New research, thanks to Trove Newspapers, has revealed that the William Brophy I was looking for was in fact a Constable in the Sydney Police force. He was living in a defacto relationship with a Mary White.
As Mary White had married a John Callanan in 1846 in Maitland, I believed that William Brophy had died prior to then.
The only death I could find was of a William Brophy who died in November 1844. This seemed to be the man I was after.
But records showed him as coming out on the Governor Ready 2. There is no Brophy recorded on that indent but a William Broggy. I thought that perhaps they were the one person.
Since I have found that William Brophy and Mary White were still living together in 1845 in Sydney, as a report of a home invasion mentions them in the paper.
Another William Brophy who came out on the Larkins died in November 1844 and was attacked and hospitalized and died. The doctor at the time, I believe, tied him to the Governor Ready 2, which I believe is a mistake, and hence it is this William Brophy's death.
Which leaves my William Brophy and Mary White together at the time of home invasion in 1845 but separated by 1846.
I know Mary's story from the time she remarried John Callanan in 1846 but I can't seem to find what actually happened to William Brophy the ex constable.
Commercial Journal and Advertiser (Sydney, NSW : 1835 - 1840), Saturday 29 December 1838, page 2
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Christmas Goose. — A man named Brophy, a discharged constable, with Mary White, were placed at the bar of the Police Office on Monday last, charged with driving a stray goose on Saturday, on to the premises of Brophy, and impounding the same in a cellar. Inspector Hoyle stated that he took the constable into custody, in consequence of his denial of having driven the said goose into the cellar, although he had given up the bird. A man named William Harrington, stated that the goose was sent by his master as a present to a gentleman in Sydney, and as he had brought a load of wood to the house of Dr. Wallace, in Kent-street, he left the goose there, tied with a string ; that it had broken the string and strayed into the street ; and that he was told by Mr. Wallace, the publican, the said con-stable had driven it, with the assistance of Mary White, into the cellar. Borphy at first denied having the goose to Harrington, but on his describing it, with the string upon its leg, it was given up. Mr. A. Levey stated that he had directed the ex-constable (who was a constable at the time) to secure the bird, and added, that probably some one would soon enquire after it. As there was no evidence, which would warrant the Bench in committing the prisoners, the Bench discharged them ; but recommended them to be a little more careful, as it was not legal to impound a stray goose, although if was so near Christ-mas. The Chief Constable was appealed to, as to whether the Police force had been instructed to impound geese, found straying about the streets ; and the reply, was decidedly in the negative.
