|
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
 |
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.
|
