Irish Prison Records 1797-1798

[Maiden Stone]

In the newspaper April 26, 1797 - Saunders Newsletter + Advertiser Farrell Cuffe was found Guilty of Defenderism.  This could have been held at the gaol perhaps from reading the snippet.

He would have been tried at the assize court which met twice yearly.
Newspaper report in Reply #15:
" ... business of the Home Circuit"
Farrell Cuffe is named early in the article as the only person convicted. Later in the article it says 2 men named Farrell and Madden were indicted for high treason at Philipstown. Was one of those 2 men Farrell Cuffe or another man with surname Farrell?

Philipstown, King's County, both named for King Philip of Spain, consort of Queen Mary of England & Ireland, was an assize town. The courthouse was where the county court met. The prison in Philipstown was the county gaol, erected around 1800. See Samuel Lewis' Directory published 1837 for information. 
Philipstown is now Daingean in County Offaly.

[haney]

HI seaweed.  Found the link and pages thanks.  I have printed out the page with the Lively on it re Dobson etc.  Just looking at the front of the book now working out what all the descriptions are in the various columns.  Very interesting.  I have emailed the Tyne Museum and will email The Maritime Museum in Greenwich as well.  Thanks for all the ideas, tips and clues.  May lead no where but at least it's done.  Regards Dianna

[Maiden Stone]

In the newspaper April 26, 1797 - Saunders Newsletter + Advertiser Farrell Cuffe was found Guilty of Defenderism.  This could have been held at the gaol perhaps from reading the snippet.

He would have been tried at the assize court which met twice yearly.
Newspaper report in Reply #15:
" ... business of the Home Circuit"
Farrell Cuffe is named early in the article as the only person convicted. Later in the article it says 2 men named Farrell and Madden were indicted for high treason at Philipstown.

Philipstown, King's County ...  was an assize town. The courthouse was where the county court met. The prison in Philipstown was the county gaol, erected around 1800.
Philipstown is now Daingean in County Offaly.

Offaly History Blog has several article about courts and prisons, many written by Michael Byrne.

Examples:

"Tullamore Jail" by Michael Byrne (April 2018)
This mentions Philipstown county jail. Includes an extract from an official report into Philipstown jail. There were Acts of Parliament about prisons in 1810 and 1820. New prisons were built in Ireland.
Tullamore replaced Philipstown/Daingean as county town in 1830s. The assize court met in Tullamore instead of Philipstown after that and a new prison was built at Tullamore as a replacement for the county jail at Philipstown. Convicts in Philipstown jail were taken by canal barge to the new county jail in Tullamore when it opened. The Grand Canal opened 1798. 

A new article by Michael Byrne "The Courts of Assize in Offaly and the ceremonial display of British power in Ireland" (March 2022) Brief history of Assizes in King's County. Circuit system - King's County was part of Leinster Circuit until 1796 when a new sixth circuit was established, known as the *home circuit. Describes how business of assizes was conducted. Grand Jury.
*"business of the Home Circuit" in the newspaper report.

"Grand Juries in Ireland: the politics of power in the counties" by Michael Byrne (Oct. 2021)

The blog has 13 articles in the topic "Criminal Law" in contents list.
Philipstown is Daingean in the alphabetical list of places in contents.

Taylor & Skinner maps 1777 show routes of all main roads in Ireland, in case you need to work out routes. Don't forget the Grand Canal, constructed 20 years later.
 

 

[haney]

HI Maiden Stone Thank you so much for all that wonderful information.  I will see if I can find that particular Michael BYRNE (funny coincidence!!).  He maybe able to shed some light on my topic of interest. Not easy doing this kind of research without lot's of help which is most appreciated. 

Even if I cannot find specific information on my Michael BYRNE and his possible movements from the "Athy" court to ?? prison anything in general is always interesting.

I have tried to research Michaels siblings as well with some success, his sister remains elusive though.  Will keep searching

By researching Michaels brother William this is what gave me the clue that they may have been born (from??) Bracknagh in Co.  Offally as this was stated on Williams papers when he joined the Royal Marines in 1797 (coincidentally again the same time as Michaels Trial).  Regards Dianna

[Maiden Stone]

 The Lively went from Dublin to Cork and the convicts were place on board the "Minerva". 

When did Farrell Cuff arrive in Australia?
Prisoners remaining on a ship for a long time before transportation was mentioned in the article on the Cork Shipwrecks site. (Reply eight) They weren't convict hulks, just ordinary ships used to transport prisoners.

The "Minerva" departed 24th August 1799 as did the "Friendship". Farrell Cuffe arrived 11th January 1800 according to https://convictrecords.com/au
Information about the ship on that website says Minerva was built 1804 in Lancaster. Either that date is wrong or there was an earlier Minerva.
Added. 4 ships named Minerva existed in 1799. 2 were used by the East India Company. It was one of those (according to wikipedia) which transported convicts to Australia in 1799. Then it returned to merchant voyages in East Indies. It was lost 1805/6. The other 2 traded with West Indies and both made some voyages transporting slaves. A fifth Minerva was captured in 1799.
The Minerva built in Lancaster in 1804 made some of the later voyages transporting convicts.

[haney]

Thank you I will look at the Cork Shipwrecks site.  The logistics must have been a nightmare having so many prisoners on those ships for months at a time, feeding them etc.  Will see what is on the Cork Shipwrecks website.  Thanks.

[haney]

http://www.corkshipwrecks.net/prisonhulksurprise.html

In Ireland, transportation to Australia began in 1791. The first convict ship to sail from Cork was the Queen , in September 1791. Initially convicted prisoners, were held in City and County Gaols, throughout the country. Arrangements were then made to bring them to ports such as Dublin and Cork to be shipped out in prison ships.

This was extremely inefficient, and open to massive abuses by members of local authorities who controlled these gaols. There were also massive delays with convicts languishing for months on prison ships while the human cargo was gathered. This also lined the pockets of the contractors to this trade. An investigation into Cork City Gaol, at the North Gate Bridge, in 1817, exposed the rampant corruption, and a new process for incarceration prior to transportation was needed.

That is an interesting site! 

[haney]

http://www.corkshipwrecks.net/ssshipwrecklist19thcent.html

December 01, 1833   Minerva   On the 1st of December 1833, a vessel competely awash was driven into Youghal Bay. She was the Minerva , bound from New York to Liverpool. Some of the crew were rescued from the rigging. Three crew were drowned, as well as the captain, found dead in his cabin.

Will be interesting to see if this is the same "Minerva" that the guys came out here in 1800.

[Maiden Stone]

Related thread from last year "Convict Ancestor Michael Byrne"
https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=851808

Have you read Memoir of Joseph Holt of Wicklow ("General" Joseph Holt) who was transported in 1799?
There's a link to it from his profile on wikitree which itself is linked from Farrell Cuffe's profile.