19 Crimes. You’ve heard of the wine. Seen it in the bottle shops, and possibly even enjoyed a bottle (or two). And maybe even read my earlier blog posts about them.

So what is it you like about the 19 Crimes wine that you like?

Is it the corks (or lids for the bottles that are available in Australia), each which lists a transportable crime? Is it the wine itself? Or is it the convicts?

For me it was the convicts. But hey, I’m a genealogist, with a love of history and convicts, so OF COURSE I was going to love these!!

But, do you know the stories of those that feature on the 19 Crimes wine labels? No? They were real people, each who had their lives changed by being transported to Australia for their crime. So let me tell you a little of their stories.

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Hugh Brophy (1829-1919) (Cabernet Sauvignon)
Crime: treason and felony
Sentence: 10 years
Ship & Departure date: 10 October 1867, Hougoumont
Sent to: Fremantle Prison, Fremantle, Western Australia

Hugh Brophy was a leading Fenian and staunch supporter of Irish independence. He was convicted for his part in a plot to overthrow the perceived tyranny of the British and was sentenced to penal servitude, however this changed to transportation for life to Australia.

Despite many of the Fenians having received long sentences in exile, there was a huge outcry in England, Ireland, and also in Western Australia about imprisoning and transporting them. So much so, that Queen Victoria decreed some of the Fenians should be pardoned. Instructions dated 26th March 1869 were sent from England, and granted 34 civilian Fenians the benefit of the royal clemency “without delay”. “They were assembled as soon as possible at Guildford where on 15 May 1869, they received their free pardons”. Hugh Brophy was one of them.

Hugh then went into partnership with fellow convict Joseph Noonan, establishing a highly successful bridge building and construction company. They won a number of contracts from the Catholic Church, the government, and private enterprise, and hired ticket-of-leave men to do stone cutting, carpentry and labouring.  Eventually, Brophy left the partnership and went to Melbourne in 1872. Brophy died on 11th June 1919, and is buried at Melbourne General Cemetery.

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Jane Castings (c1813-1895) (Hard Chard)
Crime: Knowingly receiving stolen goods
Sentence: 7 years
Ship & Departure date: 8 May 1846, Sea Queen
Sent to: Cascade Female Factory, Hobart, Van Diemen’s Land

Born in Leicester as Jane Pratt, Jane married Henry Castings, had 4 young children, and was employed as a housemaid, when in 1846 she was sentenced to 7 years transportation for “receiving cheese and bacon knowing the same to have been stolen”. Jane had long been ‘suspected’ as being a fagin, meaning she trained and paid a group of teenage boys to steal the goods that she requested, but worse was that she was the cause of six young boys being transported ‘beyond the seas’. You can read plenty more about Jane Castings here.

Jane served her 7 years, was granted her Certificate-of-Freedom, and in 1853 she married ex-convict David Hayes in Hobart and had several children. Jane is buried in the Swansea Cemetery, Tasmania.

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Michael Harrington (1825-1886) (Cabernet Sauvignon)
Crime: Irish rebel (Mutinous conduct and Desertion)
Sentence: Life (escaped)
Ship & Departure date: 10 October 1867, Hougoumont
Sent to: Fremantle Prison, Fremantle, Western Australia

Best known for orchestrating one of the most daring escapes from Australia. In 1876, Harrington, along with six others, braved a massive typhoon in just a tiny rowboat to board an American whaling ship in what is now remembered as the Catalpa Rescue. There’s a great article about this on the Smithsonian magazine site.

From the New York Times dated 14 February 1886, we learn that “Michael Harrington, the eldest of the six Fenian prisoners who were rescued from New South Wales by the American whaler Catalpa in 1876, died on Friday night of pneumonia at the residence of his brother-in-law, Edward Whelan, No. 111 East One Hundred and Eighth-street.”

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Cornelius Dwyer Kane (1839-1891) (Red Wine, The Uprising)
Crime: Treason
Sentence: 10 years
Ship & Departure date: 10 October 1867, Hougoumont
Sent to: Fremantle Prison, Fremantle, Western Australia

Cornelius Dwyer Kane (aka Keane), a law clerk from Skibbereen, County Cork, Ireland was convicted for treason and transported on the Hougoumont. Conditionally pardoned in 1871, he was forbidden from returning to Ireland, So he never reunited with his wife and children there.

He did however, settle in Queensland and became a civil servant.

Cornelius died in October 1891 and is said to be buried somewhere in an unmarked grave on the goldfields in north Queensland.

The Uprising label is said to be a tribute to the Rum Rebellion that took place in New South Wales in 1808.

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James Keiley (c1840-……. ) (Shiraz)
Crime: Treason, not informing of a mutiny
Sentence: Life
Ship & Departure date: 10 October 1867, Hougoumont
Sent to: Fremantle Prison, Fremantle, Western Australia

Born James Michael Keiley in Colligan, County Waterford, James was a member of the 53rd Regiment and stationed in Tipperary, Ireland. At the time soldiers were employed to evict the poor peasants, which no one could help but sympathise with. And as such, Fenian uprisings were happening all over Ireland.

Married with two young children, James was convicted of High Treason for creating skeleton keys to get into the armory, and taking 2000 rifles which he distributed to fellow members. However he and a number of others were caught before the riots there took place, and he was sentenced to transportation “for life”.

James also played a part in the “Catalpa  Rescue”, which obviously didn’t go to plan, as he was left behind.

In 1905, after having served 38 years, James was granted a pardon by the King. There’s a great article on Trove about this here. Note: James’ surname is sometimes spelled Keily, Keilly, Kiely or Kieley.

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John Boyle O’Reilly (1844-1890) (Red Blend)
Crime: Irish rebel
Sentence: Sentenced to death, was later transported for 20 years instead (escaped after 2 years)
Ship & Departure date: 10 October 1867, Hougoumont
Sent to: Fremantle Prison, Fremantle, Western Australia

While in his teens, John O’Reilly lived with his aunt and uncle in Lancashire, and took up work on local newspaper the Preston Guardian, and in June 1861, he enrolled in the 11th Lancashire Rifle Volunteers, with which he received some military training.

On returning to Ireland in March, 1863, he enlisted with the 10th Hussars in Dublin. While O’Reilly was in the army he began to witness the treatment and oppression of his fellow citizens in Ireland, these events influenced his opinion on the army and he was determined to take action.

As a youth in Ireland, he was a member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood, or Fenians, for which he was transported to Western Australia.

Not wanting to face a lifetime in chains, in February 1869, O’Reilly absconded from his work party and met up with James Maguire, a local settler and together they rowed out into the Indian Ocean.

It took until the end of 1869 to make it to the United States, but once there he became a prominent spokesperson for the Irish community and culture, through his editorship of the Boston newspaper The Pilot, his prolific writing, and his lecture tours.

On 15 August 1872 John O’Reilly married Mary Murphy (1850-1897), a journalist who wrote for the ‘Young Crusader’ under the name of Agnes Smiley, and they had four daughters.

For more on John O’Reilly click here and here.

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James Wilson (1836-1921) (Dark Red, The Banished)
Crime: Irish rebel
Sentence: Sentenced to death, was later transported for Life instead (escaped)
Ship & Departure date: 10 October 1867, Hougoumont
Sent to: Fremantle Prison, Fremantle, Western Australia

Born James McNally in Newry, County Down, Ireland in 1836, he joined the British Army at the age of 17 (enlisting under a false name), before returning to Ireland where he became a Fenian in 1864 as he was disenchanted with the army and their treatment of people.

On 10 February 1866, he was arrested and along with other military Fenians was tried, found guilty of desertion and mutinous conduct, and sentenced to death. However, this sentence was later commuted to penal servitude for life, and they were transported to Western Australia. In October 1867, Wilson and sixty one other Fenians began the long sea voyage on board the Hougoumont to Australia.

In 1876, the American ship “Catalpa” sailed to Western Australia and rescued Wilson and five other Fenian prisoners, and over a period of 4 months, made it’s way to New York.

Wilson settled in Rhode Island, where he married and lived out the rest of his life. He died on 6 November 1921, and his remains are buried in the cemetery at St Mary’s Church in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. For more on James Wilson, click here.

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So as you can see, they all have a story. They all had a life that was radically changed by being transported. And they are all part of Australia’s history, and I’m pleased that the are being remembered.

And just one last note, please be aware that this list is a work-in-progress. I know that more bottles have already been released, and I’m still working on identifying those, and will add them when I have. And as new bottles in the range are released, I’ll get those added to the list as well. Also if you have 19 Crimes bottles other than those listed above, please send me a photograph. I’m aware that different bottles are being released in different countries, so tracking them all is interesting, but I’ll keep trying.

Following on from my earlier post about convict wine, now we’re on to Part 2. And we have more history, more wine, and more convicts with “19 Crimes“.

This wine is what got me started me on the whole “convict wine” thing. And you know what … it was actually a Canadian friend who introduced me to it. Thankyou Ellen. I’ll admit I’m not a wine fanatic, but I am a history and family history buff … so anything with a convict on it is going to get my attention. So I’ve researching this wine to suss out the stories behind it all.

So it’s made in my home state of South Australia as a brand for Treasury Wine Estates, and 19 Crimes is sold locally in Australia, and overseas as well. And it was first made in 2012, so how did I not know about this until now?

So what’s so cool about 19 Crimes wine? 

The Corks = The Crimes
Did you know that there were 19 reasons for transportation? No, nor did I. And each of these reasons is written on a cork. So if you’re a collector like me you wan to get the whole set. But it can be a challenge as they are added randomly you never know what you’ll get. So if you buy 2 bottles of the same wine you may get different corks, or you may get the same … you’ll never know until you open it. As a collector I’ve found it fun collecting the whole set, although I did have to bend the rules a little, since the Australian version of the wine doesn’t come with corks, but rather screwtops … so I headed to ebay, and little-by-little got the whole 19.

As a historian, it’s interesting to see this list which was proclaimed on 1st May, 1787.

The following is the list of crimes that was punishable by transportation to Australia

a copy of the official proclamation, dated 1 May 1787

1. All theft above the value of one shilling
2. Theft under the value one shilling
3. Receiving stolen goods, jewels or plate
4. Stealing lead, iron or copper
5. Stealing ore from black lead mines**
6. Stealing from furnished lodgings
7. Setting fire to underwood
8. Stealing letters
9. Assault with intent to rob
10. Stealing fish from a pond or river
11. Stealing roots, trees or plants
12. Bigamy
13. Assaulting, cutting or burning clothes
14. Counterfeiting the copper coin
15. Clandestine marriage
16. Stealing a shroud from a grave
17. Watermen carrying too many passengers on the Thames, if any drowned
18. Incorrigible rogues who broke out of prison and persons reprieved from capital punishment
19. Embeuling naval stores

**Note: the 19 Crimes version of Number 5 says Impersonating an Egyptian. I’m not sure where they got that from, but it’s an odd one.

my full set of 19 Crimes corks

the full range of 19 Crimes wine

The Labels = The Criminals
Secondly the labels. There’s currently 3 convict pictures on the Australian version of the 19 Crimes wine, with 7 different ones for the overseas market (6 with convict pictures on them). However I have just had notification from the manufacturers that they are currently in the process of changing the Australian bottles to match the US ones – and will be releasing them over the course of the next year.

Treasury Wine Estates writes ..

“The men featured on our wine labels are not those of fiction. They were flesh and blood. Criminals, artists and scholars. In history, they share a bond – receiving “punishment by transportation” for violation of one of 19 crimes and becoming the first settlers of a new nation.”

So the convicts that appear on the overseas bottles (and soon to be released updated Australian bottles) of 19 Crimes are:

John Boyle O’Reilly (Red Blend)
As a youth in Ireland, John Boyle O’Reilly was a member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood, or Fenians, for which he was transported to Western Australia. After escaping to the United States, he became a prominent spokesperson for the Irish community and culture, through his editorship of the Boston newspaper The Pilot, his prolific writing, and his lecture tours.

Michael Harrington (Cabernet Sauvignon)
Convicted for his part in the well documented escape (the Catalpa Rescue) of the Militant Fenian band of convicts from Fremantle Prison, Western Australia. There’s a great article about this on the Smithsonian magazine site.

Jane Castings (Hard Chard)
Married with 4 young children, and employed as a housemaid, in 1846 Jane was sentenced to 7 years transportation for “receiving cheese and bacon knowing the same to have been stolen”.

James Wilson (The Banished)
Born James McNally in Newry, County Down, Ireland in 1836, he joined the British Army at the age of 17 (enlisting under a false name), before returning to Ireland where he became a Fenian in 1864. On 10 February 1866, he was arrested by the police who discovered him hiding in a safe house in Dublin. Wilson, along with other military Fenians were tried, found guilty of desertion and mutinous conduct, and sentenced to death. However, this sentence was later commuted to penal servitude for life, and they were transported to Western Australia. In October 1867, Wilson and sixty one other Fenians began the long sea voyage on board the Hougoumont to Australia.

Cornelius Dwyer Kane (The Uprising)
Cornelius Dwyer Kane (aka Keane) (1839-1891) had been a law clerk and cener from Skibbereen, County Cork, Ireland.  Transported abroad the Hougoumont he was conditially pardoned in 1871, but was forbidden from returning to Ireland, So he never reunited with his wife and children there. He did however, settle in Queensland and became a civil servant.

James Kiely (Shiraz)
James also played a part in the “Catalpa  Rescue”, which obviously didn’t go to plan. He was convicted, sent to Western Australia “for life” imprisonment, however he was granted a pardon by the King in 1905. There’s a great article on Trove about this here.

t the three 19 Crimes Australian bottles currently available

I don’t have official confirmation from Treasury Wine Estates of the names of the three convicts on the current Australian bottles. But going by the pictures I would say that Henry Singleton (alias Richard Pinches) is one of them (the one on the right in the above photo). He was transported per the ‘Lady Kennaway’. You can read more about him here.

So next time you’re out at your local bottle shop and you see 19 Crimes wine on the shelf, it’s more than just a great look and brand name, there really is a story behind each convict on the label.

This is the first of two posts that I’m writing about wine, history and convicts! And I must say, that this topic is my newest fascination addiction.

So let me introduce you to the “717 Convicts”wine.

Made by Darren and Suz Westlake of Westlake Vineyards. They run a small, family operated business in the heart of the Barossa Valley, South Australia’s wine country. And their range “717 Convicts” is one of their brands, and is a tribute to the First Fleet, and tribute to Darren’s ancestors.

The story starts back in the county of Devon in England where Edward Westlake was tried for stealing 40 pounds of mutton to the value of 10/-., back in 1786. He was found guilty, and was sentenced to 7 years transportation, along with his father in law, John Mortimer and brother-in-law Noah Mortimer. All three got their “free ticket” to Australia aboard the “Charlotte”, which one of the 11 ships in the First Fleet., which left England in May 1787. You can read more about the ships (and the convicts ) here.

Edward, John and Noah were just three of the 100 males, 32 females and 30 crew aboard the “Charlotte” for a total of 252 days – that’s an incredible 8 months, 1 week, and 1 day. I’ve been on cruise ships and by day 12 I tend to get stir crazy – and that’s pure luxury compared to the conditions that these ships would have been, so there is no comparison. After all they were prisoners, and were treated like it too.

Anyway all three survived the voyage to New South Wales (not everyone did), and by March 1788 all three were then transferred on to Norfolk Island, as part of the founding group of prisoners sent there. You can read what the Westlake Vineyards writes about their convict history here.

Well-known Australian historian, Cathy Dunn who knows everything there is to know about Norfolk Island history, has a whole article on Edward Westlake, which you can read here.

Anyway back to the wine … there are four varieties available, although the first two were hard to find (but if you’re interested, keep an eye on ebay) …
– The Felon (Shiraz)
– The Warden (Shiraz)
– VP Durif
– VP Shiraz

the front of the bottles

The back labels on both The Felon and The Warden bottles have the following written …

“This wine is a tribute to the 717 convicts that survived the voyage to Port Jackson as part of the First Fleet in 1788. Edward Westlake was one of those convicts arriving aboard the “Charlotte”. Their stories of survival and hardship in this unforgiving land are an inspiration to us all … whether free of condemned man.”

While the VP Durif and VP Shiraz bottles have actual entries of Edward Westlake and John Mortimer with all the date of trial, place of trial, accused, age, sex, residence, crime, value, verdict, sentence and so on printed on the back label.

and the back

As a family historian, and one particularly fond of convicts (well, who isn’t eh) …. I find this totally awesome, and it’s such a nice way to not only remember their history, but honour their ancestors as well.

Spending 8 months on a boat, then arriving in a place that had basically nothing meant that both the officers and convicts faced starvation as supplies ran low, particularly when little could be grown on the land. While I don’t know the exact population of Sydney in 1788, I image it wasn’t much more than the 717 convicts who arrived, plus a number officers … but by 1800 Sydney had a population of around 3,000.

Edward Westlake survived the hardships that life threw at him. He married, had a family, and lived till to the good ol’ age of 76. And in 2017, 189 years after his death … he would have thousands of descendants. And despite the fact that he was a convict, he was a founding member of Australia’s history. Afterall, the convicts helped establish our country, making Australia what it is today.

And just one last comment, us genie folk totally love our convicts. To us having a convict in the family tree is “Australian royalty”. And if you’re lucky enough to be descended from a First Fleeter then that is “True Australian Royalty”.

So I’d like to say next time you visit your local liquor store why not pick up a bottle, but I doubt you’ll find it there. So if you’re interested why not buy one from Westlake Vineyards themselves, and support a small Australian business as well.

And for more info on the First Fleet, check out Wikipedia, as it has great page with a lot of stats.