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Connors/ Connolly/ Donoghue. Whiteboy Convict

Galway

Joseph Connors was born between 1810-1811 in County Galway. I recently discovered a hospital admission doc that stares that he was form Portumna.

It is unknown as to who his parents and siblings are. Joseph had been tried and convicted of political crime "Whiteboyism" and was sentenced to Life transportation. Joseph arrived at Port Jackson aboard the ship "Eliza" on the 6th September 1832. The ship had sailed from Cork, Ireland on the 10th May 1832. It was her 6th voyage to Australia transporting convicts. The voyage took 119 days.

Joseph Connors ship papers

Joseph shipping papers give these details

Married/single. Single.
Trade/calling. Labourer.
Height. 5 feet 7 ins.
Hair. Dark Brown.
Eyes. Brown.
Complexion. Ruddy and pox pitted.
Religion. Catholic.
Could read and write.
No previous convictions

Joseph was given his pardon papers. Joseph and his family, his second wife Honorah Connelly (Hannah) and their children moved to were Joseph to get work as a stockman and later in life they brought their own properties. Josephs first wife died in childbirth. Before Joseph Snr died he owned several properties in New South Wales these were in Bargo, Nimmitabel, Queanbeyan, Goulburn and Moonbah. No records for these properties or a will for Joseph John snr could be found.

Joseph and Hannah had nine children all boys. Hannah was daughter of Patrick and Julia Connolly nee Donoghue. Name on the Immigration Document was Judith.

He is my 3rd ggrandfather. There is now an Irish/ Australian family who owe a debt of gratitude to Joseph, Honorah and their families. It would be an honour to meet any of our Irish relatives. We just have to find them!

herwritingroom…

3 replies

Hi Ginny,

I checked www.rootsireland.ie/ for birth/baptisms for Joseph & there is only the Coughlin one which is between 1810 & 1812:

Name:Joseph M ConnorDate of Birth:
Date of Baptism:27-Oct-1812Address:Not RecordedParish/District:TUAMGender:MaleCountyCo. Galway
Denomination:Roman Catholic
Father:Patrick ConnorMother:M CoughlinOccupation:
Sponsor 1 /
Informant 1:John DulapSponsor 2 /
Informant 2:Honor Reed

The other one looks to be the same one - 1 1813 & the other 1816; sometimes if a child died the next would be named the same which eliminates the 1813 one

Col

ColCaffIrelandXO Volunteer

Thank you Col.

I am going back through all of the mentions of Joseph in documents relating to him.  I have him as Joseph John Connor but need to look at this more closely.  The old handwriting is tricky.   The record you showed says Joseph M Connor.   What is your take on this?  The other place I might get a clue is from the trial or newspapers of the day...what do you think?

Kindest Regards

Virginia

 

herwritingroom…

My great grandfather Patrick thomas Moran and his brother Michale Moran were convicted of the same crime and sent on the same ship Eliza as Joseph to Australia. No record if they knew each other. But a good chance they were all in the same group if arrested for same crime. The trial records are hard to find before 1836. A lot burned in a fire. They came from Gort Galway, ( this was listed on their ships records) . We are not 100% sure if they lived there or were just charged in the courts at Gort. They may have lived nearby and were living in Gort at the time. We too are finding it hard to find any records in Ireland of the boys or their father William Moran. Lucky they were convicts as we have those records in Australia. 

Genkindt

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