Francis Moran

221

D Wong on 24th November 2020

Francis Moran was listed as 24 years old on arrival. Native Place: Manchester. Francis was 5'3¾" tall, fresh complexion, light brown hair, dark eyes, single, literate, RC. 22/11/1853: TOL 9/4/1857: Free Certificate, Hobart. 24/4/1854: Married Mary Ann Ormisher (Emma Eugenia 1851) - real name Eliza Munro. Children: 25/11/1855: Francis George b Tas. d 20/11/1889 Vic. 29/1/1858: Henry b Tas. d prior to 1898 when his wife Mary Ann Wilson remarried. 29/5/1860: John b Tas. d 6/6/1860 Murray St., Hobart. 25/2/1862: Isaac b Tas.1/7/1863: William d 1926: Fitzroy, Vic. 13/2/1864: Emily b Tas. d 1893 Richmond, Vic. 1/11/1866: Eliza b Tas. 26/6/1872: Alfred b Tas. d 11/6/1902 Parramatta Gaol, NSW. 18/4/1874: Florence Matilda b Tas. 16/11/1865: At Hobart Police court, an information by Sub-Inspector Dorsett, against Francis Moran, charging him with having on the 11th last, feloniously wounded his wife Mary Ann Moran, by striking her on the head with a toma- hawk with intent to do grievous bodily harm. Mary Ann Moran, a weakly looking woman, was sworn, and said that on the 11th instant, her husband and she were quarrelling. It was poverty made them quarrel, and they had both been drinking, she was as bad as he was. They had a fight. She could not remember how she got the wound in her head. It was a slight wound and not dangerous. The witness here hesitated very much, and declined to say how she got the wound in her head. She said it would be wrong for her to say anyone else gave her the wound, but she would not swear that her husband gave it her. Mr. Jones after endeavouring to obtain a direct answer from the witness, said her conduct was contempt of court, and he had power to commit her, but the case was a painful one and he should allow her to stand back a little, and reflect while the other evidence was taken. Henry Moran, a lad about eight years of age, was examined as to the nature of an oath, and having bean sworn deposed : The prisoner is my father, and the last witness is my mother. I was outside on Saturday last. My father and mother were inside our house. I heard no quarrelling between them. I saw mother across the road at the butcher's, and her head was bleeding. It was in the middle of the day. I don't know how my mother's head came to be bleeding. I don't know the tomahawk (produced.) I have seen it at our house. I don't know if it was father's. Mother brought me here to-day. She did not talk to me about the case. I did not see the tomahawk on Saturday last. I saw Mr. Dorsett then. I showed him the tomahawk. When I said I did not see it, I forgot I said nothing when I showed Mr. Dorsett the tomahawk, only " there it is." Mary Ann Moran, was now re-called and appear- ed with a young infant in her arms. In answer to the magistrate, she said she did not want to tell any lies, but did not know what to say. Mr. Reynolds : Will you swear that your husband did not inflict the wound on your head with a tomahawk? Witness . No, Sir, I can'. He did. Mr. Reynolds : How did it happen? Witness: We were fighting, and I felt the blow, and cried out " You wretch, youv'e killed me." The tomahawk produced is the same. It was in a little room, and he ran and got it after he knocked me down, and I was down when he struck me. My head bled very much. I ran for Mr. Dorsett, but did not reach that far when I fell down insensible. I was taken in a cab to the Hospital, where Dr. Hall saw me. My head was dressed, and I came out the same night. The prisoner cross-examined the witness as to the fact of their having been drinking with some friends, all of which she admitted. Dr. Edward Swarbreck Hall deposed to having seen the woman Mary Ann Moran, in Elizabeth- street, on Saturday last. She had a cut in her head from which a great deal of blood was flowing, She appeared in a state of insensibillty. He took her in a cab to the hospital, and there found an incised wound, one inch and 1/2 long, and penetrating to the bone, across the upper part of the back of the head. When the woman became sensible, she said " Her husband had done it with a tomahawk." The tomahawk produced would be calculated to produce the wound he had described. To the Bench : I saw nothing near the place where the woman was lying which would be likely to have caused such a wound. Sub-Inspector Dorsett deposed to having arrested the prisoner. The boy Henry Moran pointed to the tomahawk, and said, " there is the tomahawk my father struck my mother with." Witness took possession of the tomahawk, the handle of which seemed as if it had been scraped, There were no marks of blood visible upon it. Prisoner denied having struck his wife. Prisoner made no statement, but called Elizabeth Smith, who gave evidence as to having been drinking with the prisoner and his wife. She saw no quarrelling, but afterwards saw the woman with blood running somewhere from the back of the neck. 17/11/1865: Prisoner was now fully committed for trial. 7/12/1865: The case was heard at the Supreme Court, Hobart. Francis Moran pleaded not guilty to an information charging him with having on the 11th. November feloniously wounded his wife, Mary Ann Moran, by striking her on the head with a tomahawk. This case has been fully reported in our columns. The man and woman had been fighting for several days, and during a scuffle it was alleged that he hit her on the head with tomahawk. The prisoner cross-examined the witnesses, and read a long written statement to the jury, detailing the events of the afternoon. He asserted that the wound was caused by the woman having fallen against a stool in the house. She afterwards got up and went out, and he heard no more of her for twenty minutes, when he was taken into custody on this charge. He called Henry Moran, his son, who deposed that he came to the house with Mr. Dorsett who asked for the tomahawk, and he pointed it out to him. The witness was cross-examined by the Attorney General. His Honor then summed up, and the jury after a short absence returned a verdict of not guilty. 8/12/1865: Prisoner was discharged. 6/3/1876: At the City Police Court, Melbourne, Francis Moran, and his wife, now calling herself Eliza, were each sentenced to six months hard labour for vagrancy. They had been arrested with their three young daughters, the eldest two being sent to Industrial Schools for seven & three years respectively. The youngest child to go with her mother. 21/8/1876: Discharged from Penal Settlement Castlemaine, VIc 21 Aug 1876. Tried Melbourne 6 Mar 1876 for vagrancy - 6 months. 62" grey hair, blue eyes. Scar on each eyebrow and chin. Mouth prominent. 6/8/1899: Francis Moran died at Cambridge Street, Collingwood, Victoria - died of Senile Debility, aged 78 years, a stonemason. (Born in Manchester, Eng., 22 years in Tasmania, 27 years in Victoria). Parents: Michael Moran, stonemason and Mary Ann Moran, formerly McManus. Informant: Eliza Moran, wife, 92 Cambridge Street, Collingwood. Mary Ann Moran died in 1902 in Victoria - Listed as Eliza Moran.

8

Geoff Moran on 23rd November 2020

Married - Mary Ann Ormshaw