Convict Ship Boyne - 1826
Embarked 200 men
Voyage 121 days
Deaths 0
Surgeon's Journal - Yes
Previous vessel: England arrived 18 September 1826
Next vessel: Speke arrived 26 November 1826
Captain William L. Pope
Surgeon Harman Cochrane
Follow the Irish Convict Ship Trail
Convicts and passengers of the Boyne identified in the Hunter Valley region
The ship Boyne was built at Calcutta in 1816.[2]
Military Guard
The guard consisted of Captain Thomas Edward Wright of 39th Regiment, Lieut. Barr and Ensign McDonald (of 3rd Reg), 2 sergeants, and 50 rank and file of 39th and 2 rank and file of the Buffs. They embarked on the ship in London on 31st May 1825. Two of the Guard who were later treated by the surgeon were Sergeant John McGuire and Peter Casey.Convicts Embarked
They sailed from London bound for Cork on the 6th June 1826. Two hundred prisoners were embarked at Cork. One man, Thomas or John Cunningham was sent back to shore too ill to make the voyage.The Convicts
The prisoners came from counties throughout Ireland. Many were tried in March and April 1826, however some had been held in prisons much longer awaiting transportation.Among them were petty thieves, murderers and rapists.
There were also men who had been convicted of administering unlawful oaths. Seven of these came from Co. Longford - James Dooley, Christopher Finley, Michael Jordan, Fergus McGarry, James Shanley and brothers John and Edward Fitzsimmons.
Departure from Ireland
Boyne departed Cork on 29 June 1826. On the passage she put into Rio de Janeiro to be refitted after being de-masted at sea.Surgeon Harman Cochrane
This was Harman Cochrane's third voyage as surgeon-superintendent on a convict ship. The first two transports he was appointed to carried female prisoners - the Mary in 1823 and the Mariner in 1825.On this voyage of the Boyne he kept a Medical Journal from 13 May 1826 to 28 November........
He attributed the low death rate and exemption from serious disease to the strictest order of regularity, cleanliness and dryness and good ventilation. He noted that their conduct was good and he seldom found it necessary to confine any of them below deck. They mostly had free access to the upper deck from morning to night and he thought this contributed to the preservation of their health and spirits. [3]
Ten cases of illness including both soldiers and convicts were noted in his journal, including the following...... John Hennessy was treated on 11th July and John Madden also on 11th July suffering from sea sickness. John McFarlane and Bryan McCormick were both treated in September. Daniel Connor suffered with an asthmatic illness in September and Daniel Gleeson was treated for pains in his legs which began when the weather turned cold in September. He had been confined to his bed for most of the two years he had been in prison in Ireland.
It may have been Daniel Gleeson that The Australian later referred to .........Deaf and dumb prisoners are occasionally ordered off on a transportation voyage; but we never knew of a cripple like one, who, it is said, has arrived per Boyne, have his passage paid by his country, and for such a reason too; for sheep stealing. This cripple walks on his hands and knees. [1]
Arrival at Port Jackson
The ship arrived in Port Jackson on Saturday 28 October 1826 after a voyage of 121 days.Convict Muster
The convicts were mustered on board by Colonial Secretary Alexander McLeay on 2nd November 1826.Convict indents reveal the name, age, education, religion, marital status, family, occupation, offence, when and where tried and physical description. Most entries give the information as to where the men were assigned on arrival. Also included is occasional information such as colonial sentences, deaths and relatives already in the colony.
Five of the prisoners were under the age of sixteen - Patrick Cuffey (15); Timothy Hennesy (15); John Ledy (16); Owen McNalty (16); and John Ryan (16). No place of assignment was recorded for these boys in the indents and they were probably sent to the Carter's Barracks on arrival.
Convicts Disembarked
Newspaper The Monitor remarked that the detention of the prisoners of the Boyne was protracted because they were awaiting arrangements to be made for the immediate assignment of all of the prisoners [4]. They were not landed until early in the morning on 10th November when they were inspected by the Governor and were reported to be clean and healthy.Departure from the Colony
The ship was advertised intending to leave in November 1826....For London via China, the fine teak built ship the Boyne commanded by W.L. Pope; has superior accommodation in a very roomy poop, for two passengers only.Convicts of the Boyne identified in the Hunter Valley region
Blake, ThomasBourke, Richard
Brackin, Andrew
Breen, Michael
Brown, Michael
Callaghan, John
Carlan, Miles
Carter, William
Casey, Patrick
Cash, Peter
Croakley, Cornelius
Cuffee, Patrick
Dale, John
Daniel, James
Dawley, John
Devine, William
Dowling, Maurice
Duckett, Ambrose
Duggan, James
Durvency, Michael
Egan, Patrick
Enwright, Timothy
Fee, Michael
Finlay, Christopher
Grey, Patrick
Halfpenny, Patrick
Harrington, Denis
Hayes, Robert
Healy, Michael
Hedley, Peter
Hurley, Walter
Irvine, Thomas
Jones, Richard
Kearns, Patrick
Kennick, Philip
Lark, Michael
Looney, Daniel
Luocy, Daniel
Mahon, James
McDonnell, Michael
McFarland, Daniel
Risden, Edward
Ryan, Anthony
Ryan, Edmond
Ryan, John
Sexton, Edmond
Shea, Timothy
Sheehan, Maurice
Sweeney, James
Toohy, Edward
Wade, Hugh
Notes and Links
1). Convict Ships bringing Political Prisoners and Protesters2). National Archives UK - 619 tons. Principal Managing Owner: George Green. Voyages: (1) 1825/6 New South Wales and China. Cork 29 Jun 1826 - New South Wales - Whampoa 1 Mar 1827 - 29 Jun St Helena - 11 Sep Blackwall.
3). Find out more about convict Patrick Cuffe who was executed in 1838
4). Eleven convict ships brought prisoners to New South Wales in 1826 - Marquis of Hastings, Sir Godfrey Webster, Mangles, Sesostris, Lady Rowena, Regalia, Marquis of Huntley, England, Boyne, Speke and Phoenix
5). Anthony Ryan, a father of four and his son John both from Queens County but tried in Kilkenny, were assigned to Rev. Threlkeld at Lake Macquarie. Anthony Ryan died at Lake Macquarie in 1828/1829.
6). Return of Convicts of the Boyne assigned between 1st January 1832 and 31st March 1832 (Sydney Gazette 14 June 1832; 21 June 1832; 28 June 1832; 5 July 1832).....
Dennis Crowley - Quarryman assigned to William Long at Sydney
Michael Callaghan - Carman assigned to William Johnstone at Bathurst
William Hurley - Pedlar assigned to William O'Donnell at Maitland
Michael Lark - Farm man assigned to John Leak at Bathurst
Thomas Nowland - Farm labourer assigned to Roger Connor at Wilberforce
James Roach - Glover assigned to Sydney Stephen at Sydney
James Sweeney - Slater and setter assigned to L. Macalister at Argyle
John Scarnell - Farm labourer. Assigned to Joseph Morley at Sydney
7). Convict ships bringing detachments of the 39th regiment included the following............
Regalia departed Dublin 16 March 1826. Lieutenant William Sacheverell Coke
England departed the Downs 6 May 1826. Major George Pitt D'Arcy
Marquis of Huntley departed Sheerness 16 May 1826 - Major Donald MacPherson
Boyne departed Cork 29 June 1826 - Captain Thomas Edward Wright
Speke departed Sheerness 8 August 1826 - Lieutenant Henry Clarence Scarman
Phoenix departed Dublin 27 August 1826 - Lieutenant Charles Cox
Albion departed Plymouth 4 October 1826 - Captain Francis Crotty
Midas departed Plymouth 16 October 1826 - Lieutenant George Meares Bowen
Mariner departed Cork 14 January 1827 - Captain Charles Sturt
Countess of Harcourt departed Dublin 14 February 1827 - Lieut. George Sleeman; Ensign Spencer
Guildford departed Plymouth 31 March 1827 - Captain John Douglas Forbes
Manlius departed Downs 17 April 1827 - Quarter-master Benjamin Lloyd
Cambridge departed Dublin 2 June 1827 - Colonel Patrick Lindesay
Champion departed London 3 June 1827 - Ensign Reid
Bussorah Merchant departed London 27 March 1828 - Ensign W. Kennedy Child
Sophia departed Dublin 15 September 1828 - Major Thomas Poole
8). Captain Thomas Edward Wright served as Commandant at Norfolk Island in 1827 and 1828. He was attacked there by convict Patrick Clynch.... The Asiatic Journal
9). National Archives - Reference: ADM 101/13/2 Description: Medical journal of the Boyne, convict ship from 13 May to 28 November 1826 by Harman Cochrane, surgeon and superintendent, during which time the said ship was employed on a voyage to New South Wales
References
[1] The Australian 4 November 1826[2] Bateson, Charles Library of Australian History (1983). The convict ships, 1787-1868 (Australian ed). Library of Australian History, Sydney : pp.346-347
[3] Ancestry.com. UK, Royal Navy Medical Journals, 1817-1857 The National Archives. Kew, Richmond, Surrey.
[4] The Monitor 10 November 1826
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