Michael Cox

Level 42

Tim Flynn on 20th November 2022

Died on Norfolk Island because of terrible abuse by the commandant Major Foveaux and his staff. "There was, in particular, one poor young man named Michael Cox, from the County of Cork : he was compelled to walk about and work with a chain, weighing twelve pounds, on his leg, and while labouring under a dysentery was driven up to his middle in the sea, and obliged to bring heavy packages ashore. He soon became too weak for work, and too late had his irons knocked off. Cox died in a few days after, and 1 hope he obtained forgiveness for his crimes, whatever they may have been, and mercy in Heaven ; for no clemency was extended to him in Norfolk Island." Memoirs of General Joseph Holt Volume 2 p228 RiP Poor lad

Level 72

Robin Sharkey on 6th April 2016

Michael Cox was aged 24 when transported for LIFE to NSW on convict ship “Minerva” for the political crime of administering unlawful oaths during the 1798 Rebellion in Ireland. A large number of men were tried on the same charges at Cork in September 1798, and sentenced to be transported. However of those men, only Michael Cox and William Desmond, also a young Cork native, were both transported on 'Minerva'. Desmond’s father, John, was also tried at the same Assizes for gathering arms during the rebellion and transported separately on “Friendship”. Freemans’ Journal of 4th October 1798, page 2 " CORK, SEPT 26, “Last Monday our Assizes ended when the following persons received sentence: …. Cornelius Sullivan, John Shea, Edmund Brooks, John Brooks, Daniel McGrath Sullivan; Denis McCan Fitzgerald; Cornelius Keath Sullivan; Michael Cox and William Desmond, For administering unlawful oaths - to be transported." 1800 Conspiracy for an Uprising, NSW Michael Cox arrived in NSW in January 1800. In NSW he became involved the very year of his arrival, in plans for an uprising by the some convicts and settlers. As Anne-maree Whittaker wrote in her book “Unfinished Revolution”. “Passwords and hand signals were devised and freely exchanged as the conspirators tried to gain recruits. Catholic priest, Father Harold, told Surgeon William Balmain without revealing names.” AN enquiry began on 4 September 1800. It was corroborated that there had been a meeting at Martin Short’s house in Sydney at which Michael Cox was present, as well as Roger Gavan - who was a main informer to the inquiry. Short and Michael Cox refused to say anything. On 2 Sept 1800 Michael Cox and another person went to see Joseph Holt at William Cox’s farm at Canterbury. Michael Cox is supposed to have asked Holt to lead the rebellion and Holt agreed. Cox never returned although he had said he would with the names of those who’d been enlisted. Each man had to recruit another ten men, so the conspiracy was quite widely known about. The Enquiry started 2 days later on 4 September. Holt was sentenced to exile, but he appealed to the Governor and the order was cancelled. It looked as though he had reported his conversation with Michael Cox in exchange for being protected; Cox was the only person Holt named. Banishment to Norfolk Island Michel Cox, along with the other four ring-leaders identified (Michael and Richard Byrne, Farrell Cuffe, and Martin Short) each received sentence of 500 lashes. These five and another 18 all received a sentence of re-transportation. They left for Norfolk Island on “Buffalo” on 21 October 1800. On Norfolk Island a good number of the irish conspirators commenced another plot for an uprising on Christmas Day 1800. Michael Cox threw himself into this conspiracy as well, recruiting and making pikes. One of the new recruits however was agitated by the talk of violence and proposals by some to put people to death, and spilled he beans about the plot straight to Lt - Governor Foveaux. Two identified as ringleaders were that morning executed without trial. 21 others wer flogged (presumably Cox among them). DEATH?? Michael Cox remained on Norfolk Island until his death there in September 1804. Therefore he avoided the next attempted uprising, by the Irish, in March 1804 at Castle Hill in NSW. Joseph Holt claimed in his memoirs that Michael Cox died because of Ill-treatment he received on Norfolk Island. Cox’s co-prisoner from Cork in September 1798, William Desmond, also a young Cork man transported on ‘Minerva’ for swearing illegal oaths, had already died in 1800 in NSW.