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John Ford - convict and Australian pioneer

GalwayGalway City (Galway)

Hello, My gr gr grandfather, John Ford, was transported to Australia on the Eden in 1840. His trial for 'simple burglary' was held in Lancaster, for reasons we don't understand. All records pertaining to him say birthplace either Galway or Galway City.
On the ship's register He gave his age as 23 (birthdate 1817?) and his birthplace Galway. On his marriage record 1850 he said 32 (1818) and death certificate in 1894 it says he was 77 (makes birth 1817). He names his parents as John Augustus Ford and Catherine McCarthy. My wife ( God bless her)hasspent hours trawling through Parish records to no avail. He called his first son John Augustus, so it is clearly a family name.

We would so like to find myancestors birthplaces so we can visit Ireland and see where they came from. It is a wonderful story of a pardoned convict John Ford, and Irish Orphan girl Catherine Hegarty, who married and raised a large family, becoming business people andlandowners along the way. Any help or ideas would be so very much appreciated. Terry

IrelandXO member

4 replies

Dear Terry

Did you find out some of the above info from Ancestry? I see in the New South Wales Convict Registers of Pardons 1788 to 1880  there is a John Ford (aka Barry, aka Patrick Sexton). I couldn't locate a baptism online for a John Ford(e) in Co. Galway in the period 1813-1823.

Do you have a subscription for Find My Past - while there is a lot of cross over with Ancestry on record sets there might be something there to indicate a place within Galway on some of their records . They have a 14 day free trial.

Best wishes

Clare Doyle

Genealogy Support 

 

 

IrelandXO member

 

Hi Clare, Yes, Ancestry & Queensland BDM. We actually have extensive information on his life in Australia, including obituary and in memorial notices that speak movingly of how loved he was.  It is his Irish origins that have stumped us. You would think with a father John Augustus Ford it would be easy!  We have tried all the sites, paid & free and my wife has scrolled through many parish registers, to the detriment of her eyes, lol. We can only hope someone at the Irish end gets a brainwave.  

Can you give ius any reason why his trial was in Lancaster?  Were Irish men tried there in 1840? I'm wondering if he was living in England.

Many thanks, Terry.

IrelandXO member

Hi Terry

It's likely he lived in or near Lancaster for a time if he was tried there, I can't think of any other reason than that. Presumably you would be tried within the local jurisdiction where any crime was committed.

Best wishes

Clare

Genealogy Support 

IrelandXO member

I see.  We thought maybe there might have been some Irish trials conducted in England.  So now we have to work out what they were doing there. Too easy, ha ha.

thank you, Terry

IrelandXO member

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