John Shea

221

D Wong on 13th February 2016

Birth dates of 1793 1799 and 1808 listed for this man. John Shea was said to be 20 years old on arrival in NSW. From the Sick list of the Borodino convict ship for 4 December 1827 to 25 July 1828: John Shea, aged 20, convict; disease, ophthalmia; put on sick list, 16 April 1828. Date discharged 23 April 1828. Assigned to Sir John Jamison, Regent Ville. 22/7/1829: Assigned to James Webber at Tocal. John was married - Wife, Johanna Casey, residing at Kilgarvin. He was 5’1 ¾” tall, brown hair, dark hazel eyes, ruddy freckled complexion, several moles on lower part of right cheek – John spoke no English. Was RC and illiterate. 17/10/1834: COF 20/8/1836: From Dublin Castle. John Shea, Borodino 1828. Johanna Casey and one child – accepted offer of free passage “but when order was sent for her and daughter to embark per Thos Harriden it was reported that she had removed to some other place – not known where”. 3/10/1845 Sydney Morning Herald: HIGHWAY ROBBERY. John Shea, free by servitude, was indicted, first, for an assault with intent to murder ; and second, with intent to do some serious bodily injury. The prisoner being unable to employ counsel, His HONOR requested Mr. Lowe to undertake his defense, which he consented to do ; Mr. J.W. Bligh volunteering to render such aid and assistance as he could ; and the prisoner was as ably defended as if he had paid some £20 for that purpose. From the evidence of the prosecutor, it appeared that on the 30th of April last, as he was proceeding from Bathurst to his own residence, at Clear Creek, about ten miles from Bathurst, when within about two miles of his home, he met with, and was stopped, by the prisoner, who rushed from behind a tree, and presented a gun at him, and ordered him to stand and deliver what money he had ; he told him he had only one penny on his person, which he threw to the prisoner, who then ordered him to take off his coat, waistcoat, and boots, and to turn out his trousers pockets, and desired the prosecutor to stand off from the clothes he had been denuded of. The prisoner then commenced overhauling the clothes, and whilst examining the contents of a snuff-box, Falvey, the prosecutor rushed on him, and succeeded in seizing from his possession the gun, and during the struggle for its possession, the prisoner attempted to fire the piece off, but it fortunately missed fire, and Falvey succeeded in securing the gun, and flung it from him, when the prisoner drew from beneath his coat a sword or cutlass that he had there concealed, and made an attack on the prosecutor, and for the possession of this instrument another struggle took place, and the prosecutor eventually succeeded in gaining possession of it, but not before some wounds had been inflicted on both sides; prosecutor ultimately succeeded in securing the prisoner, and dragged him to his own residence, a distance of two miles, and secured him by tying him with some green hide ; he then sent in to Bathurst, and two constables came out and took charge of the prisoner ; during the struggle several wounds were inflicted (but none serious) and both parties bled profusely. His HONOR passed a high eulogium on the prosecutor for his bravery and determination on the occasion. The prisoner at the conclusion declared his innocence of the charge, and His HONOR passed a very severe animated version on the heinousness of such a declaration, in a case where his guilt had been so very clearly proved. The Jury, after retiring a very short time, returned a verdict of guilty on the second count, and he was sentenced to transportation for life. 8/12/1845: Arrived on Norfolk Island,. 13/5/1851: Arrived in VDL per ‘Wanderer’. John was then described as 52 years old, farm labourer, fresh complexion, reddish to grey hair, dark hazel eyes. 1852: Last entry in his conduct record book, no CP date found and no death date.