John [Silk or Sheehy?]
Preface by Jenny Fawcett John Sheedy was transported as a convict to Australia per Eliza 2,1832, on that vessel's fourth journey to Australia. John's records in Australia show that he was tried in Galway on the 24th of March 1832, and recieved a Life sentence for being a "whiteboy". He was 26 years old,giving a birth year of c1806, and he stated he was a native of Galway. He stated he was a roman catholic and single, he had no education and his occupation at the time of sentencing was labourer - ploughman. He stated he had no prior convictions before this sentence. His physical description states he was 5'6 1/2, with a ruddy and freckled complexion, brown hair, hazel eyes, and a scar on the top right side of his forehead.His convict no was 100.* The vessel had departed Cork on the 10th of June 1832, with 198 male prisoners, a large contingency of them being 'WhiteBoy' offenders. The Eliza 2 was a ship of 538 tons, her master being Captain John Groves.+ The ship reached Sydney on othe 6th of September 1832. By 1833 Sheedy was assigned to Mrs Helens Scott of Glendon, NSW.He absconded from her services and was advertised for by March of that year. In 1840 John Sheedy was at Patricks Plains when he received a Ticket of Leave. He must have lost it again as he was issued another in 1843, again he was a resident at Patrick Plains. He received his conditional pardon on the 1st of June 1848.** *con ref: page 087, fiche 683, file 905, shelf 4/4017 page 109, fiche 701, file 907, shelf x634 ** TIcket of Leave 1840: 40/2536. shelf 4/4145 reel 938 Ticket of Leave 1843: no 43/2264 shelf 4/4180 reel 950 Conditional Pardon 1848. no 48/1123 dated 1/6/1848 +.A copy of the journal by Capt Jas Gordon , icnluding poems from the ships paper "Mirror" are held at the ANMM at Sydney no 6850. John Sheedy.convict who arrived per Eliza 2 is alledged by Syd Sheedy to be the son of Patrick Sheedy who arrived as a convict per Marquis of Wellington and that this John later returned to Ireland. A descendant of John Silk (m Ellen Anderson.lived Maitland) claims that John Sheedy who arrived per Eliza 2 later changed his name to Silk, and is the same man who married Ellen Anderson,and lived in the Maitland area. He was alledgedly married foremost to a Margaret Connelly. According to another Sheedy Families reseacher,this John Sheedy per Eliza 2 changed his name to Sheehy, and lived in the Maitland region. So confusion reigns as to what became of John Sheedy,convict per Eliza (2). It is common for the Galway Sheedys to use the alias Silk/Silke. The Tipperary branches more commonly use the alias McNamara ,and the Limerick branches Sheehy. It is known from official records that John was assigned to (Mr) Helenus Scott at Glendon in 1832. He escaped from there in 1833. Obviously was recaptured some time soon after. It is recorded in official records, that in 1845, John Sheedy per Eliza 2 (4), life sentence, holding a Ticket of Leave,aged 38 years, applied for permission to marry Margaret Connolly. They were to marry at Maitland by the Revd Lynch. Margaret had arrived as a convict per WILLIAM METCALF, but held a Certificate of Freedom at the time of her marriage application.She was only 22 years of age. (src: CD Convict Applications to Marry - by Lesley Uebel) It is not confirmed that the marriage took place. There is a query as to why Sheedy would change his name to Silk. John is alledged to be the son of Patrick Sheedy (per Marquis of Wellington) a convict transported to NSW, and alledged to be one of 6 bros there. HISTORY c1806. John Sheedy born ? Co Galway. (Src:convict records) parents on death cert; Daniel Silke & ? parents according to Syd Sheedy: Patrick Sheedy. 1832. John Sheedy assigned to Mr Helenus Scott. Glendon, in the Hunter Valley region. 1833. March 4th.(taken from a list of absconders) JOHN SHEEDY, per Eliza (6), aged 26 years, labourer, from Co Galway, no 32-1972, has absconded from Mrs Scotts, Glenden. source: Principal Supt.of Convicts.Sydney. repository: State Archive Office. Kingswood. supplied: voluntary by Col Dundon. Glenden was about 510 miles north west of Sydney, near Warialda. 1845 John Sheedy, 38y,TOL, per Eliz 2 (4), applied to marry, at Maitland, to Margaret Connolly. marriage not confirmed. still Under Research. I have detailed below what is known under both Silk and Sheedy in the advent that they are two seperate men. John Silk[e] or Sheedy death: possible deaths John Silk d 1888.Maitland east. no 10706 son of Daniel & Bridget Sheedy this is the most likely candidate to be John Sheedy Silk [e] m Ellen Anderson. and would make him unlikely to be the son of John per Eliza. John Silk d 1887.Enmore. Newtown. no 3891. son of John John Silk d 1827.age 23 years. C/E Sydney St James [1827 7511 2C] [1827 7341 11] married: possible marriages: John Silk and Mary Carroll m 1844 Sydney St Andrews. [1844 3866 74B] John Silk and Mary Carroll m 1841. Sydney St Andrews. [1841 1927 76] John Silk m Ellen Anderson 1852.RC.Maitland East. [1852 535 98] John Silk m Catherine Cronan 1852.RC.Sydney St Mary's. [1852 293 138] Children-possible: children of John Silk and Mary unknown John Silk b 1840.C/E Windsor. ST Matthews [1840 835 24A] James Silk b 1844.RC.Maitland [v1844 3015 121B] Mary Silk b 1845.RC.Maitland. [v1845 1751 62] Clara Silk b 1846.C/E Sydney St Andrews [v1846 6881 45C] [v1846 1213 48] Isabella A Silk b 1847.C/E Sydney.St Phillips [v1847971 32A] John Silk b 1848.RC.Maitland. [v18481606.54] Thomas J Silk b 1849.C/E Sydney.St Phillips [v1849 214 34A] John F B Silk b 1852.C/E Sydney.St Phillips [v1852 209 38A] childrne of John Silk and Elizabeth unknown Catherine Silk. b 1854. SYdney St James RC [V1854 1650.71] Margaret Silk b 1856.Sydney ST James RC [v1856 930 142A] [764] Mary Silk b 1858.Sydney St James RC [v1858 3443 132B] [1711] John Silk b 1860.Sydney St James RC [v1860 05598 142B] [1744] William P Silk b 1862.Sydney. [1104] James Silk b 1864.Sydney [898] Sarah Silk b 1866.SYdney. [319] d 1866.Sydney [221] Sydney G Silk b 1867.Sydney [523] Sophia Silk b 1869.Sydney [1431] Elizabeth Silk b 1871.Sydney [624] Children of John Silk[e] and Ellen Anderson Mary Silk b 1853. Maitland.NSW. [v1853 147470] Margaret Silk b 1855.Maitland.NSW. [v1855 248572] Bridget Silk b 1857.Maitland.NSW [8640] Daniel Silk b 1860,Maitland.NSW [8202] Agnes Silk b 1862.Maitland.NSW [9711] Eleanor Helena] Silk b 1865. Maitland.NSW [10717] Elizabeth Silk b 1869.Maitland.NSW [13286] Anne V Silk b 1871.Maitland.NSW [12693] Octovia F Silke b 1874.Maitland.NSW [13240] Robert Anderson Silke b 1876. Maitland.NSW [14246] d 1878. Maitland.NSW [6954] John Stewart Silke b 1879.Maitland.NSW [16500] m 1906,Mar 17th,Eva Hunt [nee Burgess]. Family Researchers: Ronelle Petkovic des of John Silk and Ellen Anderson. Notes * = sighted original record.
