Summary
Personal Information
Voyage
Transportation
James Mccabe was transported on the Almorah, departing 24th Aug 1820 and arriving 22nd Dec 1820 with 161 passengers.
Almorah 1. We have further to announce the arrival on Sunday morning, the 29th instant, of the ship Almorah, with 180 male prisoners, all in excellent health, consequent upon their good treatment upon the passage; she lost not a man. — This vessel sailed from the Downs the 28th of April, arrived at Rio de Janeiro the 15th of June, and sailed on the 23rd; Sydney Gazette, 30 Aug 1817. Almorah 2. Yesterday arrived from Ireland,- the ship Almorah; Captain Winter. She sailed from the Cove of Cork the 22d of August last, and brings 160 male prisoners, all in good health. Surgeon Superintendent, Dr. Alexander, R. N. The guard consists of a party of 30 men belonging to the 1st Regiment of Foot (Royals), under orders of Ensign Bruce. Sydney Gazette, 23 Dec 1820. Almorah 3. On Friday last, arrrived from Ireland, with 108 female prisoners, the ship Almorah, Captain Boyd. She sailed from Cork the 6th of April; reached no where: and, independent of the female prisoners, brings 15 free women, and 50 children. One prisoner, and one child, died on the passage. Dr. Price, R. N. is the Surgeon Superintendent. Sydney Gazette, 26 Aug 1824.
Almorah (generic)References
| Primary Source | Irish Convicts to NSW database, by Peter Mayberry |
Claims
"my family"
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Convict Notes
1824 - 1 of 28 Convicts, who having effected their Escape form Port Macquarie. Forwarded on "Brig Woodlark 'to Hobart Town. To serve the remainder of their Original or Colonial Sentence at Macquarie Harbour. No; 20. Name; James McCabe Ship Arrived by; Almorah 2. Convicted; Bench. Parramatta - 29 June 1822 Sentence to Port Macquarie. 3 years Trade; Labourer Original Sentence; Dublin - 6 June 1820 - 7 years
CRIME: Felony of cotton (see NSW Convict Ship Muster Rolls and Related Records, 1790-1849; 1820 Almorah).
Colonial Times and Tasmanian Advertiser, 4 Nov 1825. TRIAL of McCABE, the BUSHRANGER. This offender was tried in the Supreme Court on Wednesday last, for robbing Mr. Mortimer jun. on the King's highway. The Attorney-General (Mr. Gellibrand) addressed the Jury as follows:— Gentlemen,—I have to request that you will divest yourselves of any feeling of prejudice which may have been excited in your minds, by any thing which you may have heard out of this Court about the prisoner; and I feel it my duty to particularly caution you on this subject, after having seen held forth in a Newspaper the monstrous doctrine of taking this man out and executing him at once. Gentlemen, this prisoner is as much entitled to a fair and legal trial by the laws of the land as any other, and I am certain you will act by him as you have done in every other instance, divesting your minds of every thing but the evidence which I shall bring before you. Mr. T. Mortimer.—Between Mr. Hodgson's and Mr. Whitfield's, the prisoner rushed out from behind a tree. He fired a ball, which struck my mare on the neck—we both fell; he was about 10 yards off. He came and stood over me; he asked me why I did not stop; I said I did not hear him. He said "I wish the shot had gone through your head." He made me follow him into the bush, leading the horse. He had a double-barrelled gun; he re-loaded the barrel which he had fired at me. He took from me my money and a watch. He made me take off my boots, trowsers, waistcoat, braces, silk handkerchief, and hat, and one of my spurs. He said, he wanted my coat to sleep in, because the soldiers had robbed him of his blankets. He then rode away with my mare. The prisoner at the bar, James McCabe, is the man. [Mr Pitt, the Chief Constable, produced the property, which was indentified by the witness.] William Maroney.—l am a private in the 40th Regt. I apprehended the prisoner at the Upper Clyde. [The witness described the manner nearly as we related in our last.] When I came up to him, he said "soldier, shoot me." Mr. Kimberley.—I am Chief District Constable at Bagdad. On the 25th October, I saw the prisoner in custody of a soldier, the last witness. I took him to Captain Wood's, at the Clyde. The coat now produced was with him. I brought him to goal in Hobart Town. [This witness identified the watch and clothes as found on McCabe, and which had been before sworn to by Mr. Mortimer.] Mr. Pitt.—I am Chief Constable, and saw McCabe stripped in the goal, and the trowsers now produced (Mr. Mortimer's) were taken from his person. They have been in my keeping ever since. McCabe.—I have nothing to say. The Chief Justice Peddder summed up the evidence with the greatest perspicuity. His Honor alluded to the solemn appeal which the Attorney-General had made to the Jury, that they would divest themselves of all which they had heard as to the prisoner, or a person bearing his name. His Honor commented on the publication to which the Attorney-General had alluded; he said he knew nothing whatever of any such, and he trusted that if any such had appeared, that it had never been seen by the Jury; and at all events he felt satisfied that if it had, they would divest their minds of all recollection of it. Verdict—Guilty.
James McCabe was executed for Robbery, The Colonial Times and Tasmanian Advertiser, 6 Jan 1826 reports: Execution. This morning the awful sentence of the law was carried into effect upon the eight following criminals :—Samuel Longman, for robbery ; William Priest, ditto ; George Harden, for sheep stealing ; James Major, for cattle stealing ; Charles Wigley, for sheep-stealing ; William Pollock, ditto ; John Johnson, for robbery ; and James McCabe, ditto. —At at an early hour the Rev. Messrs. Bedford, Knopwood, and Carvosso, were with the five first unhappy men. The Rev. Mr. Conolly attended the three last, who were Roman Catholics. .... ... McCabe was the last — he was firm and resigned. He did not betray the smallest fear of death, while he fully acknowledged the justice of his fate. Indeed the whole of the eight exhibited a firmness and composure which nothing but the consolations of religion could produce. As soon as the ropes had been secured, the caps were drawn over their faces, and, in the midst of prayers to the great Disposer of All, for mercy and forgiveness, the drop fell, and this world closed upon them for ever.
Irish convicts database:Tried at Newgate, Dublin in 1820. No crime recorded. Occupation: Rope walk labourer. Age 19. Hobart Town Gazette, 4 Mar 1825 Absconded prisoners James McCabe, 614, 5 ft. 8 in. dark brown hair, brown eyes, 22 years of age, a boatman, tried at Dublin in June 1820, sentence 7 years, native place Dublin, arrived at Sydney on the Almorah 1817, from thence to this Colony on the Woodlark 1824, is pock-pitted, absconded from Macquarie Harbour June 1824, charged with murder. £10 Reward. The above date given for his arrival in the colony on Almorah (1817) is before the date of his trial.