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Research in Other Countries => Australia => Topic started by: Siouxsie on Monday 16 May 16 03:38 BST (UK)
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Hi everyone.
I am stumped. I have an ancestor of hubby's that I am tracing. He is William O'Donnell or McDonald or McDonnell.
I have a tentative birthday (from a fellow genie) of 1736, which doesn't gel with his death record in 1838 which lists his age as being in his 80's.
He came out on the Suprize (which sailed in 1790) according to the Muster records, but I can't find him listed in any of the documents I have found and was freed by his length of servitude so I suspect he was sentenced to life.
He was also granted land in the Hunter Area, around Hinton.
I can glean lots of information about his life in the Hunter........who he married, the kids, the land deeds, his argument with a fellow land owner etc.
What is stumping me is his transportation, his sentence, his crime, his arrival etc.
Any clues???
Cheers
Susie
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From NSW State Records and their newish upload there’s two chaps named William McDONALD who arrived on the Surprise 1, both on 7 year sentences.
http://www.records.nsw.gov.au/state-archives/indexes-online/indexes-to-convict-records/index-to-early-convict-records/index-to-early-convict-records
William MCDONALD
Tried 5 March 1787, at Reading, Berkshire,
And
William McDONALD
Tried 7 May 1788, at Old Bailey, Middlesex,
Cheers, JM
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General Muster Sept 1822
FBS (Free by servitude) William O'DONNELL ex the Surprize of 1794 (so a different voyage from the one you mention) 7 year sentence, in the Newcastle district.
56 acres cultivated
40 bushels maize held, 5 horned cattle, 34 hogs
General Muster 1825
William Odonell, 7 years, per Surprize 1794, FS (free by servitude),. at Wallis Plains, Newcastle.
Cheers, JM
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Have you tried the Biographical Database of Australia? The index is free, and there is a nominal fee for the annual subscription.
I think you will find info from the Convict Indents of June 1790; The Settlers' Muster of June 1801, the Musters of August 1806, February 1811, and November 1814.
And just to make the searching a tad more difficult, it also looks like there was a William McDONALD on the Neptune, arriving 28 June 1790.
http://www.bda-online.org.au/
Cheers, JM
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Hi,
Rough idea where William O'Donnell's land was located, maybe some of the online Parish Maps will by lucky enough to have some of these names. I have found them in the past for early grants in other Parishes.
http://www.lpi.nsw.gov.au/mapping_and_imagery/parish_maps
From a list of Land Grants published in the Sydney Herald 19th June 1834, page 4.
No 575 re Joseph Weller's 38 acre grant
In the Parish of Maitland County of Northumberland, bounded on the north by Wallis Creek, on the east by Thomas Boardman's grant, on the south by Catherine ?? grant and on the west by Wm O'Donnell's grant.
Gerry
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I can glean lots of information about his life in the Hunter........who he married, the kids, the land deeds, his argument with a fellow land owner etc.
Cheers
Susie
Perhaps you can share that information with us?
Debra :)
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Not this bloke?
http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/139784666
Debra :)
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May be this one?
October 1825
Col Sec’s papers 1788-1825 INDEX
http://www.records.nsw.gov.au/state-archives/indexes-online/colonial-secretary/index-to-the-colonial-secretarys-papers-1788-1825
William O’DONNELL, settler at Wallis Plains, Hunter River re a dispute over land ownership with a Patrick MALONEY. (I assume that would be the Patrick MALONEY per the Atlas Oct 1802)
Cheers, JM
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Many thanks for all of these leads. I think that I have cracked it.
I had written that the Suprize sailed in 1790 as that is when the shipping register lists it........however, his FFS papers talk about the Suprize in 1794......but that is also questionable.
It seems that there were perhaps 2 William O'Donnell/MacDonald's in the Hinton area at the same time........one being a serving gentleman and one who served time........perhaps it suited the later to have lots of confusion over which one was which.
I have several leads to follow.......will be back with my findings.
Cheers
Susie
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Perhaps the following link to some digitised maps may be helpful
http://www.maitland.nsw.gov.au/library/MaitlandLocalHistoryHome/eHistory/Maps
ADD
oops, these too ::)
http://www.maitland.nsw.gov.au/library/MaitlandLocalHistoryHome/eHistory
Cheers, JM
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Is anyone currently researching William O'Donnell of Wallis Plains/Maitland?
While records point to him being a convict arriving per Surprise 1794 - I am doubtful that is him?
Like to exchange information.
For one thing, settler John Brown wrote in 1824 of McDonald who lived close to Patrick Malony and Thomas Morgan (Molly Morgan's husband) at Wallis Plains. Brown wrote that Morgan was English, Malony was Irish and McDonald was Scottish. William O'Donnell's daughter married Tarvet a Scots man- so Im wondering if William O'Donnell was Scottish Catholic - 15% of Scots were Catholic as an estimate....
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I am a member of the Maitland Historical Society & have done some research on the original settlers of Maitland (Wallis Plains). O'Donnell was one of the original 'convict' settlers granted 30 acres each in 1818 (Patrick Malony was another) by Commandant James Wallis. It is now known one of the 13, John Eckford was not a convict, but son of convicts. William O'Donnell is still a bit of a mystery, but it is not certain he was a convict. The other 11, including my ancestor, William Jones, definitely were. (O'Donnell's land allocation was between Jones & Riley's grants) O'Donnell was supposedly 75 years old when given the grant and known as the 'patriarch of Wallis Plains'. (His age for that era has created some doubt as to his true identity, as he theoretically did live to 102yrs) He claimed to have come to NSW a free man on the 'Ceres' in 1818. No ship of that name arrived in 1818, although one of that name did arrive in 1805. O'Donnell stated in the 1828 census he was an Irishman who had been stationed in India as a non-commissioned officer and travelled to NSW after his wife died. He also stated he had a daughter Julia, who married Captain Jarvet in India. When Jarvit died she followed her father to NSW. (I found no record for her) His two allocations of land now form much of Maitland's CBD. According to the 1828 census he was married (common-law) to Eleanor in 1810, (Either Eleanor Hall or Eleanor Challenor from the convict ship Speke 1808) and they had a daughter Martha who married Thomas Prentice of Hinton in 1827. A number of their decedents, Prentice & Lumley still live in the district. William died in 1838 NSW Birth Death & Marriages 3348/1838 V18383348 22 records his age as 102 years. You can order a copy at the below link which might give more details. https://familyhistory.bdm.nsw.gov.au/lifelink/familyhistory/search/result?4
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/140495240?searchTerm=William%20O%27Donnell