Summary
Personal Information
Voyage
Transportation
William Ryan was transported on the Surrey Or Surry, departing 14th Jul 1816 and arriving 20th Dec 1816 with 150 passengers.
Built at Harwich in 1811 a square-rigged transport ship of 443 tons and copper lined she had two decks with a height between decks of 5 ft. 8 ins. In 1818, she had a major refit increasing the decks (and convict carrying capacity) to three. She was owned by the London firm of F. & C.F. Mangles.
Surrey Or Surry (generic)References
| Primary Source | Mayberry, Peter, Irish Convicts to New South Wales. Garber, Val and Robertson, Jeanette; "From Tartan to Wattle". |
Claims
"William Ryan is my 4th Great Grandfather"
Photos
No photos have been added for William Ryan.
Convict Notes
THE LATE SPECIAL COMMISSION IN CLONMEL. Seventh day.— John Dwyer, John Murphy, Wm. Ryan, Roger Murphy, James Ryan, Thos. Hackett, John Magrath, Edmond Ryan, Roger Corcoran, Joseph Costello, Denis Dwyer, Michael Murphy, and Michael Leahy, all applied to the Court, by their Counsel, for liberty to withdraw their pleas of Not Guilty, and to plead Guilty to the several indictments against them- which was agreed and sentence was accordingly passed on them. Sun (London) 7 Feb 1816.
William, a blacksmith by trade, was tried and convicted, along with 13 others, at Clonmel, Co. Tipperary in 1816 on charges of insurrection, arising from a riotous incident known as the barracks of Ballagh affair, these men were all opponents of the Tithe system and had been at first sentenced to death at Clonmel Ireland. Among their crimes were destroying the dispensary and other buildings at Ballagh, which were intended by Government as barracks to quarter troops in. The troops had been sent to Tipperary to quell riots that had been taking place over the previous few months, one of the group was hanged, the rest sentenced to transportation for 14 years. Left Cork on 14th July 1816. Ship:- the 'Surrey I' sailed with 150 male convicts on board, there were no repor5ted deaths during the voyage. Arrived on 20th December 1816. He was assigned to John Oxley at Kirkham, near the Cowpastures, until December 1822. This is probably where he met Mary Seymour who left her husband, Thomas Seymour, and moved with William to Picton, and in March moved to the Illawarra district, then in 1841 they were living at Ann's Grove and finally settled at Dapto. William and Mary had 4 children between 1830-1840. He received his pardon around 1830. Mary died in 1867 at Dapto, NSW. William died on 24th June 1884 also at Dapto. Mary and William are buried together at the Catholic Cemtetry, at West Dapto.
Was in a relationship with Mary Higgins, daughter of Robert Higgins (NSW Corps Corporal; Queen 1791) and Lydia Farrell (Convict; Pitt, 1792). This relationship commenced some time around 1830 when her marriage with Thomas Seymour (Convict; Admiral Gambier, 1811) apparently broke up. She already had 8 children and she and William had 4 more, in the period 1830 to 1840. William received his pardon around 1830. He and Mary moved to the Illawarra district.
William was classified as one of the Irish, Whiteboy rebels and convicted of Insurrection.