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Convicts
were sometimes bound by their common experiences and
hardships. When they 'took to the bush' their fellow
sufferers were able to sympathise with their plight and supplied
companionship, food and other necessities when
they could.
John Shea, member of
the infamous bushrangers the 'Jewboy Gang',
was only 23 years old when he was hanged in March of 1841. Shea had arrived on
the
Calcutta
on 5th August 1837 with 359 other convicts and was soon assigned to
John Incledon Pilcher in Maitland. Also arriving on the Calcutta
was eighteen year old, John Quigley from Tipperary who had
been sentenced to 7 years transportation.
Quigley was at first
assigned to Government service in Sydney, however later he
was reassigned to the Maitland district. Here he was
re-acquainted with another former sh ipmate
Bernard McIntyre. They would have been aware of the fate of
their countryman Shea - the whole colony knew of the 'JewBoy
Gang'. Despite this, in March 1842 just twelve months
after John Shea was hanged as a bushranger, Quigley
too returned to a life of crime when he stole a waistcoat from
Mr. Marshall of Maitland. By June his trial had been
heard and for this crime he was sentenced to 2 years
on the iron gang.
He soon escaped from
this servitude and in February 1843,
Quigley came to the attention of the entire district
when he performed a daring robbery, bailing up the
Singleton Mail and driver John Maher. John
Maher also arrived on the Calcutta in 1837.
The Maitland Mercury
reported the following incident in February of 1843. The writer
gently chastised the victims Messrs. Hentig and
Hungerford as well as John Maher for not preventing the departure of the
robber, however as Mr. Hentig had initially put up a
spirited resistance - and both men had been
deprived of their clothes, perhaps the criticism was
aimed at John Maher.
'On Wednesday the Singleton mail
which left Maitland at half past twelve o'clock, was stopped when it had got
about four miles from town near the accommodation paddocks, While passing the
fences of these paddocks a fellow jumped out of the scrub with a pistol in
each hand, which he presented at the coachman, ordering him to pull up or he
would blow his brains out. The robber had two more pistols stuck in the breast
of his waistcoat. The Coachman drew up and the bushranger ordered him to carry
the mail bags a short distance into the bush; when he got them there the
robber cut them open with his knife, opened all the letters, and took some cheques and orders out of some of them which he placed in his bosom. Whilst
thus engaged, a gentleman named Hentig came up on horse back, and the
robber stopped him also, ordering him to turn out his pockets, In doing this
Mr. Hentig turned out a pistol, and fired at the robber, but the shot took no
effect. The bushranger immediately returned the fire, and the horse upon which
Mr. Hentig was mounted started and threw him among some logs, where he
lay for some time apparently stunned by the fall; and whilst in this helpless
condition the bushranger stripped him of his clothes, taking from him a
shooting coat, two pair of 'trowsers', a rough coat, a black waistcoat, a
pistol, and 5 or 6 pounds in notes, and about 1 in silver, besides two or
three knives. The fellow then reloaded the pistol he had fired, as well as hat
which he had taken from Mr. Hentig, and threatened to shoot that gentleman but
the coachman begged of him not to do so. Whilst they were there Mr. Hungerford
came up and he was also stripped and robbed. The coachman was kept bailed up
for about half an hour and the robber then took to the bush. The coachman then
picked up the letters he had left and proceeded to Singleton. Almost
immediately after the robbery a mounted policeman and constable Kerr of the
Maitland police who were escorting three prisoners to Patrick's Plains were
met by Mr. Hungerford and Mr. Hentig, who informed them what had happened and
the mounted policeman galloped after the mail, but either from
misunderstanding the information or from a wrong description of the locality
he searched the bush at a different place from that where the robbery was
committed, and this search was consequently fruitless. In the mean time
constable Kerr arrived at the spot and found by the road side, a pair of
hobbles, a saddle cloth, a belt, a pea coat, a shirt and white jacket
which it appears the robber had not had time to remove. The fellow who
perpetrated this daring robbery is described as a stout well made man, about
six feet in height, very much freckled, and sandy hair; he had on a brown
jacket, which he left behind, and which the coachman carried away and it is
now in the hands of the police
It appears rather singular that
even though the fellow was so well armed three men should suffer him to depart
so quietly after having been robbed by him, as no attempt whatever seems to
have been made to prevent his departure.'
Perhaps
John Quigley let his guard down after this successful robbery. Possibly
he was tired and hungry; with wet weather setting in and the prospect of
living rough throughout the cold winter ahead he probably indulged in
comfort where he could. He probably had not reckoned on the perseverance
of Black Creek lock up keeper Henry Smith.
Henry
Smith was riding into Maitland when he observed from the
top of Harpur's Hill a loaded wagon stuck in the mud with
a native on top keeping lookout. On further investigation
many empty bottles were seen lying about as if a great
deal of drinking had been going on. He then observed a man
jump from under the wagon and take to the bush. He bravely
pursued the bushranger on foot with a loaded pistol in
each hand, however after injuring his ankle when his spurs
caught in a fence, his quarry escaped. He returned to the
wagon where he inveigled the bullock driver Bernard
McIntyre (who had also arrived on the Calcutta) to
produce the clothes and shoes of the escaping bushranger.
Constable Smith returned to Maitland to gather assistance
and upon returning to the site observed McIntyre
talking to Quigley. McIntyre, upon seeing the Constable
and probably hoping to escape conviction immediately
seized Quigley. Quigley was ordered to surrender and
knowing his time had come, threw down the pistols and
surrendered before being secured. His pistols were found
to be unloaded. Later he told the Court he had returned
and was having a pot of tea with McIntyre.
Quigley would
have been taken to the Maitland lockup to await his
hearing. A few days later he was brought before the Bench
and identified by John Maher as the robber of the
Singleton Mail. He was then remanded for further evidence.
When this was obtained he was fully committed to take his
trial for firing at Mr. Hentig with intent to murder, for
highway robbery and for having arms in his possession he
being illegally at large.
Soon
after he began the journey to
Newcastle gaol arriving in
that facility on the 11 March 1843.
By the
middle of April he had been sentenced to transportation to
'such penal settlement as his Excellency might think fit'.
He stood by his old friend when he told the Court that
McIntyre had taken the charge from this pistols and he
would not have been apprehended if not for McIntyre.
It was said that Constable Smith had sworn against
McIntyre as aiding and abetting Quigley so that he could
claim the reward for himself.
Quigley's testimony was to no avail. Bernard McIntyre was
sentenced to be worked in irons for the next two years.
( Bradish
and Branigan also arrived on the 'Calcutta' in 1837)
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