John O'reilly

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Summary

Born
Jun 1844
Conviction
Irish rebel
Departure
Oct 1867
Arrival
Jan 1868
Death
Aug 1890
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Personal Information

Name: John O'reilly
Gender: Male
Born: 28th Jun 1844
Death: 10th Aug 1890
Age at death: 46
Occupation: Journalist
Aliases: John Boyle O'reilly

Crime

Crime: Irish rebel
Convicted at: Dublin General Court Martial
Sentence term: 20 years

Voyage

Departed: 10th Oct 1867
Arrival: 9th Jan 1868
Place of Arrival: Western Australia

Transportation

John O'reilly 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.

HougoumontHougoumont

References

Primary SourceAustralian Joint Copying Project. Microfilm Roll 93, Class and Piece Number HO11/19, Page Number 264
Source DescriptionThis 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 SourceGreat Britain. Home Office
Compiled ByState Library of Queensland
Database SourceBritish convict transportation registers 1787-1867 database

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Convict Notes

Dianne Jones avatar
218
on 29th July 2021

PHOTO OF JOHN BOYLE O'REILLY: Taken in November 1866 while he was an inmate of Mounjoy Prison, Dublin, and labelled John O'Reilly 10th Hussars, it is available online at https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47dc-9768-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99#/?uuid=7982b960-3729-0134-d5d9-00505686a51c .

Dianne Jones avatar
218
on 9th July 2021

There's also a pretty good (brief) yarn about John Boyle O'Reilly, the Fenians and the Catalpa escapees on the Freemantle Jail site at https://fremantleprison.com.au/history-heritage/history/the-convict-era/characters/the-fenians/

Lachlan avatar
21
on 14th October 2016

Escaped Australia in February 1869 on ship to USA died in Boston in 1890

Old School avatar
43
on 14th May 2016

The Great Australian Escape https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catalpa_rescue Well documented ,published and promoted escape of the Militant Fenian band of convicts from Perth