the main prayer of which was, a request that Patrick might be assigned to his wife. The Colonial Secretary wrote an answer saying, that in consequence of Patrick’s having been 18 months at large without legal authority, (the above magistrate’s concurrence of course was not legal authority) her request could not be complied with !!! THERE only wants one little thing more to make this tale a complete sample of the proceedings which are daily being practised in the present reign-namely, the remainder of Patrick’s ten pounds ought to be boned and put in the saving Bank ! The wife has a child hanging at her breast -she is in a state of mind which only those can fully conceive who in the course of a mysterious providence have been made to drink of a like cup. ... The Monitor, 16 Mar 1827.