Thomas Brown

Level 72

Robin Sharkey on 1st December 2016

Thomas BROWN was sentenced for transportation for 7 years, departing per "Atlas I' in November 1801, for rebellious practices. He had been one of hundreds of men - White Boys and United irishmen - gathered outside the home of Tithe Proctor john Boland and his family on 7 march 1800 when their house was attacked and set alight and the men inside died. Murdered were John Boland, his brother James and sons James jnr and Matthew. Another brother Edward, was killed as he went to the house to help them. The wife and two daughters were supposedly tied to a tree outside and made to watch. (For more details about this see the story at the entry for Murtogh Ahern per "Atlas'] Some of the men executed for the murders were brothers John and William Collins (a few weeks after the murders, in April 1800); Henry Stokes & Patrick Sheehan (in April 1800), and Murtagh Ahern (March 1803). This Murtagh Ahern was the father of the three Aherns transported to NSW for the crime, before their father was ever found guilty. Some of the men also transported to NSW for the crime were: On Atlas 1 - Thomas Brown (7 yrs), and brothers Murtagh Ahern and Michael Ahern with John Ahern (all LIFE) On Atlas II - Paul Slattery (LIFE) The date of Thomas Brown's trial has not been explored. the Courts martial were held at Limerick. He was sent in June 1803, together with three Boland brothers whose death sentences for the same crimes had been reprieved to transportation for Life. Freemans Journal 1763-1924, Tuesday, June 23, 1801; Page: 4 LIMERICK, June 20th Thursday last, John Ahern, Much. Ahern and Mort. Ahern, and Thomas Browne were sent to Cork to be transported pursuant to the sentence of the Court-martial. Thomas Brown has no entries in his colonial record in NSW. It is likely tat he was one of the 63 male convicts who died on board Atlas I - which was a stinking hell-hole. The ship's Captain, Richard Brooks, did not bother to name the deceased convicts.