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Archiver > COVENTRY > 1998-04 > 0893241149


From: Paul Kitson and Lynne Gillam< >
Subject: [COVENTRY-L] William Coventry, Ireland - Australia
Date: Wed, 22 Apr 1998 20:32:29 +1000


Please let me know if this isn't the done thing (I'm new to both
genealogy and mailing groups) but as I just had the good fortune to come
across somebody on a newsgroup looking for information on a William
Coventry of Donegal transported to Australia in 1799, I thought I'd pass
on my reply providing the information that I have to people in the
Coventry list. However, it is rather long - are there protocols about
length of messages? Also, let me know if I'm wrong about my presumption
that most subscribers to this list are mainly interested in Coventrys in
America. Regards, Lynne

Dear Veda, amazed and delighted to read your message ... I am also
researching Coventrys in Australia. In fact, I have some information on
the William Coventry you refer to which I'll provide below. But first,
some background. My grandmother, Iris Lamprey (nee Coventry) began
tracing her family history some time ago. Much of the information I have
was collected by her. I am very new at this too so have not made any
real progress on the Coventry side (I'm also tracing other sides of the
family). My grandmother got 'stuck' at the point of trying to identify
her grandfather's parents. His name was James Henry COVENTRY, born
about 1846, Hawley, Tasmania. He married Priscilla BOURNE on 17 Jun
1867 at Tarleton, Tasmania. I have recently ordered their marriage
certificate in the hope that it will shed some light on James' parents.

Other people in Tasmania with whom my grandmother corresponded have
suggested that James Henry COVENTRY could be the same person as a James
Daniel COVENTRY in their records, who they trace back to the William
COVENTRY I think you are referring to. That explains why I have some
information. However, I have to say that I cannot attest to it's
accuracy, although I have confirmed many of the birth, death and
marriage details using the Tasmanian Pioneers Index at
http:\\www.eos.tased.edu.au/pioneers. For starters though, you'll
probably be interested in the following information on William Coventry
taken from a book by Irene Schaffer, From Convicts to Settlers, Dec
1985, p31-32:

William Coventry was convicted at the Lifford Assizes (Ireland) in 1799
and sentenced to seven years transportation. He arrived in Sydney per
'Atlas' in 1802 and presumably was sent from there to Norfolk Island.
His name appears on the 1804 muster, but not on the 1807. With the
closing of Norfolk Island as a settlement, the settlers sailed to Van
Diemens Land on a number of ships between 1807 - 1813.

William Coventry arrived per "Lady Nelson" on the 14 February 1808. He
was reported on the ships list as being very seditious and troublesome
character, owning no land or animals on Norfolk Island and having no
wife or children.

Governor Macquarie granted William 52 acres of land in the Melville
District in 1813.

The land holders muster in 1819 lists William Coventry renting 50 acres
in the New Norfolk district. At this time he had a wife Mary and four
children and an assigned servant. However, there is no record of his
marriage and the four children
were baptised at St David's Church, Hobart as the children of Mary
Martin, unmarried. Because William had been regarded as a seditious
character, it is possible he was not permitted to marry at this time,
forcing William and Mary to live in a cohabited relationship. In May
1819 Coventry's farm at Back River (near New Norfolk) was advertised for
sale to liquidate a debt.

On the 26 May 1829 William Coventry was tried at the Supreme Court
Hobart with several others for stealing three bullocks, the property of
the late Daniel Stanfield, found guilty and sentenced on 20 October 1829
to 7 years at Macquarie
Harbour. This was not his first brush with the law. He had been
convicted of harbouring a runaway felon named Thomas Kelly from the gaol
gang and was fined [p32] 40/- on June 8 1816.

After only 4 months at Macquarie Harbour William Coventry absconded with
five other convicts, two of whom were later captured and executed in
Hobart on 5 August 1831. These two men, Edward Broughton and Mathew
Macavoy confessed
to the murder and cannibalism of their companions, including William
Coventry after their escape from Macquarie Harbour.

After he had absconded Coventry's description was published in the
Hobart Town Gazette on 1 January 1831 -

William Coventry 5 ft 3 in hair brown to grey, brown eyes aged 51, a
farmer's labourer, tried Hobart Town in May 1829. Sentenced 7 yrs per
"Atlas" to Sydney and "Lady Nelson" to this colony. Native of Donnegal,
Ireland. Absconded from Macquarie Harbour September 3 1830. Reward 2L.

Mary Ann Martin later lived with Francis Cox. Mary Ann Martin died as
Mary Ann Cox 1st June 1866 aged 72 years. Informant was her son William
Coventry of Forest (possibly at his home) NW Coast.

I hope you find this information of interest. I have further
information on William's children and grandchildren if you are
interested. It would be great if we could keep in touch, especially if
I do manage to establish a link to this family (which I
presume is fairly likely given that Tassie is a fairly small place).

In case you do not already know, there is a mailing group for Coventry
[] but I can't quite remember how I subscribed to
it. If you're interested I could find out - although most of the
information seems to be from people searching for Coventrys in America.

Good luck with your research, hope we can help each other,

Regards, Lynne

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