Hugh Francis Brophy

see Joseph Nunan on Wikipedia

Pardoned in 1869 he later moved to Victoria and died in Melbourne.

PHOTO OF HUGH FRANCIS BROPHY: Taken in 1866 while he was an inmate of Mounjoy Prison, Dublin, and labelled Image ID 1111431. It is available online at https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47dc-975f-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99 (see Manuscripts and Archives Division, The New York Public Library. "Davis Dowling Mulcahy; W.F. Roantree; Hugh F. Brophy; Terence Byrne." The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1866).

1865, 15 October: Hugh Francis Brophy, James Stephens (founder in 1858 of what later became the Irish Republican Brotherhood), Charles Kickham and Edward Duffy were admitted to the Richmond Bridewell jail, in Dublin, to await trial on a charge of having in “America and elsewhere, conspired and combined with the members of the Fenian brotherhood of which they are members to levy war against the Queen in Ireland, subvert Her royal authority and establish a republic”. Elsewhere on the jail record the offence is also described as: "High treason for that having for the last 3 years... in Ireland, America and elsewhere conspired and combined with the members of a secret society called 'The Fenian Brotherhood' of which they are members, to levy war against the Queen in Ireland, subvert Her royal authority and establish a republic". The four men were listed for trial on 15 November, 1865. Hugh Francis Brophy, prisoner #300-65, aged 36 and born in 1829, was able to read and write. All four men were removed to Kilmainham jail, in Dublin, on 2 December 1865 (see Ireland, Prison Registers, 1790-1924; Dublin; Richmond (Bridewell), 1855-1878). --0--

Note: James Stephens escaped before the transfer to Kilmainham. Much has been written about this and the subsequent arrest of Fenian prison warders who assisted him. On Wikipedia, for example, it says Stephens "was less than a fortnight in Richmond Bridewell when he vanished and escaped to France". --0-- In Kilmainham jail, Hugh Francis Brophy was listed as prisoner #835, Roman Catholic, and able to read and write. He was 5’8¼” tall with brown hair, grey eyes and a fair complexion. He had been living at 22 Frankfort Avenue, Rathgar, Dublin, and was a builder (see Ireland, Prison Registers, 1790-1924; Dublin, Kilmainham 1850-1871). --0-- 1866, 29 January: Hugh Francis Brophy was tried and convicted at the Special Commission, in Dublin, of treason-felony [high treason was selected above as treason-felony is not an option]. His trial received some coverage in the press, as per this re-published story in the Ballarat Star of 14 April, 1866, p8: "The trial of Hugh Francis Brophy was proceeded with... and resulted in his conviction. He was sentenced to ten years' penal servitude. In his address to the court he admitted almost all the facts charged against him. Brophy was arrested along with Stephens in Fairfleld house. A letter produced in evidence showed that the prisoner was giving orders for the making of pikes on 18th September, three days after the Irish People had been seized which, the Solicitor-General said, 'afforded a remarkable corroboration of the statement made by [James] Stephens on the night of the seizure, that "things would go on as usual"'."

1866, 29 January: He was sent to Mountjoy prison in Dublin. Prisoner #7172 -- much of his record is a repetition of information from other jails. Here, though, he is recorded as a widower with three children, with no previous convictions and whose "friends reside in Dublin" and who "would wish to reside in Dublin for trade and business" (see link to his prison photo above). 1866, 10 February: Hugh Francis Brophy was sent from Mountjoy to England, and admitted to Pentonville jail, north of London (see Ireland, Prison Registers, 1790-1924; Dublin, Grangegorman Female Prison [should be Mountjoy], 1849-1866). In Pentonville, prisoner #3443 was listed as 36 and sentenced to 10 years' penal servitude for treason-felony. Less than a month later, he was moved to Portland jail (see UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951; Pentonville Prison; Register of Prisoners, 1864-1866). --0--

1866, 14 May: Hugh Francis Brophy was at Portland for the next 17 months. Opened in 1848, it held adult convicts and its purpose “was largely to make use of convict labour in the construction of the breakwaters of Portland Harbour and its various defences” (see Wikipedia). —0— 1867, 8 October: According to newspaper reports, 23 Fenian prisoners were among the 90 convicts from Portland who were taken aboard the Hougoumont, on this date, for transportation to WA. “Shortly before midday 90 convicts were marched down to the Government pier at Portland under a strong escort of the 13th Light Infantry. The party included 23 Fenian convicts… The Government steamer employed in the breakwater service was used for conveying the convicts on board the Hougoumont transport ship. The convicts were chained together on embarking, and on board the steamer a strong guard of marines from her Majesty’s ship St. George was formed, and saw the convicts safely placed on board the Hougoumont.” (see https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/28608271?searchTerm=hougoumont).

1868, 10 January: On arrival in WA, Hugh Francis Brophy was listed as #9674, 38 years old, and a contractor; and a widower, with three children (see Western Australia, Australia, Convict Records, 1846-1930; Convict Department Registers (128/40 - 43)). This record also contains his physical description. On the General Register, his next of kin -- his children Thomas (12), Margaret (10) and Bridget (8½) -- are listed as living at 84 Hill Street, Newry. He is a building contractor (see Western Australia, Australia, Convict Records, 1846-1930; Convict Department, Registers; General Register for Nos 9059 - 9598 cont., 9599 - 10128 (R15 - R16)). --0-- From his Fremantle jail record: BROPHY, Hugh Francis; #9674; arrived 10 Jan 1868 per Hougoumont Date of Birth: 1828 Place of Birth: Dublin Marital Status: Widower 3 children Occupation: Building contractor Literacy: Literate Sentence Place: Dublin Crime: Treason Sentence Period: 10 years Comments: One of 62 Fenians transported on the Hougoumont, the last convict ship sent to Australia. Its arrival at Fremantle on 9 Jan 1868 signalled the end of transportation to this country. To Victoria per Britannia, 17 May 1872 (see https://fremantleprison.com.au/). --00--

1869, 5 February: Hugh Francis Brophy was one of 34 Fenians who had been transported to Western Australia (as well as others imprisoned in Great Britain) who were given Free Pardons / “unconditionally discharged” by the House of Commons. For a full list, see the Melbourne Advocate, 22 May 1869, p4, at https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/169267360?. 1869, 15 May: He received his Free Pardon certificate from the Police Magistrate at Perth (see Western Australia, Australia, Convict Records, 1846-1930; Convict Department, Registers; General Register for Nos 9599 - 10128 cont. (R16)). 1872, 17 May: He sailed from Albany for Melbourne aboard the Britannia.

1919, 11 June: Hugh Francis Brophy died in Melbourne, and was buried at the Melbourne General Cemetery in Carlton North (see https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/163923778/hugh-f.-brophy).

Thanks you Dianne Jones for such great detail, I am connected to Hugh's family living in Melbourne, Victoria