Foley (Samuel Branch)

DESCRIPTION

NameFoley (Samuel Branch)DescriptionSamuel Foley was born c.1760 in Birmingham. He was transported on board the 'HMS Glatton' in 1803, after being convicted at the Worcester Lent Assizes of stealing an ewe sheep the price of 20 shillings from Mr. E. Grainger of Dudley.

Samuel was originally sentenced to death however this was later commuted to life. He was described as 41 years old, 5’6, his occupation was a blacksmith, his complexion dark sallow, hair brown, and eyes hazel.

Ten years later in 1813, he married Mary Ann Mason at St John’s Parramatta.

Mary Ann Mason was also a convict, sentenced to seven years at the Surrey Assizes in 1811 for stealing. She was transported on ‘Minstrel’ and arrived 1812. Mary Ann was presumably sent to the Parramatta Female Factory. Neither Samuel nor Mary could read or write and signed their marriage certificate with a cross.

Samuel and Mary had;

Martha b.1814 Parramatta (married Patrick Geraghty, died 1905, Alstonville)
Thomas b.1818 Sydney (married Mary McKenna, died 1906, Lismore)
Elizabeth (Betsy) b. 1819
Sarah b.1821 Campbelltown (married Francis McQuilty and George Walker, died 1910, Bombala)
James b c.1824 Campbelltown (married Sarah Ryan died 1885, Goulburn)
John b.1827 Shellharbour (died 1903, Liverpool)
Samuel b.1831 Shellharbour (married Jane Ahern, died 1883, Goulburn)
Mary b.1832
Ann b.1833 Shellharbour (married George Hollands, died 1913, Goulburn)
Edward b.1835 Shellharbour (died 1884, Wollongong)
Elizabeth b.1839 Shellharbour (married James Bennett, died 1839, Casino)

Samuel was granted a Ticket of Leave and received his Conditional Pardon 31 January 1818 after serving 17 years of his sentence and petitioning the Governor ‘That for seventeen years he has been in the Colony he has conducted himself with strictest propriety working for the greater part of the time as a Blacksmith and for the last three years he has been free on a Ticket of Leave’.

When they moved to the Illawarra, Samuel and Mary Ann farmed the area known as Stoney Creek in Shellharbour.

Samuel and Mary Ann’s eldest daughter Martha married Patrick Geraghty, also a convict, sentenced to life in the colony for robbery along with his brother James.

Samuel died at Stoney Creek, Jamberoo in 1858. His death certificate states that he was 98 years old and according to family histories he was an active farmer as late as 1841.

External LinkDeath Samuel Foley 1858A Remarkable Life - Martha Geraghty 1905Death Thomas Foley 1906Mrs Walker Sen 1910A Centenarian's Death - Sarah Walker 1910Death Elizabeth Bennett Myrtle Creek 1905

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View over Stoney Creek, from Ebenezer Russell's homestead property, 2003.

CONNECTIONS

CollectionFamiliesFamilyGeraghtyLocalityCroomPersonFarragher, Murtagh (Murty)PlaceStoney Creek

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Foley (Samuel Branch)