Free Settler or Felon
Convict and Colonial History




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 Boyne was built at Calcutta in 1816.[2]

Military Guard

The Guard on the Boyne 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 Boyne 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

The Boyne 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 embarked on the Boyne in 1826 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

The 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 Boyne 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.

The 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

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 Boyne was advertised to be 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, Thomas

Bourke, 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 Protesters

2). 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