Summary
Personal Information
Crime
Voyage
Transportation
Cornelius O'mahoney 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 259 (132) |
| 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 |
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Convict Notes
1879, 5 March: Cornelius O'Mahony died in Melbourne from typhoid fever, and was buried at Melbourne General Cemetery, Carlton North. An inscription on his headstone, and a biography provided by family researchers on Find A Grave, chronicle his short, eventful and generous life (see Find A Grave at https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/163917618/cornelius-omahony).
1869, 5 February: Cornelius O'Mahoney was one of 34 Fenians who had been transported to Western Australia (as well as others imprisoned in Great Britain) who were given Free Pardons / “unconditionally discharged” by the House of Commons. For a full list, see the Melbourne Advocate, 22 May 1869, p4, at https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/169267360?. 1869, 19 May: He received his Free Pardon certificate from the Resident Magistrate at Champion Bay [north of Geraldton, WA] where he was employed as a clerk (see Western Australia, Australia, Convict Records, 1846-1930; Convict Department, Registers; General Register for Nos 9599 - 10128 cont. (R16)).
1868, 10 January: On arrival in WA, Cornelius O'Mahoney was listed as #9842, 28 years old, and a clerk; single, with no children (see Western Australia, Australia, Convict Records, 1846-1930; Convict Department Registers (128/40 - 43)). This record also contains his physical description. On the General Register, his next of kin was listed as his father, Thomas, a farmer, at Macroom, Co Cork. According to this record, he was also listed as 28 on arrival in WA. (see Western Australia, Australia, Convict Records, 1846-1930; Convict Department, Registers; General Register for Nos 9059 - 9598 cont., 9599 - 10128 (R15 - R16)). Note: The different year of birth on his Fremantle jail record below. --0-- From his Fremantle jail record: O'MAHONEY, Cornelius; #9842, arrived 10 Jan 1868 per Hougoumont Date of Birth: 1838 Place of Birth: Macroom, County Cork Place of Death: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Marital Status: Unmarried Occupation: Clerk Literacy: Literate Sentence Place: Dublin Crime: Treason Sentence Period: 5 years Ticket of Leave Date: 1 Dec 1868 Comments: One of 62 Fenians transported on the Hougoumont, the last convict ship sent to Australia. Its arrival at Fremantle on 9 Jan 1868 signalled the end of transportation to this country. Clerk. To Victoria, 16 Jun 1877 (see https://fremantleprison.com.au/). --00--
1866, 10 February: He was sent from Mountjoy and admitted to Pentonville prison, north of London. His record lists him as a #3439, aged 26 and a clerk and bookkeeper whose "friends reside at Macroom". He was single and able to read and write (see UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951; Pentonville Prison; Register of Prisoners 1864-1866). --0-- 1866, 14 May: After two months at Pentonville, Cornelius O'Mahony was admitted to Portland jail. Portland, opened in 1848, held adult convicts and its purpose “was largely to make use of convict labour in the construction of the breakwaters of Portland Harbour and its various defences” (see Wikipedia). —0— 1867, 8 October: According to newspaper reports, 23 Fenian prisoners were among the 90 convicts from Portland who were taken aboard the Hougoumont, on this date, for transportation to WA. “Shortly before midday 90 convicts were marched down to the Government pier at Portland under a strong escort of the 13th Light Infantry. The party included 23 Fenian convicts… 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.” (see https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/28608271?searchTerm=hougoumont).
1865, 7 October: Cornelius O'Mahoney was admitted to Kilmainham jail, in Dublin, to await trial on a charge of "conspiring to depose the Queen, to compel Her Majesty to change her measures and counsels and to move and stir foreigners to invade Ireland". He was listed as prisoner #842, able to read and write, Roman Catholic, aged 26, born in 1839, 5'7½" tall with brown hair, grey eyes and a dark complexion. He had been living at 12 Parliament Street, Dublin; he was a native of Macroom, Co Cork (see Ireland, Prison Registers, 1790-1924; Dublin, Kilmainham 1850-1871). 1866, 15 and 16 January: Cornelius O'Mahony was tried and convicted at the Special Commission, in Dublin, of treason-felony [high treason was selected above as treason-felony is not an option]. His trial received a brief mention in the press, as per this republished news in the Melbourne Leader of 24 March, 1866, p8: "In the case of Cornelius O'Mahony the first jury could not agree, but a second jury finding him guilty, he was sentenced to five years' penal servitude." --0--