O'Donnell, William

[Siouxsie]

Hi everyone.

I am stumped. I have an ancestor of hubby's that I am tracing. He is William O'Donnell or McDonald or McDonnell.
I have a tentative birthday (from a fellow genie) of 1736, which doesn't gel with his death record in 1838 which lists his age as being in his 80's.
He came out on the Suprize (which sailed in 1790) according to the Muster records, but I can't find him listed in any of the documents I have found and was freed by his length of servitude so I suspect he was sentenced to life.
 He was also granted land in the Hunter Area, around Hinton.
I can glean lots of information about his life in the Hunter........who he married, the kids, the land deeds, his argument with a fellow land owner etc.

What is stumping me is his transportation, his sentence, his crime, his arrival etc.

Any clues???

Cheers
Susie

[majm]

From NSW State Records and their newish upload there’s two chaps named William McDONALD who arrived on the Surprise 1, both on 7 year sentences.
http://www.records.nsw.gov.au/state-archives/indexes-online/indexes-to-convict-records/index-to-early-convict-records/index-to-early-convict-records

William MCDONALD
Tried 5 March 1787, at Reading, Berkshire,

And

William McDONALD
Tried 7 May 1788, at Old Bailey, Middlesex,


Cheers,  JM

[majm]

General Muster Sept 1822
FBS (Free by servitude) William O'DONNELL ex the Surprize of 1794 (so a different voyage from the one you mention) 7 year sentence, in the Newcastle district.
56 acres cultivated
40 bushels maize held,  5 horned cattle, 34 hogs

General Muster 1825
William Odonell, 7 years, per Surprize 1794, FS (free by servitude),. at Wallis Plains, Newcastle.

Cheers,  JM

[majm]

Have you tried the Biographical Database of Australia?   The index is free, and there is a nominal fee for the annual subscription.

I think you will find info from the Convict Indents of June 1790;  The Settlers' Muster of June 1801, the Musters of August 1806, February 1811,  and November 1814.

And just to make the searching a tad more difficult, it also looks like there was a William McDONALD on the Neptune, arriving 28 June 1790.

http://www.bda-online.org.au/

Cheers,  JM

[Aussie1947]

Hi,

Rough idea where William O'Donnell's land was located, maybe some of the online Parish Maps will by lucky enough to have some of these names.  I have found them in the past for early grants in other Parishes.

http://www.lpi.nsw.gov.au/mapping_and_imagery/parish_maps

From a list of Land Grants published in the Sydney Herald 19th June 1834, page 4.

No 575 re Joseph Weller's 38 acre grant

In the Parish of Maitland County of Northumberland, bounded on the north by Wallis Creek, on the east by Thomas Boardman's grant, on the south by Catherine ?? grant and on the west by Wm O'Donnell's grant.

Gerry

[Dundee]

I can glean lots of information about his life in the Hunter........who he married, the kids, the land deeds, his argument with a fellow land owner etc.

Cheers
Susie

Perhaps you can share that information with us?

Debra 

[Dundee]

Not this bloke?

http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/139784666

Debra 

[majm]

May be this one?

October 1825
Col Sec’s papers 1788-1825 INDEX

http://www.records.nsw.gov.au/state-archives/indexes-online/colonial-secretary/index-to-the-colonial-secretarys-papers-1788-1825

William O’DONNELL, settler at Wallis Plains, Hunter River re a dispute over land ownership with a Patrick MALONEY.     (I assume that would be the Patrick MALONEY per the Atlas Oct 1802)


Cheers,  JM

[Siouxsie]

Many thanks for all of these leads. I think that I have cracked it.

I had written that the Suprize sailed in 1790 as that is when the shipping register lists it........however, his FFS papers talk about the Suprize in 1794......but that is also questionable.

It seems that there were perhaps 2 William O'Donnell/MacDonald's in the Hinton area at the same time........one being a serving gentleman and one who served time........perhaps it suited the later to have lots of confusion over which one was which.

I have several leads to follow.......will be back with my findings.

Cheers

Susie