Honora Harrington 1812 : Short Biography

The earliest known member of the West lineage is Honora Harrington.  She was born in Cork City, Ireland in 1812.  A later certificate listed her father as Jeremiah Harrington, described as a Hatter but her mother was not identified. 

Honora was employed as a Housemaid/Nurse Girl but was indicted for larceny in Cork Court on 2nd April 1828, together with accomplices for stealing articles from the shop of  Mrs M.A. Skillen in Patrick Street and pawning them at the offices of a Mr O'Keefe, Corner of Moorley's Lane in the North Main Street and a Mr Thornton. Her physical description was given as 4’11½ inches tall, with ruddy, freckled complexion. Honora was convicted (Judge Baron Pennefather) and sent for transportation to the Colonies for a period of seven years.  The report of the trial in the Cork Advertiser, 8 April 1828, under the City Criminal Court Proceedings, noted:

'The prisoners were severally found GUILTY and sentenced to be transported for seven years, after which the prisoners, though young, manifested a great deal of levity'

(Ref: The Cork Advertiser’ Tuesday 8 April 1828, page 2, City Criminal Court Proceedings, National Library Dublin (Microfilm transcribed 8/10/2003).

Article from 'The Cork Advertiser', Tuesday 8 April 1828, Page 2, City Criminal Court Proceedings, National Library, Dublin (Microflim transcribed 8/10/2003)

Criminal City Court, Monday April 7 1828

This morning at 10 o'clock, Mr Baron Pennefather entered the court and shortly after the long panel was called over and the following jury sworn -

David Howe, Richard Notter, Carden Crofts,  Robert Gordon Stenelley, George Shaw, John R Burke, Richard W. Topp, Wm J Shaw, Daniel Donegan, Edward Johnson, Gerard Gallaway, Peter Hodder

Richard Tobin, Mary Brien, Honora Harrington and Catherine Byrne were indicted for stealing several articles from the shop of Mrs M A Skillen in Patrick Street.

John Harris and John Scannell, two juvenille accomplices identified the prisoners and detailed a series of visits to the shop of Mrs Skillen out of which they contrived to purloin the articles in question, which they pawned at the office of Mr O'Keefe, at the corner of Moreleys Lane in the North Main Street and at Mr Thornton's and the proceeds were divided between them.  The clerk of Mr Thornton identified one of the prisoners as having pledged the articles now produced and she said she got them from a man who came over in one of the steam packets.  Mr O'Keefe, the other pawnbroker, was called up and was vigorously examined by the Court as to what questions were put to the person who pawned the articles, to which he replied that it was a young woman who was employed by him that took the articles into pawn, and he had no recollection of what passed between them at the time.  The Court directed that this woman be sent for and that Mr O'Keefe should also produce his books, to ascertain in what name the articles were pledged.

Ann Johnson deposed to the articles being pawned by the messenger of a woman named Gill but she cannot say whether any of the prisoners at the Bar were the parties; she gave the articles at Mrs Skillen who claimed them as her property and paid the amount which had been procured on them at the office.  The books were produced and in the month of January entries of articles pledged in the name of Gill were found, which articles were those indentified as part of the property taken from the shop.

Barron Pennefather recapitulated the evidence to the jury pointing out which portions of it as went to corroborate the testimony of the accomplices and also such discrepancies as he found in it were favourable and left the case entirely with them.

The prisoners were severally found GUILTY and sentenced to be transported for seven years years, after which the prisoners, though young, manifested a great deal of levity.

The Voyage

Honora embarked as Convict No . 28/319 on the City of Edinburgh out of Cork on 23 June 1828, under the command of Captain Jas. A. Clendon, together with 80 other female convicts.

There were some very young convict girls on the voyage including Honora aged 16, Catherine Byrnes aged 16 (who was convicted with Honora at the Cork Criminal Court for larceny of jewellery on 2 April 1828), Honora Crotty aged 17, Mary McAndrew aged 16, Abbey Murphy aged 14, and Margaret O'Connell aged 15 years.

The ship's records show that she was of the Catholic religion, able to read and only 4 ft. 11-1/2 inches in height at that time.  She had brown hair, brown eyes with a ruddy complexion and had a scar on her forehead.  William Anderson, the Surgeon Superintendent, kept a Medical Journal from 14 June to 27 November 1828.  He remarked in his Journal -

'The ship was well cleaned every day and kept as dry as the state of the weather would admit and swept up after every meal.  The bed places were swept out every day and scrubbed twice a week; the lower bed berths being raised to clean the deck beneath them, every day in the Hospital or other parts of the deck where most required.  The women had perfect liberty at all times to come on deck from 8 o'clock in the morning to sunset, and this no doubt had its effect in keeping them in good health, their spirits becoming now buoyant and the depressing passions which strict confinement might have engendered avoided.  When they were landed a fortnight after our arrival there was not a patient on the sick list'.

After a journey of 142 days The City of Edinburgh arrived at Sydney Cove on 12 November 1828, in the heat of an Australian summer, rather unusually, no deaths occurred en route.  However, it was not until 26 November 1828 that the convicts disembarked from the ship in Port Jackson.

On the 14 November, 1828, the Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser, announced the arrival of  'The City of Edinburgh', and the availability of the ship’s female convicts for assignment.

On disembarking Honora was assigned to services under Mary Reynolds, Storekeeper, of George Street, Sydney.

Sent to the Parramatta Female Factory

Shortly afterwards, on 24 December 1828, Honora was convicted of 'Negligence and Bad Character' and sent to Sydney Goal.  On 27 December 1828, she was sent to the Parramatta Female Factory as a 'Third Class Prisoner' for a period of six months.

Source Citation: State Archives NSW; Kingswood, New South Wales; Gaol Description and Entrance Books, 1818-1930; Series: 2514; Item: 4/6430; Roll: 851.

At the Parramatta Female Factory there were three classes of convicts – first, second and third. The women’s behaviour and crimes dictated their class. Those who behaved well became first class convicts, allowed to spin yarn and wool, sew clothes or be assigned to work as a servant in the colony. Those less than well-behaved were made second class convicts and did washing, cooking, cleaning, etc for the Factory.

The worst behaved women, and those who committed crimes (as in Honora's case), became third class convicts and were given hard labour such as breaking stones in the yard. These women were also denied the luxuries of tea and sugar, wore placards, and had their heads shaved (a feared and despised punishment adopted from English prisons). Working hours were from sun-rise until sun-set, with one hour set aside for dinner. Bland and limited food rations meant that prisoners were always left wanting.

At an age when a young woman’s youth and beauty is her source of pride and self esteem, Honora's issue of prison clothes would have consisted of one jacket made of blue gurran, one petticoat, one under petticoat of female factory flannel, two calico caps, two shifts, one neck handkerchief and one pair of shoes. Her clothes were standard prison issue, with no individual embellishment, made by the convict women at the Parramatta Female Factory. Her shoes were made by convict men at Sydney’s Hyde Park Barracks.

Honora is Sent to the Parramatta Female Factory Once Again

In early 1831, Honora was sent to the Female Factory after she became pregnant.  Honora was part of a riot at the Parramatta Factory in February 1831, when Mrs Ann Gordon was the Superintendent (1827-1836).

Sydney Monitor (NSW : 1828 - 1838), Saturday 5 February 1831

FEMALE INSURRECTION AT THE FACTORY.

On Thursday last, the women confined in the third class, instead of attending to their usual occupation of wheeling and breaking stones, set about breaking through the strong walls which separated them from those of the second and third classes, with a view no doubt of effecting an escape from their vigilant oversees and task-masters. About 600 forced a passage from the limits allotted for their operations and sojournment; but ere they could demolish the strong walls and gates opposed to them, they were stopped by the constabulary, and finally secured by the military, who marched to the scene of action in a double quick time, in their undress, led on by an officer. Some of the guard followed, in marching order ; but the men off duty, with drawn bayonets, unencumbered by trappings, were better equipped for the occasion. The soldiers seemed highly delighted with the duty ; their greatest dread being, that the Amazons would not effect their escape to the bush, where the heroes hoped to have a choice as well as a chase ; but, ere the troops arrived,  the constables had checked the attack on the outer gate. At this spot Tom Smith fell, crowned, if not with martial honours, with a bloody head and bruised carcass. Poor Tom thought his prowess equal to any woman's, but brick lada? and two two-year olders, convinced him of his error. The knowing ones kept off the walls, from which a constant discharge of missiles proceeded. Mrs. Gordon was not the object of resentment, as reported, but a Mrs. ----, an overseer who is reported to be very strict in the discharge of her duty. This dame was seized, and had her hair either shaved or closely cropped. The chief of the insurgents were heard to say, that if they got to Sydney, they would shave the heads of the Governor and his mob One, with rude drollery, declared she would secure, if possible, a last lock from the person of her friend De La. before his departure, * * " * * * Another vowed she would stop at Black Wattle Swamp, and regale an hour or too at Bob Cooper's Distillery; while another vociferated, that she would stop nowhere on her way to Old Burgon's, but at the Monitor Office, and there she would perform one act, that would go to secure all their free pardons. She proposed to demolish the press, and scatter the types, and thus be revenged of their political enemy, the editor, who was always holding them up as the worst and vilest of their sex, and censuring the Government for being too kind to them, while the male prisoners were harshly treated. Such an act, she said, would rid the Governor of his bitter enemy, and obtain an amnesty for the outrages committed on the, spinning and weaving implements, or, at the very least, a committee composed of bachelors and young officers ONLY. Happily their wicked intentions were frustrated, and fifteen of the ringleaders were safely lodged in Parramatta gaol ; while their hurrahs and shouts, heard over the whole town, raised the hopes of the troops; who longed for active service, none of them having ever smelt fire from the enemy. Parramatta was all in glee to see the sport, save the bakers, who stood trembling for their loaves-exemplifying the proverb of " the burnt child dreads the fire." It is said, that the Factory contains, at present, 900 female convicts, and that a full regiment will be required in Parramatta to keep them in arms. A GLEANER

Many of the participants were sent to Newcastle Goal, 28 women, including Honora, were sent to Newcastle on the schooner 'Caledonia' on 5 March 1831, and others following in the next two weeks.  They had been sentenced to three years transportation to a penal settlement, however under orders of George Brooks most had been assigned to private service in Newcastle and Maitland by September of that year.

On 22 October 1831, Honora was assigned from Newcastle Goal to the private service of Patrick Dowling of Wollombi, by order of Geo. Banks Esq.  Her prison conduct was noted as 'orderly'.

Source Citation: State Archives NSW; Kingswood, New South Wales; Gaol Description and Entrance Books, 1818-1930; Series: 2372; Item: 2/2003; Roll: 134.

Newcastle Gaol Entrance Book - admitted 5 March 1831 for 3 years in a penal settlement for ‘mutinous conduct and riot in the Female Factory, Parramatta, Sydney’

Records of persons applying for the publication of banns at Christ Church on 6 March 1832, show that Honor earlier applied to Maitland to marry John Thomas Baker who was born in the Colony but as he was under age, his parents refused permission.  She was now applying to marry Donald Meiklejohn, a tailor of Newcastle, who was a free immigrant from Caithness, Scotland.  She was still under bond and required the permission of Governor and this was granted on 23 January, 1832. 

State Archives NSW; Series: 12212; Item: 4/4508.   New South Wales, Australia, Registers of Convicts' Applications to Marry, 1826-1851

The marriage was performed by a well-known Chaplain, C. Playdell N. Wilton on 27 April, 1832, whilst Honor was still a prisoner of the Crown.  Donald and Honor lived at Morpeth near Newcastle and raised a family of six children, namely John Harrington West, two daughters Barbara and Janet and three sons Donald, James and William.  James grew up to become Mayor Morpeth in 1878.

Honor was granted a Certificate of Freedom No. 35/656 on 10 June, 1835, and this confirmed her physical characteristics but she had now grown to 5 ft 3 ins tall.

Honor must have left Donald Meiklejohn not long after the birth of their youngest child William, born about 1840, as she had a number of children to her future husband James Roach, commencing with James born 1844 and followed by Edward, Margaret and John with several children called William dying in infancy.

Her husband Donald died on 5 August, 1863, and was buried in the Methodist Section of the Morpeth Cemetery where the grave is still evident.

Soon afterwards on 29 October 1863 at St Marys Cathedral in Sydney, Honora married James Roach shown as a bachelor from Sydney, ‘joiner’ by trade. Honora was shown as a Widow, employed as a housekeeper. James' residence listed as - Riley Street, Surry Hills,  Honora's residence - Anne Street, Surry Hills.

James died in 1879 at Foveaux Street, Surry Hills and was buried in the Catholic Section of Rookwood Cemetery, Auburn, NSW.  Honora died on 3 December 1880.  The informant on Honora’s death certificate was the son Edward Roach of 85 Goulburn Street, Sydney.  Honora was buried in the Roman Catholic Cemetery at Petersham, Sydney, which no longer exists.  It appears that her remains were relocated to Rookwood Cemetery.

Grave location - old Catholic section, adjacent to St Michaels Chapel. Section 3, referred to as M1 (mortuary No 1) Grave number 300. There is no headstone, she is buried next to the grave marked "HOGAN". Also buried in this grave is her son John Roach (Jnr)

Conclusion

Convict women in Australia were prisoners whom the government increasingly sent out during the era of transportation (1787-1868) in order to develop the penal outpost of New South Wales into a viable colony.

These women faced extreme difficulty in achieving freedom, solvency and respectability.

Despite the belief that convict women during the transportation period were all prostitutes, no women were transported for that offence.  The majority of women sent to Australia were convicted for what would now be considered minor offences (such as petty theft), most did not receive sentences of more than seven years. Many women were driven to prostitution upon their arrival in Australia as means of survival because they were often required to house themselves or buy clothing and bedding on their own.

Honora must have been a very strong and resourceful woman, wife and mother to 10 children.  She overcame adversity to find happiness and become a true Australian pioneer.

“The [convict] women made a life with the opportunities they had and ‘disappeared’ into the fabric that is Australian society” (Gay Hendriksen, Curator, Parramatta Heritage Centre 1989)