Summary
Personal Information
Crime
Voyage
Transportation
Robert May was transported on the Hougoumont, departing 10th Oct 1867 and arriving 9th Jan 1868 with 281 passengers.
875 ton ship was built at Moulmein in 1852. http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/journal/on-this-day-in-history-australias-last-convict-ship-docks.htm ---------------------------- Incorrect Image ....This is a four masted steel hulled Barque in the drawing , im surprised Australian Geo didn't do a bit more research on this .......The Hougoumont was a works ship on the Forth Bridge Project in 1885 ....the one potrayed as a drawing in Aust Geo is the later version of this ship.....the photograph i have attached is the correct and original convict vessel. --00-- 1867 "The hired convict ship Hougoumont, which has been taken up by the Government for the conveyance of a numerous party of convicts to Freemantle, Western Australia, left the Nore on October 1, and proceeded down Channel, after receiving on board 150 convicts from the establishments at Chatham and Millbank. The convicts from the Chatham establishment, at St. Mary's, embarked from the dockyard on board the paddle-wheel steamer Adder, Mr. W. J. Blakely, and were in charge of a numerous party of convict guards and wardens, all heavily armed. Among the convicts shipped were a party of fifteen Fenians, who were engaged in the late conspiracy in Ireland, together with the officers and crew convicted of scuttling the ship Severn, and some others who have achieved notoriety from their crimes. The Fenian convicts, like the remainder of the prisoners, were chained together in gangs, but it was observed that they were kept apart from the other convicts in a portion of the vessel by themselves. The steamer Petrel also took down a number of convicts from the establishment at Millbank for shipment on board the Hougoumont, in charge of a strong escort and convict guard. On Tuesday, October 8th, the Hougoumont arrived in Portland roads. Shortly before midday ninety convicts were marched down to the Government pier at Portland under a strong escort of the 12th Light Infantry. The party included twenty-three Fenian convicts, among whom it was said, was Moriarty. The Government steamer employed in the breakwater service was used for conveying the convicts on board the Hougoumont transport ship. The convicts were chained together on embarking, and on board the steamer a strong guard of marines from her Majesty's ship St. George was formed, and saw the convicts safely placed on board the Hougoumont. The Governor of the penal settlement at Freemantle, Captain Young, is on board the Hougoumont, and returns in that ship to his sphere of duty after paying a visit to his native land." Source: Sydney Morning Herald, Thu 19 Dec 1867, p4, English Shipping, available on Trove at https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/28608271?searchTerm=hougoumont.
HougoumontReferences
| Primary Source | Australian Joint Copying Project. Microfilm Roll 93, Class and Piece Number HO11/19, Page Number 262. --0-- Keneally, T. (1998), “The great shame and the triumph of the Irish in the English-speaking world”, Random House, New York. --0-- http://www.jbhall.clahs.ie/1285-1932_drogheda_mayors.htmhttp://www.jbhall.clahs.ie/1285-1932_drogheda_mayors.htm --0-- |
| Source Description | This record is one of the entries in the British convict transportation registers 1787-1867 database compiled by State Library of Queensland from British Home Office (HO) records which are available on microfilm as part of the Australian Joint Copying Pro |
| Original Source | Great Britain. Home Office |
| Compiled By | State Library of Queensland |
| Database Source | British convict transportation registers 1787-1867 database |
Claims
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Convict Notes
NEWSPAPER REPORTS OF THE TRIAL: From the Newry Telegraph - Tuesday 16 July 1867, p3: COUNTY OF LOUTH, FROM SPECIAL Dundalk, Saturday.—At eleven o'clock this morning the High-Sheriff, Charles Cobbe, Esq., entered the Crown Court, accompanied Barton Brabazon, Esq., Sub-Sheriff, and the grand panel having been called over, the following gentlemen answered to their names, and were sworn on the Grand Jury: 1. Lieut.-Col. Sir John S. Robinson, Bart., (Fore man). 2. Lieut.-Col. John C. W. Fortescue. 3. Blayney Townley Balfour, Esq., D.L. 4. Frederick John Foster, Esq. 5. Richard Macan, Esq. 6. William Ruxton, Esq., D.L. 7. John Murphy Esq. 8. Myles Taaffe, Esq. 9. Finlay A. Chester, Esq. 10. Laurence Waldron, Esq. 11. Michael Caraher, Esq. 12. William De Sails Filgate, Esq. 13. Robert Foster Dunlop, Esq. 14. Richard M. Bellew, Esq., D.L. 15. Major Myles W. O'Reilly, M.P. 16. William Woolsey. Esq. 17. H. St. George Smith, Esq. 18. T. M. Richardson, Esq. 19. Thomas William Filgate, Esq. 20. George Harpur, Esq. 21. John Obius Woodhouse, Esq. 22. J. E. Bigger. Esq. 23. George Boylan, Esq. The jury, after being briefly addressed by the High-Sheriff, adjourned to their room for the transaction of fiscal business. The presentment £1,100 for the construction of main sewer from the County Gaol through Park Street led to an animated discussion, Mr. Waldron strongly opposing the project, which was ultimately defeated on division by eleven to eight. None of the other presentments were of any special importance. The present Assizes would have been a maiden one were it not for the fact that the persons arrested in Drogheda, subsequent to the emeute there on the night the 5th of March have been transferred from Dublin to Dundalk for trial. There are at present fourteen prisoners in the County Gaol charged with being connected with Fenianism. Ten of these were sent to Dublin for trial at the Special Commission; but owing, it is said, to some technical objections, did not appear before that tribunal. The names of the ten Drogheda prisoners are as follow: — Christoper [sic] Byrne, printer; Francis Hanlon, tailor; Luke Fullam, shoemaker; Patk. Bird, tailor, Patrick Wall, labourer; Laurence Fullam, shoemaker; Thomas Corrigan, day labourer; ROBERT MAY [my emphasis], spinning master; John Collegan, shoemaker; Hugh Byrne, housepainter. Another prisoner to be tried is a man named Patrick Connor, who was arrested on board the steamer at Drogheda at the time of the movement, but was subsequently released from Dundalk Gaol, but on the evening of his release was again arrested on a charge uttering seditious language. In addition to the foregoing there are three prisoners, who, being arrested under the Lord Lieutenant's warrant, will not be brought at these Assizes. The names of those three persons are:—John Lynch, cutler, Drogheda; Henry Byrne, veterinary surgeon, Drogheda; J. Fitzpatrick, labourer, Liverpool. The judges will not sit until Tuesday, at 10 a.m., and seldom has there been a degree of interest attached to an Assizes holden here than the present, not much from the fact that there is a considerable number of Fenian cases to be disposed of, but from belief that the principal Crown witnesses who gave evidence at previous Fenian trials—Messrs. Massey, Corydon, and others will be in attendance to give general proof of the conspiracy. The evidence of these parties will, it is stated, be amply supplemented by local —i.e., Drogheda witnesses. There was a belief that the prisoners might plead guilty, and the Crown would in that case, it is said, deal leniently with them but is now stated that the prisoners will stand the hazard of the die. In that case as the commission must open upon a fixed date in Monaghan, there will have to be an adjournment of the Loath court on Thursday next to be resumed again when the other business of the circuit is completed. --0—
TRIAL: 1867, 16 July: ROBERT MAY was found guilty of treason-felony and sentenced at the Louth Assizes, Dundalk, to 5 years’ penal servitude (Western Australia, Australia, Convict Records, 1846-1930; Convict Department, Registers; General Register for Nos 9599-10128 cont. (R16)). --0—
1867, 20 June: ROBERT MAY was sent from Kilmainham back to Dundalk Gaol to await his trial (Ireland, Prison Registers, 1790-1924; Dublin; Kilmainham, 1850-1871). --0—
JAIL: 1867, 27 March: ROBERT MAY was arrested and admitted to Dundalk Gaol. On 1 April, he was committed by William Carter Esq, at Dundalk, to stand trial for treason, and some time later was admitted to Kilmainham jail in Dublin. His record from Kilmainham reads: NAME: Robert May ADMISSION AGE: 21 ROLE: Prisoner BIRTH DATE: 1846 BIRTH PLACE: Slane County Louth, Louth, Ireland ADMISSION DATE: 27 Mar 1867 ADMISSION PLACE: Dundalk, Dublin, Ireland CHARGE: HIGH TREASON JAIL: KILMAINHAM IDENTIFICATION NUMBER: 427 PARTIES INVOLVED: 1 --0--
(Needs to be an option for treason) Robert May was arrested and sent to Australia for treason . Met John Boyle O’Reilly on the ship. Was later pardoned, JBO of course had escaped.