Family/Spouse: Unknown. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Below recieved from Stephanie Humphries, September 19, 2003, who got itfrom Patricia Smith Email: mamabear4680@yahoo.com


Patrick Humphries (aka Humphreys), son of John Humphries and HellenaRoark was born in Ireland in c 1767. He was baptised in Dublin Parish ofSt Paul's 4th May 1767 his sponsors were Thomas Brogan and MargaretFuller. (1)

Patrick had a dispute with an English garrison that had been set up nearhis family's farm, and led to commanding officer describing him as a"troublemaker". The English soldiers commandeered the Humphries cow toaccommodate their commanding officer's need for fresh milk for hismorning oats. Patrick demanded the return of the cow, and when it wasrefused, he said, "If we can't have it, neither shall you", so he wenthome, got his hunting rifle and shot the cow. (2)

Patrick was tried in Dublin City, Ireland, in March 1791 and sentenced to7 years transportation. For some unspecified reason he gave his age as17 but he was closer to 24 years old. Patrick's crime was that he had inhis possession a piece of sheet led (as used for flashing aroundchimneys) and which was suspected of being stolen. (3)

He came to the New South Wales colony on the Convict Transport,'Boddingtons', which was a 331-ton vessel, built in 1781. It sailed fromCork on 15th February 1793, and took 173 days to complete the journey.The Boddingtons arrived in Sydney on the 7th August 1793. Of the 125male and 20 female convicts embarked, only one male convict died on thevoyage. The master was Robert Chalmers and the surgeon Richard Kent.

On arrival Patrick was assigned the prison farm at Toongabbie, two mileswest of Parramatta. (4)

Patrick's sentence ended in March of 1798.

NSW Corps records show Patrick having joined the corps on 14th March 1801on detachment to Captain Prentice. (5) He was one of 14% of the corpsrecruited locally. During his military career, Patrick remained aprivate soldier.

Soon after joining the Corps, i.e. 28th February 1802, Patrick married ayoung widow, Catherine McMahon nee Mooney. Catherine was from CountyWicklow, Ireland. She arrived in Sydney Cove 11 January 1800 on the"Minerva" with her husband, a soldier in the NSW Corps, and two infantchildren-Catherine's husband, Pte Terence McMahon had drowned near SouthHead, in Sydney Harbour of 7th September 1801, not long after the birthof their third child, leaving her with three young infant children toraise: Francis (c1797-?), Elizabeth (1799-1837), and John (1801-1850).

Patrick, as well as being Irish, like Catherine, he was also a Catholic;but at the time he had little choice but to be married in the officiallyapproved (Protestant) church. The marriage was officiated by the Rev.Samuel Marsden with the permission of his Excellency, Governor King, atSt Phillip's, Church of England.

It seems that Patrick had, like Terence McMahon, had been posted toWatson's Bay fishing village on the southern shore of Sydney Harbourclose to its entrance - The village had been in existence since 1792 toprovide food for the colony's hospital. The village became home forPatrick, though his activities with the military and later farming, overthe years, tended to cause him to often be away from Catherine and thechildren. Catherine was to spend most of her life at Watson's Bay, andall of Patrick's children, four sons and two daughters, appear to havebeen born there.

Patrick's first child with Catherine, Michael, was born 19th December1803. (6)

A revolt of a large number of Irish convicts at Castle Hill led to aclash between troops rushed from Sydney, and the prisoners, on 5th March1804 near Parramatta, NSW. Some of them were form County Wicklow (likelyto be personally known or related to Patrick's wife, Catherine). Itresulted in the shooting of fifteen rebels, and the subsequent hanging ofnine. Many others were flogged or sent to the Coal River penalsettlement (Newcastle). It was estimated that more than a third of thecolony sympathised with the rebels, and had it not been for the promptaction of the NSW Corps (especially the contingent led by Major GeorgeJohnston) the revolt may have proved successful. (7)

On 22nd December 1805, Patrick and Catherine's second child, Thomas, wasborn. (8)

The 1806 Muster tells of Catherine Humphries having arrived on theMinerva, her condition being FBS (Free By Servitude versus her truestatus CF [Came Free]);(9) and under 'With Whom Lives': "SoldierParramatta", which fits with Pte Patrick Humphries' posting at the time.

Patrick and Catherine's third child, Catherine, was born on 22nd December1807. (10)

On 26th January 1808, soldiers of the NSW Corps led by Major GeorgeJohnston, in what is known as the "Rum Rebellion", deposed GovernorBligh. The corps' commanders governed New South Wales form the time ofthe rebellion until the arrival of Governor Macquarie and the 73rdRegiment in December 1809.

On 11th February 1810, Patrick and Catherine's fourth child, George, wasborn.

Patrick, still a private soldier, on 24th April 1810 transferred to theVeteran Corps of the 73rd Regiment.(11) He was one of 447 members of theNSW Corps who chose to stay in New South Wales when the regiment wasrecalled, and one of 265 who transferred to the 73rd Regiment. (12)

The 1811 Muster, that seemed to overlook Patrick, acknowledges his wifeCatherine's existence.

A link road, connecting the village to South Head and to Sydney Town(some 8 miles away), was constructed by the 73rd Regiment over a ten-weekperiod of 1811. A stone cottage was built for the officers near Gibson'sBeach to house them for this project. This was so they wouldn't need totravel daily between South Head and the barracks, then located in KentStreet, Sydney Town. When the link road was completed and formally openedby the then Governor, Lachlan Macquarie, on 9th April 1811, the cottagewas no longer needed by the officers, and Patrick and Catherine movedinto it. This new cottage was named "Wicklow", and was larger than theiroriginal home.
During the construction of the link road, the officer in charge, CaptainWilliam Spears, became friendly with the Humphries family. Often onSundays he would visit with his wife and family. Over the years achildhood friendship developed between Patrick's son, Thomas, and WilliamSpears daughter, Mary, and they later married.

Patrick and Catherine's fifth child, Ann, was born on 6th July 1812.
The 1814 Muster states the following for Catherine Humphreys: free,Minerva, veterans wife, 8 Children and "On" government stores. Thisaccords with Catherine's three children by Terence McMahon and five byPatrick.

On 28th June 1815, Catherine's 16-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, byTerence McMahon, married David Brown Junior (1783-1857) of Eastern Farms,Kissing Point. The same year, on 17th October 1815, Patrick andCatherine's sixth child, David, was born at Watson's Bay. (13)

About 1821 the Humprhies family were granted land, adjacent to the"Wicklow" cottage. The grant became known as "Humphreys' Four Acres",the location of which can be ascertained in a current street directory,by starting form what is today the Pilot Station on Gibson's Beach,tracing north along the waterfront to the baths; then up Gap Street (nowRobertson Place) to the South Head Road- Here the boundary turned rightalong Salisbury Street, then back to the Pilot Station. "Wicklow"cottage was situated facing Robertson Place almost opposite the obeliskmonument unveiled by Governor Macquarie on 9th April 1811.

The muster of September 1822, shows Patrick's son, Thomas, then aged18-19 years, as born in the colony, and apprenticed to David Brown,Sydney. Thomas is listed as only one of 72 apprenticeships, the majorityof which being in the service of the dockyard and the lumberyard. DavidBrown senior, was father in law to Elizabeth McMahon, (Patrick's stepdaughter).(14)

Patrick was discharged from the army on 23rd September 1923 after serving22 years 195 days 'in consequence of disbandment of the Regiment, on apension of 7 shillings 3-1/2 pence per week. His discharge certificatedescribes him as 5ft 5-1/4 inches in hight, light brown hair, hazel eyesand fair complexion. His conduct as a soldier had been "very good".(15)As a consequence of his service was granted 100 acres at BrisbaneWaters/Kinkumber by Governor Brisbane. (16) He went to the Central Coastto start a farm with his eldest son Thomas, with whom he seemed to beparticularly close.
The property would have been an easy boat trip from Watson's Bay (TheHeads)?

In 18?? Patrick sold the Brisbane Waters/Kinkumber property to his sonThomas who gave 3 acres to the Catholic Church. Thomas also gave moneyand labour to help with the building of the Holy Cross Church on theland. (17)
The NSW 1825 Muster lists Patrick as a pensioner who 'came free' on theBoddingtons in 1798. However, the Boddingtons arrived in the colony in1793#.
T
he 1828 Census shows Patrick as "Humphrey Humphreys" CF (Came Free)suggesting his common name at Watson's Bay being Humphrey?" and his ageis also given as 40 years, Also, Patrick's son, David Humphries (BC) then13 years old, is shown as part of the David Brown (his wife, Catherine'sson in law) household at Pitt Town, Caddai Creek - David Brown employingand feeding his wife's half brother.

Patrick (Patt) Humphries was buried on 28th August 1846 at Kincumber/Brisbane Waters, Parish of East Gosford. The parish records state: hisage as '92', though his baptism date suggests he was closer to 81 yearsold. The name of the ship he came on "could no be ascertained", that hewas a "Farmer" by profession, and his abode was "The Heads" near Sydney,i.e. Watson's Bay.

The children of Patrick Humphries and Catherine McMahon nee Mooney, werefour sons and two daughters:
1 Michael (1803-1860)
2 Thomas (1805-1881)
3 Catherine (1807-1838)
4 George (1810-1863)
5 Ann (1812-1890) and
6 David (1815-1885).





1 IGI (microfiche) for Ireland. Per Shirley Downes (nee Humphries),descended from Patrick's son George. Patrick's date of birth at the timeof conviction was gives as 1774, which is significantly at odds with thegreater age attributed to the Patrick Humphries, married to Catherine andwhen he died. Charles Humphreys, Sarataga, in Pioneer Families BrisbaneWaters has Patrick 'Humphreys' born 1767 Dublin. Died 1848 SouthKinkumber at age 81.
2 Humphries' Legend.
3 Humphries' Legend.
4 Humphries' Legend. In the first few years of the 19th century, thefarm came to be used as a facility for isolating Irish convicts.Unfinished Revolution p47.
5 PRO Ref. WO 97/1141. A Colonial Regiment. 1789-1810

6 BDM registration V1803 574 148 0 & V 1803 1814 1A 0 refers.
7 Colonial government's concern about Irish convicts had been arisingsince 1796. In 1807 nervousness about planned insurrection by assignedservants, led to eight (mainly Irish) men being arrested and tried beforea military jury. Rev. Samuel Marsden was an active inquisitor who set intrain initiatives for official harsh treatment of suspectedrevolutionaries during this period.
8 BDM registration V 1805 1815 1A & V1806 V 1806 575 148 Refers.
9 FBS may have been Catherine's way of saying that she no longer havingto wash for the regiment. Circumstances that would have on many respectsbeen akin to the Female Factory. Her response in general may well havebeen her own act of defiance against the establishment as represented byRev. Marsden and his survey.
10 BDM registration V 1807 1816 1A 0 refers.
11 A Colonial Regiment, 1789-1810. Page 298 refers.
12 Transfer date of 25 March 1810 the Veteran Corps of the Regiment-PRORef WO 97/1141. Per Shirley Downs e-mail of 14 July 2001
13 Registration No 1885 04929 of Death on 24 December 1885 refers.
14 1822 Muster entry A 10804
15 PRO Ref. WO 97/1141. Shirley Downs e-mail of 9th July 2001.
16 Pioneer Families Brisbane Waters. Charles Humphreys.
17 Pioneer Families Brisbane Waters. Charles Humphreys

Patrick married Catherine Mooney on 28 Feb 1802 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Catherine was born in 1778 in County Wicklow, Ireland.; died on 30 Apr 1857 in New South Wales; was buried in New South Wales. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]