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Facts and Events
Certificates of Freedom (State Records)
| Surname
| Firstname
| Alias
| Vessel
| Year
| CF No.
| Date
| Item
| Reel
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| SWEENEY
| Thomas
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| Captain Cook
| 1832
| 38/0945
| 29 Oct 1838
| 4/4344
| 1001
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| Thomas Sweeney, was convicted in 1825 for stealing a cow, (as per petition "Leading a Cow for a man across a field at Tempo, and that the man ran off). In Gaol he petitioned for his wife and 3 children to accompany him and that the potatoes given to eat were rotten, and requested they be given decent food. Thomas arrived at Port Jackson on the "Regalia" in 1826, and was assigned to Alexander McLeod as a shepherd. (Still to work out which one - there were two Alexander McLeod's at Luskentyre.)
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| In 1829 Thomas Sweeney was convicted to "being an accessory to a robbery at Alexander McLeod's". He was sent to Morton Bay for 3 years. To date we have not found the ship he was transported on, but think it may have been the "Kangaroo". Whilst in Morton Bay, he was admitted to hospital 3 times for fever, eye trouble and dysentery. In 1832 he returned to Port Jackson on board "Governor Phillip" and interred on board the "Phoenix" until it was determined whether his 3 year sentence was added to his original one of 7 years or was run concurrently. Lucky for him the colonial secretary confirmed that the two sentences were concurrent and he was freed.
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| Thomas only knew the surrounds of the Hunter Valley and immediately returned there, meeting up with the newly arrived free passenger Mary Gillespie, who was residing with her uncle and aunt Dominick Gillespie and Mary nee Munnelly. Dominick was also a shepherd working for Richard Jones, and it is thought that Thomas and Dominick, being in the same line of occupation would have known each other prior to Thomas's colonial conviction.
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| As Thomas had advised via petition that he was married and with a family, he and Mary could not marry, his family could not be brought out at the Government's expense, due to his colonial conviction - therefore Thomas and Mary lived together as partners. The children born to them included:
Bridget born 1834; Mary born c1836; Catherine born c1838 John & Patrick (twins) born 1841; Mary's death certificate states that she had 7 children.
In 1856 Thomas gave away his daughter Catherine in marriage to John Jackson jnr, (son of John Jackson and Susannah Hall) at West Maitland. He is mentioned as a donor to the R.C.church fund at Black Creek - (Maitland Mercury).
In 1865 Thomas died. The coroner brought down "from the conditions of his profession".His death certificate states that he was married, wife and children unknown. Our query is how can a man who only 9 years ago was apart of his family's life, be not known in the community, they were living. The family continued to live in Black Creek long after the 20th century opened.
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| Title: Sweeney, Thomas
Description: Thomas Sweeney, one of 160 convicts transported on the Vittoria, 26 August 1828
Sentence Details: Convicted at Devon Assizes for a term of 7 years on 18 March 1828.
Vessel: Vittoria (Ship)
Date of Departure: 26 August 1828
Place of Arrival: New South Wales
(State Library of Queensland)
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| Small Hunter Valley township on the New England Highway Branxton was part of William Bowen's armborough estate. The small settlement known as Black Creek (the name of the stream that passed through the village) was renamed Branxton in 1848 (after a town in Northumberland, England) when the land was subdivided and sales held. A village was in existence by 1860 when there were about 500 residents, a steam mill, a post office, a mechanics institute and four hotels. (SMH)
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Census of New South Wales. November 1828.
| Name
| First
| Age
| F/B
| Ship
| Year
| Sentence
| Religion
| Occupation
| Employer
| Residence
| Reference No.
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| Sweeney
| Thomas
| 30
| Government Servant
| Regalia
| 1826
| 7 Years
| Catholic
| Labourer
| to Alex Mcleod
| Luskintyre
| S3030
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Death Certificate: New South Wales Births, Deaths & Marriages
| Registration Number
| Last Name
| Given Name(s)
| Father's Given Name(s)
| Mother's Given Name(s)
| District
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| 4257/1862
| SWEENEY
| THOMAS
| AGE 70 YEARS
| DIED MAITLAND
| WEST MAITLAND
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The Monitor (Sydney, NSW : 1826 - 1828) Friday 11 August 1826 p 8 Article
| SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE. ARRIVALS.-On Saturday the 5th instant, the Convict Transport, Regalia, Captain Burt, from Ireland, with 129 male prisoners. She sailed from Dublin the 14th of March, and touched at Rio De Janeiro. Surgeon Superintendent, Dr. Rutherford. R. N. The guard consists of Lieutenant Coke and 30 men of the 39th Regiment.
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Convict Indents &c; SRNSW ref: Vol. 4/4011 Regalia 1826 Entry No. 119
| Thomas Sweeney, Age: 27, Born: Sligo [SLI IRL], Roman Catholic, Reads or Writes: None, Farmer's labourer, Married, Children: 3; Crime: Cow stealing, Convicted: 21 Jul 1825 Fermanagh [FER IRL] 7; Transported per Regalia, Convict, Departed Ireland [IRL], Arrived 5 Aug 1826 Sydney [NSW AUS]; Assigned to Alexander McLeod, Luskintyre [NSW AUS]
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The National Archives of Ireland
| Last name: | SWEENEY
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| First name: | THOMAS
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| Full name: | THOMAS SWEENEY
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| Sex: | M
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| Trial place: | Enniskillen,Co Fermanagh
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| Imprisonment place: | Enniskillen,Co Fermanagh
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| Trial date: | 21/07/1825
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| Document date: | 08/08/1825
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| Crime desc: | Theft of a cow
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| Sentence: | Transportation for 7 years
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| Petitioner: | Convict
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| Document ref1: | PPC 4200
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| Comment1: | Petitioning for mitigation of his sentence on to be permitted to take his wife
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| Comment2: | and two children with him.
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The Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser (NSW : 1843 - 1893), Tuesday 22 April 1862, page 3
| DEATH FROM NATURAL CAUSES.- An inquest was held on Saturday before James Thomson Esq., Coroner for the district at the Sportsman's Arms Inn Branxton on the body of Thomas Sweeney, aged about 70 years. It appeared that Sweeney who had been a shepherd, had during his life been frequently ailing. He had only recently been in Maitland Hospital. On Friday he called at Mrs Collins's at Black Creek, and seeming very unwell and feeble was asked to stay the night there. He did so and slept on a sofa in the kitchen. Towards daybreak he was heard coughing and moaning and at about six o clock was found dead by the woman who went out into the kitchen to make up the fire. Verdict-natural causes.
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