Honora SHEA, nee COAKLEY, was born in Macroom, County Cork, Ireland circa 1792 to 1795. On the 4th April 1836 Honora, known also as Norry, was convicted of stealing fowls and sentenced to 7 years transportation. Also convicted for the same crime were her two daughters Mary (Judith) SHEA and Margaret SHEA and her sister Julia COAKLEY. Honora had previous convictions, serving periods of 2, 3 and 9 months in prison. An appeal for clemency on the 15th August was unsuccessful, with the family appealing for imprisonment rather than transportation to the colonies. Honora stated she was widowed. Convict records of other family members suggest that Honora’s maiden name was COAKLEY.
"To his Excellency Constantine Henry Earl Mulgrave,
Lord Lieutenant General and General Governor of Ireland
The humble Memorial of Julia Coakley, Norry Shea, Mary Shea and Margaret Shea all Prisoners in the Gaol of the County of Cork under sentence of transportation.
Most Respectfully Showeth
That your Excellency Honorialists were at the last Quarter session held in and for the County of Cork and tried and convicted of stealing two hens and sentenced to transportation for seven years by the learned Assistant Barrister W Hartley.
That two of your Excellency’s petitioners , namely Mary Shea and Margaret Shea , who are orphans, and under the age of sixteen years, are destitute of help or any trade of supporting themselves and humbly submit to your Excellency that the only circumstances which can correct them with this unfortunate transaction was that of having some time previous but been found in the company of the other two prisoners and which by reference to the notes of the Assistant Barrister who tried the case will fully appear and Memorialists to most humbly by leave to state to you Excellency that neither f them was ever in Goal or charged with any crime before and that they have borne good characters up to the period of the unfortunate transaction.
That your Excellency’s memorialists namely Julia Coakley and Norry Shea are widows having children both to support by their labour and industry and have also borne good characters up to the unfortunate circumstance and humbly beg leave to site your Excellency to the annexed signatures and testimonials of such their good characters and leave their case rest with your Excellency humbly imploring your Excellency to extend that mercy toward them for which your Excellency is always conspicuous by altering their sentence to that of imprisonment for such period as your Excellency shall think fit.
And you Excellency’s petitioners will pray
Julia Coakley
Norry Shea
Mary Shea
Margaret Shea
We the undersigned gentlepersons of the County in City of Cork do certify that we have known the above named Petitioners take of good character to the period of their being convicted of those in their charge and recommend them as fit objects for his Excellency’s consideration
Signed
John Constantine – Flour Merchant
Peter Burnard – master Victualler
Isaac Benns Feather Quilter
William Moroney Bulfordtown Mallow
Simon Dixon, George Street, Wine Merchant , Mallow “
Source National Archives Ireland
The four unfortunate women were transported aboard the ‘Pyramus 2’, which left the shores of Ireland on the 20 Aug 1836 with 120 female convicts, 31 convict children under the command of Captain Livesay and Dr Pineo. The voyage must have been difficult as the convict ship experienced strong northerly gales passing the Cape and a southerly breeze for the final week of the voyage. The ship finally arrived in Sydney on the 15th December 1836. Honora’s occupation was listed as “All work” She was 5’ 1 ½” tall, had a ruddy & freckled complexion, brown hair, hazel eyes and had lost four front teeth. Her convict number was 36/581. The convict indent stated she was the mother of Daniel Shea, transported 1836, and convicts 36/582 and 36/ 585
Obadiah Pineo kept a Medical Journal from 23 July 1836 to 29 December 1836
He referred to the females on the Pyramus as exceedingly troublesome, but not half so hardened as many of the Englishwomen brought out. He was kept busy in preventing the women from quarrelling and in maintaining their health. Most of them were young and healthy, some were middle aged but none were old. One of the infants accompanying a convict mother died and another was born on the voyage. Many left children behind in Ireland. Some like Judith Shea bought their children with them
The women were kept on deck all day with the exception of the two schools which the children were encouraged to attend. Obadiah Pineo thought that the Irish learned quickly and 'much may be done with them by way of management and a little coercion and were less hardened in crime than the English or Scottish.
There was not even one case of scurvy. Keeping the prisoners on deck all day and using chloride of lime and alternately vinegar was considered useful in keeping the women in good health
The voyage took 116 days and they arrived in Port Jackson on 14th December 1836.
The female convicts were landed at the Dockyard and distributed to various applicants during the course of the day, to be assigned as servants, to satisfy the needs of the colony.
It is presumed that Honora was assigned to a Mr Dennis Woods, as she appears in his household in the 1837 General Muster. Her age was listed as 45. Newspaper articles around 1838 show a Mr Dennis Woods, living at No1 Bathurst Street, Sydney.
On 18th April 1839, Honora Shea went to court, accusing her master Mr Wood, an oilman of King Street Sydney, of assault. She accused him throwing water on her when she refused to light fires. He and his men had come home wet and she refused to bring in some firewood. The case was dismissed with the Colonel, recommending that “the woman never make and objections to Wood again”.
Perhaps Honora it was then sent to the Parramatta Female Factory, because the next sighting of Honora is found in the Ticket of leave applications on 31st Dec 1842, where she is allowed to remain in the Parramatta district.
Then under the permission of the matron of the Female Factory Parramatta. 42/14613
“Altered to Picton 18th January 1843 per letter from P.M Parramatta per No 43/584 . per the Gov. Minister on a list from the matron of the Female Factory Parramatta.”
Honora obtained her Certificate of Freedom on the 11th Sep 1843. She was now 48 years old, and living in the Camden area, where her daughter Margaret resided. . Margaret Shea had married Thomas Wheatley in 1838 and already had a growing family.
In April 1853 Honora appeared in the courts to give evidence on behalf of her son-in-law Michael Coffee, who was the victim of theft by his tenant Sarah Cox.
Honora died on the 29th Jan 1879 at “Hardwick”, The Oaks, Camden, at the age of 84. The informant was her son-in-law Thomas Wheatley. It was stated she was “ the widow of a dealer”, had been in the colony 42 years, married in Ireland to “Shea” and had one living daughter Margaret, and one son and daughter deceased.
Honora Shea was buried on the 31st January 1879 at St Aloysius Cemetery at The Oaks, Camden NSW, in the Roman Catholic section.
There were a number of this related family transported to NSW from Cork:
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1826 - Dennis Coakley ( transported on the Sir Godfrey Webster-- brother of Judith Coakley and Honora Shea
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1836 - Judith Coakley ( sister of Honora Shea)
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1836 - Honora Shea
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1836 - Mary ( alias Judith) Shea- daughter of Honora Shea
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1836 - Margaret Shea – daughter of Honora Shea
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1836 - Daniel Shea – transported on the “Waterloo” - son of Honora Shea
| Additional Information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 1st Jan 1794 | |
| Date of Death | 1st Jan 1879 | |
