Author Topic: Spike Island (Read 14015 times)

aussiegrrl · « **Reply #18 on:** Sunday 29 August 10 10:12 BST (UK) »

Hi

I'm new to the list, but would be interested to hear more about the book on Spike Island that Valerie mentioned, and whether prison records may be available. I have two great great grandfathers who were imprisoned in Spike Island before being transported to VDL in 1852. None of their other records give info on where they came from beyond the name of their county, so I guess I'm hoping that the Spike Island records might.

One was Michael MURPHY of Kilkenny, convicted at Thomastown on 27 June 1849 at age 30 of (probably) housebreaking (one record says killing sheep, but two housebreaking, so I'll go with the majority). The other was Martin CONNOLLY of Galway, convicted of sheep stealing on 14 March 1850. Interestingly, they both spent time together in Mountjoy prison before being sent to Spike Island in 1851, from whence they were transported to VDL on the same ship. Perhaps it should be no surprise that the relationship kept going in Tasmania, where Michael's daughter married Martin's son.

Michael is listed in the Mountjoy records as having a wife, Margaret, and 3 children, although his later papers say 2 children. I think his wife may have emigrated to 'America' while Michael was in prison. He later married again in Tasmania, but was a tragic figure, attempting suicide on a number of occasions, eventually succeeding on St Patrick's day in 1890 (taking rat poison). I'd really love to track him down, but 'Michael Murphy' is like looking for a needle in a haystack!

Cheers, Karen

km1971 · « **Reply #19 on:** Monday 30 August 10 09:10 BST (UK) »

Hi Karen

If you divide it into two, details of the crime may have appeared in a local newspaper. These may be held in the Library of Ireland - http://www.nli.ie/

Any details of the punishment will be held in the National Archives of Ireland - http://www.nationalarchives.ie/ - although I know that lots of records were destroyed in the civil war of 1922.

You should at the very least discover what kind of hearing was held in Thomastown on that date. Thomastown is not the county town of Kilkenny, so it is likely that the accused came from the immediate area, and were held in prison awaiting a circuit judge. So you need to research the 'circuit' to gauge the area covered by hearings in Thomastown.

At the end of the day however you are not in the ideal place to reseach Irish records and will probably have to employ local researchers.

Ken

aussiegrrl

Hi Ken

thanks for your help. I did find the reference to my gg grandfathers being sent to Spike Island in the NAI some 6yrs ago (in their Mountjoy prison records), but didn't have time to wait for the Spike Island records (I think the lift was out of order at the warehouse and they weren't brining records down the stairs or something). I couldn't find reference to Michael's crime in the Kilkenny papers, but I didn't think to look at Thomastown records, so thank you - this is another thing to try. And fabulous that the newspapers are now online. (As are many old Australian newspapers, through our National Library - www.nla.gov.au)

Kind regards
Karen

celtic liberty

Hi ,

I went to Spike Island yesterday and took some photos which you might be interested in .

Guiding Spirit I thought of you while there and thought of the Tomney family who lived there in the 1800's.

I will send you some more photos by email

Mary
Celtic Liberty