James Reilly

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Dianne Jones on 16th March 2023

OTHER SOURCES: Amos, Keith, 1988, "The Fenians in Australia, 1865–1880", Sydney. Waters, Ormond D.P., 1997, “The escape of the Fenians, Western Australia, 17 April 1867”, Seanchas Ardmhacha: Journal of the Armagh Diocesan Historical Society, Vol. 17, No. 1 (1996-97), pp. 95-107 at https://www.jstor.org/stable/25746736.

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Dianne Jones on 16th March 2023

JAMES REILLY LEAVES WA: 1874, 26 May: James Reilly, #9854, per Hougoumont (“Fenian”), sailed on the “SS Nubia” out of Albany, WA, bound for Melbourne (Western Australia, Australia, Crew and Passenger Lists, 1852-1930 for James Reilly, Albany, 1875). --00--

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Dianne Jones on 16th March 2023

1871: IS THIS “OUR” JAMES REILLY? From the Perth Gazette and West Australian Times, Friday 17 Mar 1871, p3 “Supreme Court. 8.-James O'Reilly, free, was charged by Catherine Sullivan with refusing to maintain his illegitimate child, aged one month; fined £5 and to pay 3s. 6d. per week for maintenance of child.” (https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3756587) --00--

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Dianne Jones on 16th March 2023

1870: JAMES REILLY (called O’Reilly) is named in this republished letter, written by one of his fellow Fenians who received a free pardon and went to America, per the “Baringa”, in 1870 (see the Freeman’s Journal, Sydney, Sat 2 Jul 1870, p13): NEWS OF THE RELEASED IRISH POLITICAL PRISONERS. The Boston Pilot — per favour of Mr. John Boyle O’Reilly, the military political prisoner who escaped from Western Australia — publishes the following letter received by that gentleman. We regret the want of success which met those [15 men who went to America aboard the “Baringa”] who expected to find happy homes in California: “34, Minna street, between 1st and 2nd streets, San Francisco, Cal., March 9, 1870. MY DEAR O’REILLY,— It was more by chance than good luck I happened to hear of your being in New York, and so I write to be one of the first to congratulate you on your escape from Western Australia. Of course we were aware of your escape, but did not know in what quarter of the world you were. The majority of us thought you were soldiering down in South America, but I am very glad to find you are better off. Before we left Western Australia we visited the boys in prison; they all seemed to be in pretty good health — that is as far as health in a prison goes — and spirits. I give you, on the other side, the names of those here with me, those in prison in Fremantle, those gone home, those free in Western Australia, and of our soldier friends still prisoners in bush parties, and out on a ticket- of-leave. I am afraid there is but very little chance of their getting out. On the road up from Perth to King George’s Sound we met a few of our military friends, stationed in different bush parties on the road; they all seemed to be in good health and spirits, except [James] Wilson. He looked like a man that had to put up with a great deal of annoyance, as I believe he has, from his warder, who is continually reporting him for the slightest cause. Martin Hogan is up in the Champion Bay district. I did not see [Patrick] Keating, neither do I know where he is; but I heard that he and [Patrick] Killeen were working in different parties on the York road. [Michael] Harrington is somewhere about Northam; Keeley [James Keily/Kiely] is in some other quarter. With the exception of those, I have seen all the others. Although we had a police escort, we managed to speak to the boys ‘for a’ that.’ We had rather hard times after getting out of prison; some of us had to go miles away into the infernal bush, where I suppose we would be now, only for the noble-hearted Irishmen and women in the Australian colonies. You would not believe how kind they were to us. I could not find words enough in the dictionary to express their goodness; where-ever we went we found them the same… Had we stayed in Sydney we would have all got first-class situations from the wealthy Irishmen there; but like fools, as we were, nothing would do us only to come out to this place, where we are loafing about for the last six or seven weeks, and can’t get employment. Were it not for the money we got in Australia we would be ‘hard up’ indeed; some of us would be off soldiering for Uncle Sam — perhaps down in Arizona, or some other place — by this time. There are only five or six out of the fifteen of us at work. Since I made out the list, I have learned from a letter received by Denis Hennessy from Western Australia, that Hugh F. Brophy was to start for home the following mail, and that James Flood was about going to New Zealand. That is all the news from that benighted land. Send all the news from home, as I have not had a letter from any one since last August. We do not know how the wind blows in that quarter. Letter from M. Cody yesterday. Father Lynch gone home to Ireland for twelve months. Father McCabe, of Bunbury, in his place. Hoping soon to hear from you, I am yours, very sincerely, JOHN B. WALSH.” LIST… In San Francisco, California: John Keneally, Patrick Doran, Denis B. Cashman, Patrick Dunne, Denis Hennessy, Thomas Fogarty, Eugene Geary, David Cummins, MICHAEL MOORE [my emphasis], David Joyce, Patrick Leahy, John Sheehan, Maurice Fitzgibbon, John B. Walsh, Patrick Wall. In Prison in Fremantle, West Australia: John Flood, 15 years, Corn. D Keane, 10 years, J. Edward Kelly, life imprisonment, Daniel J. Bradley, 10 years, Michael Cody, 20 years, Thos. Baines, 10 years, Thos. Fennell, 10 years, James Kearney, 7 years, Geo. Connelly, 15 years. Gone Back to Ireland: Thomas Daly, Morgan McSwiney, Jeremiah O’Donovan, Michael Noonan, John S. Casey, Thomas Cullinane (alias Bowler) Eugene Lombard, Patrick Riordon, Simon Downey, Robert May. Free in Western Australia: Hugh F. Brophy, Cornelius O’Mahony, Joseph Noonan, Jeremiah Aher, JAMES O’REILLY [REILLY], John Goulding, Thomas Duggan, Laurence Fulham, James Flood, Luke Fulham. Our Military Friends Prisoners in different Bush Parties, and on Ticket of Leave in Western Australia: Sergeant Major [Thomas] Darragh, life, 11th Regiment. James Wilson, life, 5th Dragoon Guards. Martin Hogan, life, 6th Dragoon Guards. James Mecoy, 15 years, 61st Regiment. Patrick Keating, life, 5th Dragoon Guards. Thomas Delaney, 15 years, 5th Dragoon Guards John Foley, 7 years, Royal Horse Artillery. Thos. Hassett, life, 24th Regiment. J. [John] Shine, 20 years, 60th Rifles. Patrick Killeen, 7 years, Royal Horse Artillery. Michael Harrington, life, 61st Regiment. Robert Cranston, life, 61st Regiment. — Keely [James M. Kiely], life, 53rd Regiment. On Ticket of Leave: William Foley, 5th Dragoon Guards. John Lynch, 5th Dragoon Guards. John Donoughue, 24th Regiment. --00—

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Dianne Jones on 16th March 2023

From KW Amos, 1987, “The Fenians and Australia c1865-1880”, p377: Reilly, James, born 1845, kin to Johannah O'Reilly, Waterville, Kerry; unmarried draper, Cahirciveen, Kerry, literate, Roman Catholic, convicted at Tralee 24/7/67: 'took part in attack on Kells Coast Guard Station - a young shop assistant - his previous character was good - mere rank and file'; treason-felony, 5 years’ penal servitude; Portland prison (inmate #6334); Fremantle prison, Clarence road party, Perth prison, Vasse depot (inmate #9854); 3 letters home, character good. Record: (1) Especially recommended by Surgeon Supt. for good conduct on voyage out. (2) Holding communication with liberated convicts, 15/1/68 - dismissed with a caution. (3) Refusing to join his party, 22/2/69 - 21 days SC [solitary confinement], first and last 7 on B & W [bread and water]. (4) Refusing to join his party, 16/3/69 - 7 days B & W. (5) Refusing to join his party, 23/3/69 - 7 days B & W. Release: Free Pardon, 15/5/69; left colony for Melbourne 26/5/74, and later returned to Ireland. --00—

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Dianne Jones on 16th March 2023

From KW Amos, 1987, “The Fenians and Australia c1865-1880”, p377: Reilly, James, born 1845, kin to Johannah O'Reilly, Waterville, Kerry; unmarried draper, Cahirciveen, Kerry, literate, Roman Catholic, convicted at Tralee 24/7/67: 'took part in attack on Kells Coast Guard Station - a young shop assistant - his previous character was good - mere rank and file'; treason-felony, 5 years’ penal servitude; Portland prison (inmate #6334); Fremantle prison, Clarence road party, Perth prison, Vasse depot (inmate #9854); 3 letters home, character good. Record: (1) Especially recommended by Surgeon Supt. for good conduct on voyage out. (2) Holding communication with liberated convicts, 15/1/68 - dismissed with a caution. (3) Refusing to join his party, 22/2/69 - 21 days SC [solitary confinement], first and last 7 on B & W [bread and water]. (4) Refusing to join his party, 16/3/69 - 7 days B & W. (5) Refusing to join his party, 23/3/69 - 7 days B & W. Release: Free Pardon, 15/5/69; left colony for Melbourne 26/5/74, and later returned to Ireland. --00—

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Dianne Jones on 16th March 2023

FREE PARDON: 1869, 5 February: JAMES REILLY was one of 35 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, 15 May: James Reilly received his Free Pardon from the Police Magistrate, Perth. It would be another five years before he left WA (Western Australia, Australia, Convict Records, 1846-1930; Convict Department, Registers; General Register for Nos 9599-10128 cont. (R16)). --00--

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Dianne Jones on 16th March 2023

From his FREMANTLE JAIL record: REILLY, James; inmate #9854, arrived 10 Jan 1868 per Hougoumont Date of Birth: 1845 Place of Birth: Cahirciveen, County Kerry Marital Status: Unmarried Occupation: Draper Literacy: Literate Sentence Place: Tralee Crime: Treason Sentence Period: 5 years 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. To Victoria per Nubia, 26 May 1874, later to Ireland (https://fremantleprison.com.au/history-heritage/research/convict-database/). --00--

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Dianne Jones on 16th March 2023

OFF THE WA COAST: 1868, 9 January: From transportee accounts, Ormond Waters (1997, p100) describes their arrival off the WA coast and transfer next day to the mainland: “The Fenian prisoners were the last to be taken ashore from the Hougoumont in small boats and brought to ‘The Establishment’ as Fremantle Prison was called. One convict described the scene in a letter home: ‘Very early on the morning of the 10th, we were put on shore in Fremantle, and marched through the little town of that name to our destination, The Prison. Here we lay for some two days, going through the ordinary routine of prisoners on the first reception. Dressed in a suit of Drogheda linen, ornamented with a red stripe and black bands, typical of the rank we hold in the colony. To wit, convicts.’ The prison rules were harsh. There was a long list of offences, the penalty for which was death. Cells measured seven feet by four feet wide by nine feet high. Prisoners slept in hammocks.” —0—

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Dianne Jones on 16th March 2023

TRANSPORTATION: 1867, October 8: James Reilly and others were sent aboard the Hougoumont for transportation to WA. “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 [only two were on the Hougoumont – Thomas Berwick and Lionel Holdsworth, each sentenced to 20 years for fraud], 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 [not “the” Moriarty, though]. 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.” (Sydney Morning Herald, 19 Dec 1867, p4, at https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/28608271). —00—