Margaret Reilly

343

Maureen Withey on 15th August 2020

Irish Convict Database by Peter Mayberry. Margaret Reilly, alias O’Reilly, Riley, age 29, John Bull (1821), Tried at Dublin City, 7 years, DOB 1792, native place, Maynooth Dublin Co., Trade: Servant country. -------------------------------------------------- Name: Patrick Venables Spouse Name: Margaret Riley Marriage Date: 1822 Marriage Place: New South Wales Registration Place: Castlereagh, Volume Number: V B Source: Ancestry.com. Australia Marriage Index, 1788-1950 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. ---------------------------------------------------- 1828 NSW Census, at residence of Mr Terry’s at Cobberty. The property, owner or tenant, Mr Terry, is described as 600 acres, 4 aces cultivated and having 4 cattle. Patrick Venables, age 42, T.L. Three Bees, 1813, Life, catholic, labourer, Cobberty, Cooke district. Margaret Venables, age 32, F.S. John Bull, 1821, 7 years, catholic. Patrick, age 5, born in colony. Edward, age 3, B.C. William, age 1, B.C. ---------------------------------------------------- In 1829 Patrick Venables was tried for the murder of his wife, and was convicted of manslaughter, and sentenced to be transported for 7 years. The trial and circumstances is reported in the Sydney Monitor, 6 June 1829. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/31762050 Part of the article: SUPREME COURT, Criminal Trials Friday.--Patrick Venables, an Overseer in the employ of Mr. Samuel Terry, was indicted for the wilful murder of Margaret Venables, his wife, on the 5th of May, 1829, in the district of Cooke. Mr. Loder examined; I went to the house of Patrick Venables on the morning of the 6th of May instant, in consequence of hearing of the death of his wife. I was in company with Terence Hickey; prisoner as crying with a child in his arms; he said his wife was dead; she was lying on the bed with a sheet over her. I looked at her face but saw no marks; saw no blood, any where about; I left the house about 9 o'clock the night before. I cannot cay if deceased had been drinking; I have known Venables two years. l live about ¾ of a mile from his hut; I always considered him to be a hard working, industrious, quiet man; I saw deceased lying on the bed; she was on her back; I had had some wine there the day before; he was an inoffensive man, and was very quiet when I was there the evening before; William Fisher and I were the only men in the house except prisoner his wife and family; I have known him about 11 years, and always considered him a quiet inoffensive man. Peter Vaughan. - I am a free man ; I was a servant to prisoner on the 5th of May last; I went to Mr. Hassal's on the 5th of May with prisoner for some wine, 5 gallons I believe. I went back again with prisoner, but left him about sundown to go to Mr. Harts' ; I did not return to to prisoner's house that night, I started from Mr. Hart's to go home, but was overcome by the wine I had drunk, and laid down in the bush to sleep ; I got up before daylight and returned to Mr Hart's; soon afterwards, before daylight, prisoner came to Hart’s and said his wife was dead, and begged us to return home with him and bring a light; .... For the defence. Mr. Samuel Terry examined.-I have known prisoner ever since he came to the Colony, 16 years ago; he was assigned. to me from the ship, and remained with me until about 9 years ago, when he left me and was married, and went into the service of the Rev. Mr. Fulton; he remained two years in his service, and then returned to me, and has remained with me ever since; his reason for leaving me was because I opposed his marrying the deceased; she was, a weakly woman, not adapted for a labouring man’s wife, and moreover, rather given to drinking; I placed much confidence in him, in fact, I never had a better servant in my life, never; for the last two or three years he has been. my overseer at the Cowpasture River, where this happened, and I always found him diligent, attentive, industrious, and quiet, in fact, I have a very high opinion of him; I have conversed with Mr. Fulton about him, and heard him speak very highly of him. I have always heard the Deceased was addicted to drink; he would have had his Emancipation in two years more, (The Jury found him Guilty of Man-slaughter.) Sydney Monitor 6 June 1829.