John Donnelly

Hi Mike,

There is an Australian site http://www.nma.gov.au/exhibitions/irish_in_australia/family_history/iri…

Have you ever looked at it, there may be records there..

I looked up family search.org & I am guessing you have this already..

• nameJohn Donnelly
• also known as name
• role of individualPrisoner
• event typePrison
• event date1846
• event placeSmithfield, Dublin, Ireland
• residence placeCavan
• age22
• birthplace
• birth year (estimated)1824
• prisonSmithfield
• offenseLarceny From Person
• victim's name
• victim's address
• where convictedCavan
• item number6
• book number1/14/1
• countyDublin
• gs film number2356828
• digital folder number004492671

Hi Mike, I looked for her records & found this..(see end of mail) does this mean anything to you?, do you have a copy of their marraige Cert if not:

Cavan Genealogy,
1st floor,
Johnston Central Library,
Farnham Street,
Cavan Town,
County Cavan.
Tel: +353 (0)49 4361094
Fax: +353 (0)49 4331494
Email: cavangenealogy@eircom.net..

let me know how you got on.. did they have any children when in Ireland, they were young when they got married.   Civil registration started here in 1864 .  Best of luck & Happy St Patrick's Day

• name? Browne
• also known as name
• role of individualPrisoner
• event typePrison
• event date1840
• event placeGrangegorman Female Prison, Dublin, Ireland
• residence place
• age20
• birthplaceBailieboro
• birth year (estimated)1820
• prisonGrangegorman Female Prison
• offenseBreach Of The Peace
• victim's name
• victim's address
• where convicted
• item number5
• book number1/9/5
• countyDublin
• gs film number2356624
• digital folder number004492641

The records I have for John and Catherine include their convict documentation.I don't have a marriage certificate for them, but I have their marriage as being in 1841. John's crime was committed in Cavan as he was imprisoned in Cavan Town Gaol, tried 9 April 1846, and embarked on 31 October 1846. His crime was larceny. His wife Catherine committed a similar crime, perhaps in an effort to get the same sentence as her husband. Her larceny according to one report was in County Westmeath. She was tried in Cavan on 27 June 1846. She arrived in Hobart on 25 February 1847.

They said they had no children ay time of their trials, but there is a James Donnelly (12 years old) who arrived in Hobart on 16 Sept 1854 with Catherine Donnelly, his mother.These two lived in Tas in much the same area as the convicts. I think it very likely that this James was in fact their son and that Catherine snr was his grandmother.

I did have a report undertaken at Cavan research centre a few years ago and they were unable to find where John and Catherine lived in County Cavan. Also, they could find no record of them as being imprisoned at Cavan gaol.

Sorry I didn't reply earlier, but I hadn't realised you had posted a message. I'm not finding it too easy to navigate through the Ireland Reaching Out system.

Thanks,

Mike

Mike           

Sorry I hadn't replied earlier as I hadn't realised you had posted a message. I'm finding the ireland Reaching Out documentation somewhat confusing so can only hope that this gets through ok.

I don't have a marriage cert for John and Catherine, but have recorded their marriage as being in 1841. Catherine's maiden name was Catherine Brown. She evidently committed the same crime (ie larceny) as her husband, perhaps in the hope of getting the same sentence.Both received 10 years at separate trials in Cavan Town. One document says that Catherine's crime was committted in County Westmeath. John's was in Cavan. I don't think the doc you included is for 'my' Catherine as she was tried in Cavan on 27 June 1846. The doc you enclosed has a date of 1840. Both arrived in Hobart separately in 1847. 

Catherine and John maintained they had no children when convicted. However, there is James Donnelly as a 12 yr old who arrived in Hobart with his mother on 16 Sept 1854. It would seem likely to me that this James was indeed a son of John and Catheine and that Catherine (arriving 1854) was most likely John's mother. Catherine snr and James lived in Tas in much the same area as John and Catherine.

I did have a report undertaken by the Cavan Genealogical Research Centre back in 2003. They were unable to find a marriage record and there was no record of them in the Cavan Assize books.

Thanks,  Mike