Thanks Lesley, nice to have another brain on it, I've sent her AOT record off list, but she was sent to VDL for stealing (again). It seems to be fairly clear on who she is from Sydney. I haven't however found an indent with the same info on it, only a few lines listing her arrival and original sentence and "how disposed of". Is there another record I should be looking for? I doubt she returned to NSW. In 1842 she put her daughter in the orphanage. In 1845 she picked her up again. In 1846 she married a free convict. (Saying she was 34 so b.1812) In 1847 she has a daughter Mary (in Tas) In 1890 she dies, supposedly aged 92 but neoither daughter nor husband is alive at the time so don't know who gave that info. thoroughly confused, Minuet At 03:01 PM 24/01/2009, you wrote: >Hi again > >Just thinking this one through. > >Perhaps she was charged with bigamy ?? and sent to VDL. > >Have you checked her records at the AOT? Did she receive a pardon of any >description a couple of years after being transported there? and then perhaps >returned to NSW. > >The only problems with that are: > >1. She stated she was free by servitude in 1844.... perhaps she may have >conveniently forgotten her few years in Tassie. > >2. There is nothing noted on the Indent about a colonial crime > > >regards > > Lesley Uebel >

Hi Minuet, Well we certainly appear to have more than one person involved here. The Permissions to Marry show that (I checked the originals last night to ensure that I had transcribed them correctly - and I had). All the records state that this person or persons arrived on the Asia in 1830. Margaret Kenny (age shown as 29 & 30) and John Berwick applied twice to marry in 1836 at Maitland and this was approved, but no marriage resulted. They applied through the Rev Rusden (C of E) Maitland. Margaret Kenny (31yo) applied to marry Thomas Leathead (various spellings) in 1838 at Patrick Plains. Applied through Rev Hetherington (Presbyterian). A marriage did result. Margaret is shown as being Free and that is not correct as she received her CoF in October 1839. Margaret Kenny (34yo) applied to marry Thomas Briggs in 1840. Applied through Rev Hetherington (Presbyterian) at Patrick Plains. Both are shown as Free and this is odd because by 1840 both would have been free by servitude so no need for permission. A marriage resulted Margaret Kenny (38). Thomas Collins per Mariner applied to marry her in 1844 at West Maitland. He applied through the Rev. John Lynch (RC).A marriage resulted. The Indent for the Asia (1830) notes only her Ticket of Leave No. 33/792 and her Certificate of Freedom 39/1784 and it appears as though she did no wrong. If you check Mary Kennedy on that same Indent you will see that she received 3 months in the Female Factory from December 1836, 2 years in the 3rd Class of the factory etc etc You would think that the Rev Hetherington OR the clerk who checked the records prior to giving permission would have initially rejected the marriage to Thomas Briggs until proof of the death of Thomas Leathead was produced....... unless, of course, if they are in fact 2 different people. It appears to me so far that there could be two or three who used the name Margaret Kenny You said that one of the children between Thomas Briggs and Margaret Kenny was born about 1843 but if Margaret was already serving a colonial sentence in VDL then perhaps this is another family altogether. >From what you sent me privately I cannot see a connection between Margaret Kenny and Thomas Briggs. Do any of the records you have show that this convict actually married him? As you say it is odd that she took one child, Catherine, (and, for whom you cannot find a record) to VDL with her and not one of the other much younger children. Why have all of the other children baptised and not Catherine..... and as you say, why then a catholic baptism when both parties are protestants! Have you obtained her Ticket of Leave and her Certificate of Freedom at all? There was another convict on that transport who we should look at: Bridget McCanna (McCunna), RC and about 29 years of age on arrival. She received her Certificate of Freedom in 1840. No TOL recorded on the Indent. She was given permission to marry in 1831 in Hawkesbury but I can find no record of this marriage in the BDMs. Whenever I see the name Bridget on convict records I have found that you can sometimes substitute it for many other Christian names - although many convicts changed their names it was more common with the Irish to do so. Regards Lesley Uebel mailto:ckennedy@bigpond.net.au CLAIM A CONVICT http://users.bigpond.net.au/convicts/index.html -----Original Message----- From: aus-pt-jackson-convicts-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:aus-pt-jackson-convicts-bounces@rootsweb.com]On Behalf Of Minuet Sent: Saturday, January 24, 2009 9:03 PM To: aus-pt-jackson-convicts@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [PJ] KENNY, BRIGGS & help pls Thanks Lesley, nice to have another brain on it, I've sent her AOT record off list, but she was sent to VDL for stealing (again). It seems to be fairly clear on who she is from Sydney. I haven't however found an indent with the same info on it, only a few lines listing her arrival and original sentence and "how disposed of". Is there another record I should be looking for? I doubt she returned to NSW. In 1842 she put her daughter in the orphanage. In 1845 she picked her up again. In 1846 she married a free convict. (Saying she was 34 so b.1812) In 1847 she has a daughter Mary (in Tas) In 1890 she dies, supposedly aged 92 but neoither daughter nor husband is alive at the time so don't know who gave that info. thoroughly confused, Minuet

Hi Lesley, >Margaret Kenny (age shown as 29 & 30) and John Berwick applied twice >to marry in >1836 at Maitland and this was approved, but no marriage resulted. They applied >through the Rev Rusden (C of E) Maitland. I had found 2 banns published and one application. These ages show Marg being born in 1806 as when she arrives at 24 in 1830. >Margaret Kenny (31yo) applied to marry Thomas Leathead (various spellings) in >1838 at Patrick Plains. Applied through Rev Hetherington (Presbyterian). A >marriage did result. Margaret is shown as being Free and that is not >correct as >she received her CoF in October 1839. Was this normal? If she was sentenced to 7 years in 1829 and didn't have any offences against her....? Again, 1806 birth fits. >Margaret Kenny (34yo) applied to marry Thomas Briggs in 1840. Applied through >Rev Hetherington (Presbyterian) at Patrick Plains. Both are shown as Free and >this is odd because by 1840 both would have been free by servitude so no need >for permission. A marriage resulted Perhaps they didn't know they didn't have to apply? Once more, exactly the same age as the original Margaret. And again in 1844 when she applies to marry COLLINS. However in VDL she is only 34 (b.1812?) when she marries William Leman (44) in 1846 instead of being 40. She has a daughter Mary in 1846 and dies in 1890 supposedly aged 92 (b.1798) >The Indent for the Asia (1830) notes only her Ticket of Leave No. 33/792 and >her Certificate of Freedom 39/1784 I've ordered the ToL through SAG The Cert of freedom must be got through NSW gov correct? >You would think that the Rev Hetherington OR the clerk who checked the records >prior to giving permission would have initially rejected the >marriage to Thomas >Briggs until proof of the death of Thomas Leathead was produced....... unless, >of course, if they are in fact 2 different people. It appears to me >so far that >there could be two or three who used the name Margaret Kenny I also thought that since Hetherington married her to Leathead and to Briggs he could well have known Leathead was dead even though the record hasn't survived? He also christens Leathead's daughter (and possibly only child) two days before the marriage to Briggs? Wait. Having just looked even closer I realise that I have Singleton Presbyterian Baptism (Index online, no idea where or what the originals are)- Elizabeth Leithead born 10-Sep-1839 Bapt 9-Feb-1841 Whittingham Prebyterian Baptism register (transcription from early church records) Elizabeth Leithead born 10-Jul-1839 Bapt 7-Feb-1841 Whittingham Prebyterian Marriage register (transcription from early church records) Thomas Briggs m Margaret Kenny (widow) 9-Feb-1841 The 7th was a Sunday, the 9th a Tuesday. I'm more inclined to think the differences are transcription errors and all the events were on the same day. My question is - why is she Kenny in the marriage? She is referred to as Margaret Leithead in the christening. Is it just a coincidence that someone with the same name as her got married the same day she christened her 18 month old? > >From what you sent me privately I cannot see a connection between > Margaret Kenny >and Thomas Briggs. Do any of the records you have show that this convict >actually married him? The only thing I know for sure is that Margaret had a daughter Catherine with her in Tas and she married William Leman in Tas. The connection with everyone else is because they are all claiming to be Margaret Kenny of the Asia. There are a few NSW Gazette reports of her in NSW, and of a Margaret M'kenna. Her daughter Catherine refers to herself as McKenna when she marries at 16. No RC ceremonies at all in the family in VDL.