Michael Dogherty

Irish Convict Database by Peter Mayberry. Michael Dogherty, age 25, Marquis of Wellington, 1815, Tried 1814 at Berkshire Assizes, Sentence Life. Native of Dublin, b. 1790, trade, labourer. Michael Dogherty, Andrew McKew, and Thomas Butler, three desperate characters, lately made their escape out of Aylesbury prison ; but their want of knowledge of the town and country caused them soon to be retaken, and properly secured again in the prison. They are charged with highway robbery, in stopping and robbing Mr. John Ridgway, of Shenley, Bucks, in the parish of Woolverton, of upwards of 10L. in of bank notes, &c. Mr. Ridgway was returning home of from market on horseback, when he was stopped and robbed by the prisoners, barbarously ill-treated, and left in a ditch for dead. A neighbour and friend of his, having followed him from market, his attention was drawn to the to the ditch by the groans of Mr. Ridgway, whom he found wounded and bruised in a most shocking manner, and the saddle of his horse pressed upon his face with an intent of smothering him. His friend got him out of the ditch, and rendered him every possible assistance, and having learnt from Mr. Ridgway a description of the robbers, he traced and pursued them in to Fenny Stratford, where, with proper assistance, he had them secured, and, on searching them, the property of which they had robbed Mr. Ridgway was found upon them. Morning Chronicle, 8 Mar 1814. All three were sentenced to Death, but were later reprieved. Thomas Butler, in 1829, made this statement. It shows light on the past of his two accomplices in the robbery, but does not tell of the violence referred to in the newspaper accounts of the robbery. https://manuscript3251.wordpress.com/page/2/ page 476 The voluntary statement of Thomas Butler who saith I was born at Tulla in the county of Carlow Ireland. My father was a farmer, I left my Father’s house in 1812 I was then about twenty years of age I went to Dublin and enlisted for a soldier in the 25th light dragoons I remained in the Regiment for a year and a half and deserted from it in Maidstone in Kent two of my comrades deserted with me and on our road to Liverpool being without money we stopped a Mr John Ridgeway on the High Road near Stoney Stratford on an evening in September 1813 and robbed him of between nine and ten pounds in money, we took nothing else from his person we did not ill use him, I held his horse whilst the other men took the money from him which he gave up readily and then rode towards London, we proceeded along the Liverpool road to Daventry, we were in Regimentals when we committed the robbery, but had no arms we bought some coloured cloths at Lancaster/Towcester? and left our fatigue dresses there, the next morning we were taken in Daventry examined the same day by some Magistrates at Stoney Stratford and committed to Aylesbury Gaol and tried on the ninth of March 1814 before Sir Vicary Gibbs and cast for Death, I was transported to New South Wales in the Indefatigable and arrived in Sydney in April 1815. From this statement, it can be assumed that Michael Dogherty also had enlisted as a soldier in the 25th Light Dragoons and had later deserted at Maidstone. Colonial Secretary's Index DOGHERTY, Michael. Per "Marquis of Wellington", 1815 1815 Feb 2 - On list of convicts disembarked from the "Marquis of Wellington" and forwarded to Parramatta for distribution; listed as Dogharty (Reel 6004; 4/3493 p.436) 1819 Nov 19 - Petition for mitigation of sentence (Fiche 3194; 4/1858 p.109)

Catherine Richards, New South Wales, Australia, Certificates of Freedom, 1810-1814, 1827-1867 (NRS 12210) Butts of Certificates of Freedom 1835 June 15. No 35/711. Wife of Michael Dogherty per ship Marquis of Wellington