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Hunter Valley Bushrangers Index

Jacob's Irish Brigade

Lower Hunter 1825

 

 

Jacob's Irish Brigade, also known as Jacob's Mob were the first organised gang of bushrangers in the lower Hunter.  Their leader was Patrick Riley. The gang consisted of the following men:

Patrick Riley - Arrived on the Castle Forbes in 1824; sentenced to transportation for Life in county Meath in 1823; considered to be the leader of the gang

Patrick Clinch - Arrived on the Isabella in 1823 and was assigned to Vicars Jacob by March 1824; In 1825 a reward was offered for his capture and he was described as - Aged 28; native of Longford; 5'5"; hazel eyes; brown hair; pale, little freckled complexion

Aaron Price - Arrived on the Guildford in 1824; received a sentence of transportation for Life in 1823; assigned to Vicars Jacob in 1824; blacksmith. His description in 1825 - Aged 21, native of Oxford; 5'6 1/2"; hazel eyes, brown hair, brown complexion;

Lawrence Cleary - Arrived on the Mangles in 1824; sentenced to transportation for Life at the Old Bailey in 1823.

Thomas Moss - Arrived on the Minerva in 1824

James Adair John Boughton Edward Collison Close  - Green Hills George Cobb Edward Gostsyck Cory Gilbert Cory John Cory william cummings Andrew Dixon Robert Corum Dillon Leslie Duguid William Dun William Evans George Frankland William Hicks Beresford Hudson William Innes Richard Jones James Kelly Andrew Lang - Dunmore Robert Lethbridge Alexander Livingstone James McClymont Thomas McDougall George Muir Find out more about Maitland Timothy Nowlan Henry Dixon Owen Richard Pritchett James Phillips James Read (Reid) George Shaw Rutherford Walter Scott Gentleman John Smith John Galt Smith Hugh Torrance John Tucker Susannah Matilda Ward Susannah Matilda Ward William Charles Wentworth John Wighton Gorge Williams Caleb and Felix Wilson Marie Steamer at Paterson

The map on the left shows some of the area the gang operated in. In July 1825 they raided Rosebrook, the farm of James Reid followed by a raid on Standish Harris' property at Phoenix Park; David Maziere's property, seen as 'Cobb' on the map below (Anambah); they crossed the river to raid Lieutenant William Hicks' farm and later the farm of James McClymont (McClymens on the map below) Dr Radford was resident at McClymont's at this time and wounded one of the bushrangers.

They were captured and placed in the lockup at Maitland, however managed to escape and continued their raids.

The newspapers at the time recorded other prisoners who absconded from nearby farms including Henry Sears, Bernard Padden John Chapman and Isaace Deane who absconded from John Boughton at Paterson.

Captain Allman sent out troops from Newcastle and the Gang were finally confronted in October when Serjeant Wilcox and privates Wright and John Coffee tracked them down to  Sparke's farm at Hexham. On approaching within 200 yards of a hut on the farm of Mr. Spark the troopers observed a man exit from it. Their suspicions were awakened, and on his giving the alarm to persons inside, they were assured that they were correct, and that he and his comrades were bushrangers.

The Sergeant fired into the hut. Patrick Riley a bushranger, came out, and before he could be captured, fired twice on the soldiers; one of whom, Coffee, returned the fire and shot him dead on the spot. Two others had also come from the hut. These two stood looking on till Riley fell. They then made off. Cleary was later taken and Price surrendered. Clinch escaped although was soon captured.

The Colonial Times & Tasmania Advertiser carried an extract from a letter received from Sydney reporting on the gang's capture  -  'The whole of the Banditti (except one, who is wounded in the shoulder and in the hand) of bushrangers, which lately committed so many outrages in the district of Newcastle, is captured. One, a man named Riley, was shot dead by a soldier, and two others were taken and are now in custody. There is little doubt but they will be executed. A part of the Horse Patrol, lately established here, under the command of Lieutenant Evernden, of the Buffs, embarks this evening on board the Amity for Newcastle. This new Corps is 30 strong; its uniform is the same as that of the Governor's Body Guard. The remainder of the Corps is going to Bathurst, to scour that part of the country of the vagabonds there at large.'

A sentence of death was passed on the remaining members of the gang, although they were reprieved at the last moment. Aaron Price was about to ascend scaffold when his reprieve came through and it was reported in the Australian that he fell to his knees and remained speechless for some time.

They were sent to Norfolk Island which had been re-opened as a place of secondary punishment. Lawrence Cleary, Patrick Clinch and Thomas Moss were later involved in riots there. Patrick Clinch endured two years there before attempting to escape from the settlement.

In a strange twist of fate, Aaron Price eventually became an overseer of public works at Norfolk Island. In 1846 he was involved in a riot, but on the side of the constables and military. He kept a diary while at Norfolk Island which can be found in the State Library.

Peter Cunningham wrote of them in Two Years of New South Wales.

 

 

 

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