Maurice Walsh

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Heather Cooper on 6th December 2022

Died 3 April 1872 at Queanbayan Hospital after becoming inebriated at Queanbayan Races. The inquest held at Guise's Creek stated that he was an habitual drunkard & had a hard liver, concluding that he had died from exhaustion & want of food. Inquest Report Queanbayan Age 4 April 1872

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Robin Sharkey on 26th June 2022

____________________________ FURTHER INDENT DETYAILS: Maurice Walsh, aged 34 years; Cannot read or write, Roman Catholic, Single, Born at Kerry county, Labourer; Crime: Assault & robbery, Tried at Kerry (assizes commencing 18 Mar 1835), Sentence 7 years, No previous convictions Height 5ft 6.5 inches; Complexion – dark and a little pock-pitted, Brown Hair, Grey eyes. 1843 Certificate of Freedom - Licence Number: 43/0447; Dated 21 Mar 1843

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Robin Sharkey on 26th June 2022

____________________________ FURTHER INDENT DETYAILS: Maurice Walsh, aged 34 years; Cannot read or write, Roman Catholic, Single, Born at Kerry county, Labourer; Crime: Assault & robbery, Tried at Kerry (assizes commencing 18 Mar 1835), Sentence 7 years, No previous convictions Height 5ft 6.5 inches; Complexion – dark and a little pock-pitted, Brown Hair, Grey eyes. 1843 Certificate of Freedom - Licence Number: 43/0447; Dated 21 Mar 1843

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Robin Sharkey on 26th June 2022

__________________________________ IRISH CRIME: Maurice Walsh was a 28 year old labourer when he was tried for assault and robbery at the Tralee Assizes for the county of Kerry, together with four other men: • Two brothers, Edmund and William Brown, both hairdressers, • John Blennerhasset aged 20, a horsebreaker transported under the name “Hassett”, • Cornelius Murphy aged 26 a farm labourer. All were found guilty, although Murphy was found guilty of highway robbery. Kerry Evening Post, Saturday 21 March 1835, p.3. “TRALEE ASSIZES “Edmund and “John” Brown, John Blennerhasset, Cornelius Murphy and Maurice Walsh were tried before Sergeant Green on Thursday last, for an assault and robbery committed in the town of Killarney, on the night of the 4th of July last [i.e 1834] , on some country people who swore that they were returning from the fair of Killarney, when they were assaulted by the prisoners and others. One or two of their hats were taken away and a piece of corduroy, which one of them had in his hand. Guilty. Sentence of death recorded. “One of the witnesses for the defence in this case, who attempted to prove an alibi, was committed for wilful and corrupt perjury having previously sworn positive information before John Morphy Esq. that the prisoners were actually the persons who committed the felony.”

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Wendy Smith on 13th November 2019

Reference: 'An autobiography or Tales and Legends of Canberra pioneers' by Samuel Shumack (1850-1940) First paperback edition 1977 pp 93-94 on Maurice Welsh. Surname spelt as Welsh not Walsh. Maurice Welsh was transported in the early days and came to Canberra in the early forties (i.e. 1840's). He was past seventy when I first met him, and he drove the ration cart at Ginninderra. He crossed himself a dozen times a day and said, 'By Jasus' a hundred times a day. In 1860 brother John (Shumack) took the sheep to the washpen and he slept in the watchbox with Maurice, who taught him many prayers. He said to John, 'I often cry when I think of your mother and father, what good people they are, and there is no hope for them if they don't join the true church. It is awful to think they must go to hell. Maurice Welsh sincerely believed it was so, and would often walk the sixteen miles to Queanbeyan to attend Mass. On several occasions father gave him a lift to town, the last occasion being at Easter 1874. Maurice remained to see the races and was later found dead on the race course - vile firewater was the cause. Father McAuliffe would not allow Welsh to be buried in the Catholic Cemetery and so he was buried outside. A few years later the cemetery was enlarged and Maurice was then in consecrated ground. I believe that Maurice Welsh was the last man to be flogged at Canberra, and when Dr Murray bought Yarralumla he had the flogging tree cut down. I saw the stump on many occasions. On one occasion when Maurice was being flogged he upset the triangles and one of the officials was injured. Maurice was then tied to a leaning tree and received a few extra lashes for good measure. He was five feet ten inches and weighted fourteen stone, and he was supposed to be the strongest man in County Murray. I thin that Christopher Dunn was a stronger man than Maurice - he was a man of seventeen stone when I first met him and was the champion wrestler of New South Wales. About 1849 Welsh was assigned to James Wright, the owner of Lanyon and Cuppacumbalong estates, and was installed as hutkeeper for the shepherds. One night the dogs set up a great row and Maurice left the box to investigate and saw a man lying near a log. He prodded the man with his hurdle fork and the intruder jumped up and ran away, but not before Maurice struck him a number of heavy blows about the head and body. Next morning he told the shepherds what had happened and then set off for the head station to report the matter to Mr Wright. On arrival he was informed that his master was ill. After some little delay Mrs Wright came to the door and after hearing Maurice's story she took him to the bedroom where Mr Wright lay with his head bandaged. 'I have a headache this morning. Welsh - what is the matter?' Wright said. 'Thieves, thieves, Mr Wright - they came to steal your sheep. I nearly had one great big fellow - I have him a couple of heavy blows and then tripped and fell. I think if we get the police we may be able to capture the thieves - Hong Kong, the police tracker, is just across the river', Welsh said. 'Thank you, Welsh', Wright said, 'you have done your duty so go the kitchen and Mrs Wright will give you breakfast. Maurice told me that it was the best breakfast he had had for many a long day, and when leaving Mrs Wright gave him a bottle of rum as a reward for his vigilance the previous night. Years later, when relating the incident, Maurice said that he had recognized the intruder as James Wright and that he had been warned the Wright would be prowling around at night and to be on his guard.

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Wendy Smith on 8th April 2019

Maurice Walsh, a bachelor, died in Queanbeyan Hospital from exhaustion 3 April 1872 aged 68. Convict indentures of 1835 state that he was 20 years old; 5 ft 8 inches, brown hair, grey eyes and a sallow complexion. He was assigned to Mr James Wright at Lanyon. History of Canberra states that he was the last man flogged in the region. Queanbeyan Deposition papers stated that during his service to Mr James Wright that he was found guilty of Disorderly Conduct on 12 February 1839. Sentence: Twenty five lashes.