My 3x great grandpa William Cosgrove is one of those people that you have some info on him from a certain date, but nothing beforehand, so he’s always been a mystery. I know he married in South Australia, had kids there and died there … but before that, nothing!!

However it was relatively recently that a cousin (thanks Judy), mentioned that she believed he was a convict.. So hence the research to prove or disprove this theory. I only have one direct convict on my line so far, so am eager to see if I  have two (and it would be the first on my paternal line).

Let me start off by saying that there are several William Cosgrove’s who were convicts. The three I found were:
– William Cosgrove, transported on the ‘Mariner’ 1827
– William Cosgrove, transported on the ‘Royal Admiral’ 1830
– William Cosgrove, transported on the ‘Mangles’ 1840

What I know of ‘my’ William Cosgrove, age, occupation, and residence matches pretty closely with references to the 16 year old William  Cosgrove, who was transported to New South Wales on the Royal Admiral in 1830.

As I don’t have a nice big long biography of William, or even an obituary giving all the amazing details throughout his life … it’s up to me to piece his life together from what I can find.

As a means to track it all, I have created a timeline and while I still have some gaps to fill, between the convict records, newspapers and gazettes it’s created a reasonable timeline already.

It is a work in progress, and there’s still much research to be done, and at this stage I don’t feel that I can yet say 100% for sure that William Cosgrove, convict is one of ‘my’ convicts. But at this stage I would call it “quite plausible”. Time will tell, and I’m still crossing my fingers.

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Timeline for William Cosgrove

• born 1814 – native place London on Certificate of Freedom
• born 1815 – native place London passenger list Royal Admiral
• 27 May 1830 – (aged 16) convicted at Old Bailey, London for stealing a plane, sentenced to 7 years transportation
• 18 Jun 1830 – transported to the prison hulk ‘Leviathan’ at Portsmouth
• 1 Jul 1830 – transported to New South Wales on ‘Royal Admiral’  .. age 16, Educ R, Relig P, Sing, native London, Plaisterer 3/2 yrs, stealing plane, where & when tried: Newgate, 29 May 1830, 7 yrs, height 5’1 ½”, ruddy, hair brown, eyes light hazel, Dept of Public Works, tattoos
• 8 Nov 1830 – Arrived New South Wales
• between 1 Jan and 31 Mar 1832 – Cosgrove William, plasterer and labourer assigned to Joseph Morley, Sydney
• 7 Apr 1834 – Cosgrove William, 20 absconded … plasterer, 5 feet 12, ruddy comp. brown hair, light hazel eyes, W outside right arm, cupid, woman, BD and sun on left, WC, heart, and wreath on upper right arm, from Joseph Morley, Sydney
• 16 Apr 1834 – (in the week before) RUNAWAYS APPREHENDED,  … from Jos. Morley
• 19 Feb 1837 – (before this date) William Cosgrove 23, absconded (again) …London, plasterer, 5 feet 02 inch, ruddy comp , brown hair, light hazel eyes, outside of right arm, cupid woman B D and sun on left, W C heart and wreath upper right arm. from Joseph Morley
• 3 Aug 1837 – William Cosgrove – obtained Certificate of Freedom (SRNSW) … native place London, occupation Plasterer, year of birth 1814, height 5’4 ½”, ruddy, hair brown, eyes grey, & a bunch of tattoos
• 6 Apr 1842 – Newspaper report of a William Cosgrove employed by a plasterer – Sydney. Fined for smashing windows!
• June 1847 – unclaimed letter for William Cosgrove, plasterer (maybe at Parramatta)
• Oct 1847 – unclaimed letter for William Cosgrove, at Cassis (between Newcastle & Dubbo
  (no identifier like “plasterer” this time – so may not be the same William Cosgrove)
• 14 Dec 1853 – William Cosgrove plasterer, witness in a court case – reported in a Goulburn paper
• 10 Feb 1856 – married Anne McGrath Adelaide
• 1857-1872 had 7 children with Anne/Hannah McGrath in South Australia. First child Den(n)is, was a plasterer
• 27 Oct 1873 – a William Cosgrove, Plasterer of New Glenelg died of pneumonia, signature on death certificate is John Cosgrove, or New Glenelg (maybe a brother, or son who would have been 16). Age given as 57, suggesting a birth year 1815/16 – a 1 or 2 yr discrepancy from what is derived from trial/gazette records (this is not uncommon)

So there’s more work to do, but that’s what research is all about. Finding the pieces, and putting them together.

Today, March the 8th, is International Women’s Day. It is a day to celebrate and honour women both past and present. For my contribution to International Women’s Day, I want to share with you some photos the women who have helped make me, me!

Obviously throughout everyone’s life there are many, many people who influence us. For this post I’m am sticking to the ancestral lines. Concentrating on those whose genes I have inherited at least some of. The ones who taught me things when you were young, and who embedded their values and ideals into me, and no doubt some of whose trait I have picked up.

HERE’S ME …

this is me at age 4

MY MUM …

Anthea Hannaford (age about 3). Married Alan Phillips.

MY 2 GRANDMA’S …

Valda Winter age c.19 (1916-living).
Married Horace ‘Ron’ Phillips.

Evelyn Randell (1916-2006) age 5, with ‘Pete’, one of her bothers.
She married Cecil Hannaford.

MY 4 GREAT GRANDMA’S …

Winifred Lena Cosgrove (1892-1976).
Married Horace Norman Phillips.

Irene Daley (1894-1954).
Married Otto Rafael Winter.

Dorothy McCullough (1889-1987).
Married Ralph Hannaford.

Ella Sinkinson (1876-1943). The lady in the bottom corner is her oldest daughter, Anne.
Married John Beavis “J.B.” Randell.

MY 8 GREAT GREAT GRANDMA’S … 
Although I do have photos for 6 of my 8 great great grandma’s I have opted to simply list them, to save this becoming so ridiculously long.

Kezia Howard (Cecelia) ‘Sis’ BEECKEN (1867-1939)
m. Samuel Thomas PHILLIPS

Mary Ellen LUCAS (c.1856-1944)
m. Denis John COSGROVE

Hedvik (Karolina) VINBLAD (1856-1934)
m. Otto Edvard WINTER

Margaret Florence HAYHURST (1855-1935)
m. John DALEY

Martha Rosa KELLY (1864-1901)
m. William John HANNAFORD

Eva RICHARDSON (1860-1925)
m. Robert McCULLOUGH

Phebe ROBBINS (1838-1932)
m. William Beavis RANDELL

Lydia Amelia BAYS
m. Ebenezer SINKINSON

In case you were wondering who was who in the top picture …
Top row L-R: Phebe Robbins, Alona Phillips, Dorothy McCullough, Evelyn Randell, Martha Rosa Kelly, Evelyn Randell & Cec Hannaford’s wedding.
Bottom row L-R: Valda Winter, Winifred Lena Cosgrove, Anthea Phillips (nee Hannaford), Valda Winter’s wedding, Irene Daley.

Every one of these women (and their husbands too), played a part in making me who I am. Some were emigrants, some were pioneering women, many were hardworking country folk. And I’m sure some of their traits have come through the generations.

www.internationalwomensday.com

#MakeItHappen

#IWD2015