Thomas Duggan

Level 218

Dianne Jones on 11th February 2023

From his FREMANTLE JAIL record: DUGGAN, Thomas; inmate #9720, arrived 10 Jan 1868 per Hougoumont Date of Birth: 1820 Place of Birth: Ballincollig, County Cork Marital Status: Married 4 children Occupation: Schoolmaster Literacy: Literate Sentence Place: Cork Crime: Treason Sentence Period: 10 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 (https://fremantleprison.com.au/). --00--

Level 218

Dianne Jones on 11th February 2023

1868, 10 January: On arrival in WA, he was listed as convict #9720, 45 years old, and a schoolteacher; married to Lucinda [O'Driscoll/Driscoll] (aged 40), with four children -- Thomas (16), Ellen (14), Edward (9) and Frederick (7); character "good". This record also contains his physical description (see Western Australia, Australia, Convict Records, 1846-1930; Convict Department Registers; General Register for Nos 9059-9598 cont., 9599-10128 (R15-R16)). —00—

Level 218

Dianne Jones on 10th February 2023

THE VOYAGE: Thomas Duggan played a formative role in Fenian literary life aboard the Hougoumont, as this excerpt from Peter FitzSimons's "The Catalpa rescue" shows: "5 November, 1867... By now, with the journey under way for nearly a month and the sheer crushing tedium of shipboard life starting to weigh heavily, the Fenians come together to debate new ways of dealing with their pressing boredom. The concerts have been grand, but not enough. Perhaps ... a shipboard newspaper? It is Flood and Cashman who push the idea most assiduously... Yes! Most of the Fenians are well-educated, able to write and edit, not to mention both recite and compose poetry... Cashman records in his diary: 'We held a meeting to see if we could start a newspaper -- the meeting was composed of Con Mahony, J. Flood, DUGGAN [my emphasis], O'Reilly, Cody, Casey, Noonan & Self -- we passed resolutions, appointed a Chairman & finally settled to start if we get paper.'" (2019, pp78-79) Note: The newspaper was called "The Wild Goose", at the suggestion of its editor, John Flood. --00--

Level 218

Dianne Jones on 10th February 2023

1867, 8 October: According to newspaper reports, more than 20 civilian and military Fenian prisoners, including Thomas Duggan, were among the convicts from Portland who were taken aboard the Hougoumont, on this date, for transportation to WA. “Shortly before midday 90 convicts were marched down to the Government pier at Portland under a strong escort of the 13th Light Infantry. The party included 23 Fenian convicts… 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.” (https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/28608271?searchTerm=hougoumont). —0—

Level 218

Dianne Jones on 10th February 2023

14 May, 1866: He was one of several Fenian prisoners sent from Pentonville to Portland prison, south-west of London on the Isle of Portland, at Dorset. The jail held adult convicts and “its purpose was largely to make use of convict labour in the construction of the breakwaters of Portland Harbour and its various defences” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HM_Prison_Portland). --0--

Level 218

Dianne Jones on 10th February 2023

16 January, 1866: Thomas Duggan was one of several political prisoners sent from Mountjoy and received at Pentonville Prison in north London. Completed in 1842, Pentonville was built “for the detention of convicts sentenced to imprisonment or awaiting transportation” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HM_Prison_Pentonville). He was listed as prisoner #3424, married with four children; other details the same as previous jail records (UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951 for Thomas Duggan; Pentonville Prison; Register of Prisoners; 1864-1866). --0--

Level 218

Dianne Jones on 10th February 2023

NOTE: His Cork prison record (he was admitted there on 23 November, 1865; inmate #1105) gives his year of birth as 1823, at Ahabolouge, County Cork (Ireland, Prison Registers, 1790-1924 for Thomas Duggan; Cork; Cork; 1861-1873). --00--

Level 218

Dianne Jones on 10th February 2023

JAILS: 21 December, 1865: Thomas Duggan was sent from Cork County jail and admitted to Mountjoy prison in Dublin following his conviction and sentence 10 years' penal servitude. He was listed as prisoner #7128, a teacher, 42 years old, married with 5 children, Roman Catholic, 5’6” tall, blue eyes, brown hair and a fresh complexion. Described as "able to earn his bread", and having no previous convictions. Native place -- Ballincollig, "his wife and children are there" (Ireland, Prison Registers, 1790-1924 for Thomas Duggan; Dublin; Grangegorman Female Prison [incorrectly labelled; should read Mountjoy], 1849-1866). A photograph of Thomas Duggan – a prison mug shot – is also available from his time at Mountjoy at https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47dc-9762-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99/book?parent=927c8ef0-c6bd-012f-1ca3-58d385a7bc34#page/81/mode/2up. He is one of four men on page 80. [John Casey, #7138, pictured on page 81, was also sent to WA per the Hougoumont.] --0--

Level 218

Dianne Jones on 10th February 2023

TRIAL/2: Final day of trial – 20 December, 1865: The first two witnesses of the day were Thomas Murphy, private 4th Dragoons Guards, and Edward Sheehy, Inspector of National Schools, whose testimonies mirrored the evidence they gave at the committal hearing. Then followed the “informer”, John Warner, who testified that Jeremiah Donovan was a “B” and he had seen Donovan at Fenian drillings. The final witness was Acting-Inspector Hughes, Dublin Metropolitan Police (who found several documents in the office of the Irish People). After closing arguments by Mr Butt, for the defence, Justice Fitzgerald summed up. The jury retired at 10 minutes to one o’clock to consider its verdict. The Cork Herald reported: “[At] twenty minutes past two o’clock, the former jury entered their box and handed down their verdict of ‘Guilty’ on all the counts, against the prisoners Duggan and O’Donovan, who had been previously put forward to the bar. Clerk of the Crown -- Thomas Duggan you have been found guilty of treason-felony, have you anything to say why the sentence of the court should not be passed upon you? Prisoner, in a cool steady manner and clear voice -- My Lord, with regard to what Cain swore of meeting me on Sunday, the 12th of November, on the road between Ballincollig and Cork, between two and three o’clock in the afternoon, I have to say that I left Ballincollig that day at a quarter-past twelve o’clock and went towards the Ovens. Between two and three o’clock the same day Mr St. Leger, the Sub-inspector, met me three miles to the west of Ballincollig, and so did the Head Constable. I wish to state that fact, not to influence your lordships about me. I know your mind is already made up, but for the object of showing the sort of trial, and how the agents of the British Government legalises [sic] their arbitrary acts here, any intelligent man, any unprejudiced man, looking at that jury, seeing in this country political trials by jury -- Mr Justice Fitzgerald, interposing -- Prisoner, you are called on to say anything, if you have anything to say, in arrest of judgment. That we are prepared to hear, but we cannot allow defamatory statements to be made. Prisoner -- I have nothing more to say, my lord, than to return thanks to the eminent counsel who have conducted my defence…” Jeremiah O’Donovan, when asked, said he had nothing to say to the court. The Herald reported: “Their Lordships here retired for a few minutes. THE SENTENCE. Mr Justice Fitzgerald, on resuming, said -- Thomas Duggan you seem to have been an humble agent of this confederacy, and yet it is not without some astonishment that a person like you of humble position held in this confederacy the rank of Centre. I cannot help looking on you as one of its humble agents, but engaged in carrying out one of its most important objects; you, too, a person who ought to have known better, for it appears you were educated as a National teacher, and received the pay of the State, and, as appearing from the letter in evidence against you, evidently a person of education. Such being the case, you ought to have known better, and under these circumstances the Court feels bound to pass a severe sentence on you, as an example to others. The sentence of the court is that you be kept in penal servitude for a term of ten years. Were it not for your comparatively humble position the sentence on you would be much more severe. I take this opportunity of making this observation. I have said that you were a National teacher; now there are in this country some 7,000 teachers brought up under the National Board, and I am happy to say that in that number of cases guilt are [sic] very rare indeed. I have to make another observation, and it is that this case proves one of the objects of persons joining this society was the opportunity which it gave for indulging in intoxicating drink. We have it in evidence your asking those soldiers to drink, and we find you on one or two occasions under the influence of drink. You are sentenced to ten years’ penal servitude.” Jeremiah O’Donovan, also found guilty but having “not been shown to have been an active conspirator”, was sentenced to five years’ penal servitude (Cork Daily Herald, Thursday 21 December, 1865, p3, at https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0003182/18651221/024/0003). --00--

Level 218

Dianne Jones on 10th February 2023

NEWSPAPER REPORT OF HIS TRIAL ON 14 DECEMBER, 1865: "…the trial of THOMAS DUGGAN AND JEREMIAH O’DONOVAN was proceeded with. The prisoners were arraigned … then called upon to plead, and in a firm voice replied 'Not Guilty'. [After the 12-man jury was empanelled]… the Attorney-General proceeded to state the case at five o’clock. He said that the prisoners at the bar were charged with being members of a treasonable association called the Fenian Brotherhood, the objects of which were the overthrowing of the British Government in this country and the establishment of a republic in its stead. He did not intend to enter fully into the details to the existence of the conspiracy, but would rely on the documents which would be submitted, to prove that an association of the character he had described existed, and that it had its ramifications in the United States of America and in this country, the avowed object of it being the overthrow of British rule in this country… It would appear to the jury that the prisoner, Thomas Duggan, was a centre, and one of the objects that he had in view was to seduce, if possible, soldiers from Her Majesty’s allegiance, and to swear them in as members of the Brotherhood. Duggan appeared to have occupied the position of a teacher of national schools, and lived in the vicinity of Ballincollig. The other prisoner, Jeremiah O’Donovan, was at St. Anne’s, Blarney. Two privates of the 4th Dragoons, named James Kane and Thomas Murphy, would be produced, and they would depose to particular acts alleged to have been done by the prisoners, and which would leave no doubt that the prisoners were connected with the association." [Thomas Duggan’s alleged letter to the Irish People newspaper/journal of 27 August, 1865, and quoted from at his committal, was again read in the court. Two witnesses were then examined before the court adjourned at 7 o’clock.] Contd …/2 --