John Riley
John Riley was born (as best as I can make out) on-board the convict ship, the Kitty as it found its way to the fledgling Australian colony in 1792. Some accounts have him being born on arrival and some have him being born aboard the ship. What is for sure is that he was the free-born son of his mother Susannah Nairn/Nairne a convict who was bound for Australia.
Despite the fact that he was given the name Riley (which was his mother’s husbands name back in England). The time she had spent incarcerated and the time spent on the voyage out to the colonies meant he could not have been John Riley seniors biological child. Hence our John becomes a brickwall in our journey backwards for his paternal line.
John’s mother ‘Susannah Nairn’ would later re-marry this time to a fellow convict, Robert Wells in Parramatta, in New South Wales. John had at least one half sibling from his Wells step-father and mother. His sister was Esther Wells. John also had (I suspect) another half-brother left behind in England in Thomas Riley. This garnered by details given at Susannah Nairn’s trial.
Catherine Hines Lattimore
Baptism, 19 Mar 1792 • St. Philip’s, Birmingham, Warwickshire, England. A two hours walk further south east from West Bromwich into the centre of Birmingham (Warwickshire.)
Date of birth, depending on documents, ranges extensively. The dates between 1790 – 1792 being the more likely.
21 Dec 1807 married Thomas Lattimore. Her age supposed to be about 15. Family church of St Martin’s in Birmingham city. Catherine is also recorded with the spelling of Lattimore along with Latimore, Latimer and Lattimoore and at one stage even Lettermore so it gets a bit confusing..
1807 Catherine Hines & Phoebe Hines tried together for Larceny, Warwick discharged by proclamation.
Catherine was tried at the Warwick Assizes in 1808 for larceny. On that occasion she had been acquitted. At that time she was recorded as Cathe Latimoore and had been with a Sarah Hopkins who was also acquitted. England & Wales, Criminal Registers, 1791-1892
29th March 1813 Catherine was charged and found guilty of theft within a shop with her co-accused Sarah Jennings. This took the charge to Larceny. A more serious charge. England & Wales, Criminal Registers, 1791-1892. Catherine was sentenced to death which was commuted to transportation aboard the Wanstead to the colony of Australia for 14 years. (However on other muster records it says 7 years on others ‘life’.) Reported to use an alias surname of Hines.
12 April 1813. Aris’s Birmingham Gazette. Warwick Assizes (Lent). Catharine Lattimore and Elizabeth Jennings, for privately stealing in the shop of W. Avery severally received sentence Death, but were afterwards reprieved.
Catherine (and Elizabeth’s) sentences can be found in different records that followed transportation to Australia from 14 years to life. A commuted life sentence instead of death meant you could not return to England even if you had the means.
The Wanstead with 120 female convicts aboard set sail 24 Aug 1813 from Spithead, England. source wanstead_1813_ship
Following her arrival in Australia aboard the Wanstead, (9 January, 1814) at Port Jackson, Sydney Cove, Catherine was immediately assigned along with 68 other women to the Parramatta Convict Women’s Factory as a Mantua Maker (cloaks for ladies). Tasks included spinning and weaving. The superintendent was William Alcock. Being sent first to the female factory rather than into domestic service was usually because the woman may have been considered to have a difficult character or committed a bad crime worthy of additional punishment.
A mere year later she gained permission to marry John Riley (also found as Ryley) at Parramatta. They married on the 13th June 1814 at St John’s church in Parramatta, by banns. Their marriage was officiated by the colloquially known “flogging parson” Reverend Samuel Marsden. So named for his reputed predilection towards apportioning flogging as a punishment for criminal activity. Noted on the register against Catherine’s name is the comment Prisoner 22 Wanstead. Witnesses Richard Clarkson and Maria Haywood.
Maria Haywood the witness on the marriage record is actually Catherine’s sister who was also a convict Maria Hines.
12 Aug 1820, Sydney Gazette, His Excellency has also been pleased, at the recommendation of Hannibal McArthur, Esq. J. P. to appoint Benjamin Ratty to be Town Constable at Parramatta, in the Room of William Pritchard, resigned; and John Riley to be Constable at the said Place, in the Room of Edward Fuller, dismissed.By His Excellency’s Command,J. T. Campbell, Secretary.
One of John’s roles whilst he was employed as a constable included bringing up prisoners (convicts still serving their terms) from Parramatta to Windsor in carts and conveying them to their places of allocation and work. 23 June 1821, The Sydney Gazette. John Riley, for conveying Prisoners and Baggage to Windsor | | and Liverpool | 1 | 10 | 0 |
By March 1822 the Riley’s had moved a little up the social scale in the colony when John was appointed to the position of Constable in the District of Prospect, NSW.
12 Jul, 1822 Sydney Gazette. IMPOUNDED at Prospect, a Bay Horse COLT, about 12 months old, with W. S. on the off side of the neck. The Owner may have the same by apply-ing to John Riley, District Constable, at Parramatta.
23 Oct 1823, Sydney Gazette. IMPOUNDED, at Prospect, a Black MARE, with long tail, heavy in foal, near fore hoof split, and a white saddle mark on the off side. The Owner may have the said Mare by applying to John Riley, Poundkeeper,and paying Expenses.
12 Aug 1824, The Sydney Gazette. IMPOUNDED, at Prospect, a Red Brindle COW, with a Brown and White BULL CALF,about a month old, not branded. Whoever has lost the same, may have them by applying to John Riley, Poundkeeper, and paving all Expences.
On the 1825 convict muster Catherine is recorded as the wife of John Riley.
22 Feb 1826, The Sydney Gazette. IMPOUNDED, at Prospect, a Red and White COW, branded with a single H, and having the near horn broken. By applying to the undersigned, and paying the usual Expences, they will be released. JOHN RILEY, District Constable.
8 Mar 1826, The Sydney Gazette. IMPOUNDED at Prospect, a BAY HORSE, about 2 years old, with a long tail, and a white blaze on his forehead, with no brand.-The Owner, on applying to the undersigned and paying the necessary Expenses, will have the said Horse released. JOHN RILEY, District Constable,
Whilst there were some advantage to this ‘government’ role, constable’s were not as a rule well liked by convicts, ex-convicts or settlers in the colony.
19 Jul 1826. The Sydney Gazette. John More, servant to W. Lawson, Esq. was brought up for re-examination, in the case of alleged robbery on the person of James Carr. John Riley, constable, was also charged as an accessory. A variety of evidences were examined, pro and con, in this case, which were of so contradictory a nature on the part of the accuser, that the Bench finally determined to submit the case for the opinion of the Attorney General. James Corr, Jane Beams, and Maria Corr, free, appeared to answer a complaint of Catherine, wife of John Riley, for an assault and rescue. This complaint was preferred before the Bench prior to the above allegation. The rescue being distinctly proved against Jane Beams and Maria Corr, they were accordingly committed to take their trial. James Corr was discharged.
5 Aug, 1826. The Sydney Gazette. John Riley, district constable, and John Moore, a government servant to W. Lawson, Esq., were some time ago brought forward, on a charge of robbing James Core, of 25ℓ. The case was submitted to the Attorney-General,when an order came, that Riley and Moore should be fully committed to take their trial.
On the 11th August 1826, John was accused in the ‘Up Country Police’ reportings in The Monitor, of robbing and allegations of extortion of settlers in the district and abusing his role as a district constable. John and Catherine both appeared in court alongside a John More. The two John’s had been accused of theft against one James Carr. John Riley was recorded as an accessory. However, it appears this was no simple accusation. James Carr, Maria Carr and a Jane Beams were accused by Catherine of assault and rescue. (Not sure what this meant). There was so much information given in the case both pro and con for each side that the case was referred to the Attorney General.
12 Sept 1827. The Sydney Gazette. IMPOUNDED at Prospect, a Strawberry Poled COW, Blundell A. H. Also, a Red and White Brindle BULL CALF, and a BULL CALF not marked. JOHN RILEY, Poundkeeper.
29 Mar 1828, The Sydney Gazette. IMPOUNDED in the District of Prospect, Four Pigs,. 3 black and white spotted, and one white one; 2 Barrows, and 2 Sows. If not claimed within 21 Days from this date, they will be sold to defray expenses. JOHN RILEY, Poundkeeper.
John and Catherine were recorded in the 1828 census as still living in Prospect. By this time, John and Catherine had three children. John aged 6, Diana aged 4 (my 3rd ggm who would go onto marry William London) and Susannah aged 2. They gave their religion as Protestant. During this time John was working as a Police Constable and pound-keeper in Parramatta. However the case with the Carr’s turned out? John was still a constable in 1837 and appears in print at different quarter-sessions (court hearings) in a witness/prosecuting role for different cases.
5 Aug 1830, The Sydney Gazette. IMPOUNDED, at Prospect, on the 7th July, 1 red Cow, with a white hind foot and part of her tail white, branded on the near side J B (and having W W underneath the J B). Also, on the 18th July, a dark brown Mare, with a small white star on the forehead; has been branded on the near side under the saddle, but not legible ; has a bay Colt with her about 7 or 8 months old. If not claimed in 21 days from this date, they will be sold at the Market-place, Parramatta, to defray expenses. JOHN RILEY, Poundkeeper. Prospect, August 2, 1830.
11 Jul 1832. The Sydney Gazette John resigned his role and relocated his family to the Upper Colo where he bought 60 acres of land on the Comleroy Road near Slopes Road in the Kurrajong. The Kurrajong being not far from the township of Richmond in the Hawkesbury district of New South Wales. The property had been apparently known as “The Garden of Commons” for which I have not so far been able to find any references.
1834 saw John and Catherine being approved for their land application in the Hawkesbury. New South Wales Government Gazette. No. 454. By John Ezzy, farmer, North Richmond, to 36, acres of land, promised to Philip Tully, described as follows : situated Curryjong, in the county of Cook, bounded north, by Lamb’s farm, south by Riley’s, east by Cross, west by government land. No. 455. By John Ezzy, farmer, North Richmond, ‘to 30 acres of Land, promised to John Riley, described as Follows-: situate at Curryjong, in the county of Cook., bounded on the north by Tully’s farm, south and west by government land and east by Lamb’s farm.
During their married lives they added to their family Elisabeth Riley, Edward Riley and Martha Riley. John died on the 23rd January 1854. According to his grave headstone he was aged 61 and is buried at St. Peter’s Cemetery in Richmond.
After his father’s death in 1854, John and Catherine’s son, John (Jnr) Riley who was listed as his next of kin applied for letters of administration to the estate. John Riley Jnr, sold thirty acres of the existing farm to his brother-in-law Albert London for fifteen pounds. This land was on the lower half of the property and suited Albert in his farming endeavours. Immediately following his fathers demise John Riley Jnr had published a warning in the papers warning against purchasing any sheep, horses, property or personal items etc. from his parent’s property. I suspect he was ‘insuring’ against anything going missing from the farm prior to him completing his sales and closure of his father’s affairs.
What is very interesting however is that Catherine herself also put an advertisement in the papers and it stated: 25 May 1854, Sydney Morning Herald,
CAUTION.-In the Estate of John Riley, late of Kurryjong, in the Colony of New South Wales, farmer, deceased. All persons are cautioned not to purchase from my sons John Riley and Edward Riley, or either of them, or any person whomsoever, without my written consent and authority, any of the cattle belonging to this estate, branded OR on the hip, running at Big River or at Yango, as I claim the same as my property. Dated this 22nd day of May, A.D. 1854. her CATHERINE X RILEY, mark.
So was there a breach in the family over the property, or were they just being particularly cautious? The remaining property which fronted the Comleroy Road stayed with John Riley Jnr. This land would later be used for a brick-works by another family member, Albert London’s grandson, Henry Bottle. The brick-works with bricks stamped HB were reputed to be frequently used in the area for building works. How marvellous it would be for the Bottle family to still have some of those bricks for posterity! I thoroughly recommend a read of the article A Link to Some Early Settlers of Comleroy Road and to Brickmaking in The Slopes Area by Valerie Holland.
Catherine died in North Richmond on the 18th June 1868 and is also buried in the same graveyard as her husband but as I understand it not the same grave.
There is a most remarkable publication (available free online) at Women Transported, Life in Australia’s Female Convict Factories put together by the Parramatta Heritage Centre and University of Western Sydney, Catherine (Lattimore) is listed as one of the women in these factories. A fabulous read.
As a bit of a twist, Catherine’s mother-in-law, Susannah Nairn would marry a man called Robert Wells. After Susannah’s death, Robert Wells quickly re-married another convict, Sarah Longhurst. Sarah had been on the Wanstead with Catherine.
CLICK HERE to read about Catherine’s four other sisters who came as convicts HINES FAMILY
Yews to Eucalypts 
