Cornelius SLATTERY : Short Biography

Cornelius Slattery Snr was our first Slattery to come to Australia. He was born 1810c in Co. Tipperary, Ire. His parents were James and Bridget Slattery (nee Whelean).

On a visit to Ireland in 1999 I visited the Tipperary Heritage Unit. I paid 15 Irish Pounds for a small search of 3 of the 30+ Parishes in County Tipperary - Tipperary, Bansha and Kiloyler - for the birth of Cornelius - Nil Result.
In Dec2010 Charlotte Crowe at the Tipperary Heritage Centre searched the three Centres for the Baptism of Cornelius and siblings and the marriage of his parents James Slattery and Bridget Whelean - again with no success -

I think the 18 Euros well spent this time.

Cornelius arrived in Australia 26Jun1833 per 'Portland'.
On 25Oct1832 at Tipperary Summer Assizes he and his brother Michael had been tried for manslaughter and given 14 years. (Michael got an extra 3 mths!) At the time Cornelius was aged 22, his brother 18.
They were both Catholic and single - Cornelius could read but Michael could not. They were both farm servants. Cornelius is described as 5ft 6 1/4 ins, fair ruddy and little freckled complexion, brown hair and hazel eyes.
He was broad featured with a scar on the left side of his forehead.

Transcribed from a Dublin newspaper -
'Clonmel Assizes commenced on Wednesday (25 October1832) - Baron Foster presiding in the Crown Court and Justice Torrens in the Civil.
There are 189 prisoners to be tried, of which 50 stand charged with Murder; Robbery or Firearms, 9; Accessory to Murder, 12; House Robbery, 11;
Appearing in Arms, 5; Administering Unlawful Oaths, 10; Shooting at the Person, 1; Assault with Intent to Murder, 1; Assaulting Houses by Night, 7;
Felonious Assault, and Compelling to Quit, 8; Posting Threating Notices in Arms, 7; Conspiracy to Murder, 6; Highway Robbery, 5; Perjury, 3;
Exclusive or Others for Various Petty Offences.'
According to John Hassett, a Tipperary Family Research Officer, Faction Fighting was popular in the 1830s in Ireland.
It involved groups of up to 100 men on each side fighting with sticks. Very often the end result was death for one or more of the participants.
To stamp it out the authorities introduced transportation to Australia for those convicted of involvement in a fight where a fatality occurred.
The sentence imposed upon Cornelius Slattery and his brother Michael according to the Tipperary Free Press on 14Nov1832  was Transportation for seven years to Australia. The same sentence was imposed on their co-defendants - all farm servants -  which suggests the charges against them arose from a faction fight. (I have researched the lives of the co-defendants - happy to share)
The length of their sentences in the newspaper are different from those on the Convict Indent - One got life, another got 7 years, the rest (including Cornelius and Michael) got 14 years!

The Tipperary Librarian has searched the microfilm copy of the Tipperary Free Press Newspaper from 25Oct1832 to 7Nov1832 but no mention of the killing or where it occurred can be found.
The Court Files for Assizes and Quarter Sessions held in Co Tipperary in the 1830s were among the immense number of Irish governmental and legal records of the 19th and earlier centuries which perished when the Public Record Office of Ireland was destroyed by bombardment, fire and explosion in 1922.
An Archivist, Gregory O'Connor, at the National Archives in Dublin did a search of the 19th century records of the Office of Chief Secretary for Ireland in May 1999. Unfortunately he did not find any mention of Cornelius or Michael Slattery or the name of the person who was killed. From newspaper clipping later found - the name of the victim was J. Connors. Nil further known

Account of money paid to Surgeon Inches of the ship 'Portland' for the use of the undernamed convicts - Cornelius Slattery of Tipperary Co - 6/-
Received from Mr Christopher Betty, Keeper of the Hulk 'Surprize'
Signed by Charles Inch M.D.
dd 9Feb1833
Ship 'Portland'

From Ireland - The Heritage Trail - pages 19-20 -
'Between 1823 and 1838 male convicts awaiting transportation were held on a floating prison (hulk), the 'Surprize'. moored in Cork Harbour.
In 1824 it was described as having 'Good accommodation for 350' and was 'considered extremely healthy'. However for men locked below decks the hulks must have been a terrifying environment. In 1836, the officer in charge of the 'Surprize' dared not venture among the convicts after they were placed on the lower decks.
In eleven and a half years 5,467 men passed through the 'Surprize' en route to NSW. Only 5 ever escaped, 4 being captured and the fifth assumed drowned.
One wonders about the good accommodation when statistics show the most common medical condition on board to have been 'itch'.

The 'Portland' of 385 tons had been built in Bristol in 1822. A total of 194 Irish male convicts originally embarked, 8 died at sea and 2 were released. The Master was William Ascough, the Surgeon Superintendent was Dr Charles Inches M.D. R.N.
The guard of the 21st Fusilliers were onboard to keep order. The 'Portland' sailed 21Feb1833 from Cork via Lisbon to Sydney Cove, arriving 26Jun1833 after a passage of 125 days. The 'Portland', a convict transport ship, had sailed from Cork, Ireland via Lisbon to Sydney.
There is a Surgeon's journal for both this and the voyage of the previous year on Reel 3207, AJCP. - brother Michael is mentioned.
The 'Portland' was wrecked off George Town Heads, Tasmania on 17Sep1833.

In Gov. Reg of 25May1835, Cornelius is on a list of Convict Pardons.
Cornelius Slattery is noted in the 1837 Muster of Convicts - Number 23368. Cornelius is now in the Bathurst District, his Master being J. B. Montifiore (Montefiore) - a well known financier and land-owner of 12,502 acres.
In 1841 Montefiore's firm went bankrupt and he returned to London.
Thirty eight other convicts were assigned to this Master. Cornelius would have been actually working at Montefiore's prodigious 'Nanima' estate at Wellington Valley.

(The town of Montefiores, where Cornelius later bought land was situated at the far eastern corner of the Nanima estate. The town is there to this day, though now merely a quiet suburb of Wellington on the other side of the river).
 
Cornelius Slattery is mentioned in the NSW Government Gazette on 17Sep1839 in a memo from the Principal Superintendent of Convict's Office -
'The undermentioned Prisoners of the Crown have obtained Tickets-of-Leave since the last day of publication -
Slattery  Cornelius, John, County of Wellington, Wellington. Signed J. McLean. His T-of-L is No 30/1701 from 5Sep1839.

From Government Gazette - Slattery Cornelius, John should read Portland (2). Cornelius did not have a middle name John as supposed by some researchers! 17th September, 1839. It gives all his personal details and also includes 4 Passport dates for the years 1842 to 1845 inclusive which allowed him to travel between certain towns in the colony with his team. The towns were Wellington, Penrith, Hartley, Bathurst, Parramatta and Sydney.

In 1844 Cornelius married Ann Ward of Mt Harris, NSW. They married on 3Jun1844 in Bathurst, Father Michael O'Reilly of St. Michael's Roman Catholic Church being the minister officiating. Have Permission to Marry and Marriage Certificate.
Patrick Ward of Sydney and Bridget White of Bathurst were witnesses. Cornelius signed the certificate, Ann left her mark.
 
There is a record of a Pardon for Cornelius - 39/1701 Reel 934 Shelf 4/4132 - His sentence would have been completed in 1846.

Early records at Wellington show that Cornelius was a Committee Man and one of the very early settlers. He was also a founding member of the Wellington Pastoral Society.  
On 10Aug1853 Cornelius, then living at Montefiores (situated across the Macquarie River from the town of Wellington and the same name as his Master in the 1837 Muster!) purchased Lot 14 in the town of Wellington for four pounds.(Land Record No 1026). There is also a map from the Surveyor Generals Office in 1857 showing land owned by Cornelius adjoining the river and situated between Welbane Place and Percy Streets.
Cornelius Slattery is noted on the Electoral Roll for the County of Gordon in 1856. He is a Freeholder and his property is situated near Gobolion (sic).

According to a Sydney Newspaper dd Wednesday 4Jan1865 -
At the monthly meeting of the Acclimatisation Society a sample of wheat was exhibited by Mr Samuel, Grown by Mr. Cornelius Slattery of Wellington.
It was stated that the stalk was six feet in height; no appearance of rust; and the crop from which it was taken is expected to give forty bushels to the acre.
Cornelius made substantial subscriptions throughout the 1860s to the Catholic Church in both Wellington and Sydney - to assist with building a school at Wellington and a Church Belfry.
He also subscribed 10/- to the Fund for the Relief of Irish State Prisoners in 1869.
In the 1872 Greville's Post Office Directory, Cornelius is designated farmer and residing at Wellington.    
When he died in 1881 he bequeathed to his son Cornelius James his estate consisting of freehold lands, horses, cattle, furniture and monies which totalled £1295 - equivalent to AUD272k in 2020!.
He also made three other bequests - £30 to the Roman Catholic Archbishop in Sydney to be applied in any way thought necessary, £10 to trustees of St Vincent's Hospital, and £5 pounds to the trustees of All Hallows College, Dublin.
The will had only been witnessed on 20Jan1881 - five days before he died. He signed his mark 'x' on his will.
This is hard to believe because family stories state he was well educated. The copy of his will says he was 'sick of body but of sound mind and memory'.

Cornelius and Ann are buried in the Holy Family Roman Catholic Cemetery across the river from Wellington town near the showground. Ann died in 1868 - marriage and death certificates attached. Also drawing of the Church at Bathurst.
Descendant Gil Slattery told me that the 5 furlong post of the Racecourse is directly behind Cornelius' grave!

Cornelius died 25Jan1881 at Wellington aged 78. His wife had died 15Dec1868 aged 45 at Wellington Flat of Lung Congestion.
There is a sandstone memorial that looks like a table with the slab lying instead of upright. It is mounted on four legs - there are four similar memorials in the cemetery. I have a photo of the unusual gravestone.    
I have been told by Gil Slattery - descendant - that the five furlong post on Wellington Racecourse is directly behind the memorial!
(Liz Hempill, a Veech descendant, initiated the headstone repair - the 'table' now lies on a solid base. A metal plaque on the side now duplicates the near 'illegible' lettering on the table).

Cornelius on Probate list - Duty Paid 22Mar1881 (ref 19/10182 Reel 3025) - states date of death 24Jan1881.

In 1998 Glenda Pace 'bought' a stone in the spire of St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney and dedicated it to "the descendants of C J Slattery" -
a nice neat ending to the donation made by C J in his will in 1881.

I have a huge file on Cornelius - sadly little on his brother Michael - Convict Indents, Musters, Tickets of Leave, Pardon, Land Purchases and maps, Voters Lists, Donations and other newspaper articles.

Cornelius and Ann had two children - Bridget Agnes (who married Patrick Veech who was murdered in 1905!) and Cornelius James Slattery. James inherited the lot from his father. Bridget got a bit miffed at this, donned trousers and left her marital home for a time, family stories saying that she rustled her father's cattle!

On the family tree I have 106 descendants of Cornelius and Ann. I am sure there are lots more.