Ann Moran/Feagan

Ann had been tried and convicted in Trim in Co Meath, Ireland, during the spring of 1797. in connection with political activities. Found guilty, she was sentenced to seven years transportation to New South Wales. When Ann arrived in June 1802 she was assigned work as a dairymaid at Toongabbi – she was the first registered dairy maid in Sydney. Here she met John Curtis and they began a relationship. In 1803 their first child, Elizabeth, was born. In the following years 3 sons were born – James (c1806), John Joseph (c1809) and Peter (3 July 1811)and anaother daughter Catherine (7th July 1814). On Tuesday 16 August 1814 in a ceremony at St Johns Church, Parramatta John Curtis and Ann Moran were married. This ceremony was followed by the baptism of 3 year old Peter and his baby sister Catherine (Kitty). Because of John’s advanced age,( he was now 72), Ann Curtis set up business for herself as a publican. After John’s death in 1821 Ann applied for and received, in 1825, a grant of 100 acres at Parramatta adjoining John’s original 30 acres. On 6 October 1832 at the age of 65, Ann died and was buried at the Sydney Burial Ground, at the site of the present Sydney Central Railway Station. About 73 years after Ann’s burial, when the land was required to build the Railway Station her remains were transferred to the Pioneer Section of Botany Cemetery where her headstone still stands today amongst those of early settlers.

It is not correct that Ann Moran was also known as Feaghan or feagan. That statement is based on a Queensland Death Certificate for a man named "John Curtis" who was born in 1809 and died in 1890 in Brisbane. He might have been the son of Ann Moran and John Curtis (their second child) who was born at Parramatta or Toongabbie in 1809. However, I have obtained a copy of the Queensland Death Certificate. The subject was born in 1809 but about 20 miles from Bristol in the UK. He might have been related the Ann Moran's husband, John Curtis, given their origins in the west of England but he was certainly not their son. According to the informant for the John Curtis who died in Brisbane (his wife) his mother's name was "Feaghan". A second error relates to the length of Ann Moran's sentence. The statement relies on an 1828 Muster Roll. However, the 1802 Muster Roll for the Hercules clearly states that she had been transported for life. That is the more reliable record. It is also congruent with information I found in the National Library of Ireland in June 2013. The research I undertook in June 2013 establishes that Ann Moran was tried on Tuesday, 7 September 1797 at Trim in Co Meath. Thomas Tracy was convicted on a charge of High Treason on the same day by one of the 2 judges sitting in the Summer Assizes. It is possible Ann Moran was tried and convicted as an accomplice of Tracy's, perhaps his wife or sister or friend, trying to shelter him from the authorities. That would help to explain the life sentence she received.

A third error in this record relates to the date of arrival of the Hercules in Sydney Cove. In a despatch to England in August 1802, the Governor expressly stated that the ship arrived on 26 June 1802 and this is consistent with the Muster Roll and Bateson's Convict Ships.

I disagree with Paul Fergus when he says that Ann Moran was not known as Ann Feaghan/Fegan. He is basing it on John Joseph Curtis's death certificate in Brisbane which states that he was born in South Wales NOT New South Wales. Early records can be very inaccurate. Another mistake on the death certificate states he was married at 50 years old in Victoria. This is incorrect - he was actually married in 1856 at St Patrick's Church Parramatta at age 47. If the informant (probably his wife Margaret or one of his children) who contributed the information made a mistake about the location her marriage as being in Victoria then it is just as likely that an error was made in the location of his birth. I suspect that it was one of his children who contributed the information - Margaret's family lived in Victoria so it would be natural for them to assume that their parents had been married there. A similar assumption was made on John and Margaret's eldest son, Hugh John marriage certificate - he stated that he was born in Brighton Victoria when he was actually born in Cabramatta Creek Liverpool. Another thing, Hugh John's birth certificate states that his father John was born in Parramatta and was aged 50 at the time of his son's birth Ann Moran was over thirty when deported so it is likely that she may have been married before being transported. Fegan may be her maiden name and Moran he married name or vice versa. I also have copy of a land sale document between John Curtis and his brothers Peter and James and sister Catherine . They have all signed it.. The John Curtis who signed this document is definitely the John Curtis who died in Brisbane in 1890. He was my Great Great Grandfather.

I wish to add info to Paul Fergus note on 29 Sept and 4th December, 2013 where he states that John Curtis and Ann Moran/Feaghan cannot be the parents of John Joseph Curtis born 1809. He assumes that because of John Joseph's death certificate in 1890 which states that he was born in South Wales rather than NSW he could not be John and Ann's son. If Paul bothered to look at his marriage certificate it would show that John Joseph was born at Paramatta NSW. Entries on early certificates were often wrongly entered either through the person recording the info or the informants. For example the his marriage age was given as 50 in Victoria when it should be 46 in St John's Parramatta NSW. John Joseph Curtis was my GG Grandfather. I have a document that was signed by him and two of his siblings (James and Catherine). I recently have also had a DNA match to a descendant of James and another one to a descendant of Catherine. The discrepancy in Ann Moran's name can be attributed to either an earlier marriage of Ann in Ireland or to a alias (which was often used by Irish rebels to protect their families.

A comment by Paul Fergus on the 4th December, 2013 that Ann did not have a son John Joseph Curtis born c1809 has now been proved completely wrong. Paul Fergus based his assumption on the fact that John Joseph gave his mother's name as Ann Fagan/Feaghan and also that John's death certificate said he was born in South Wales instead of New South Wales (he did not allow for the possibility that a word had been left out). The death certificate of Elizabeth (the eldest child of John and Ann), who died in 1867, also states that her mother's name was Fagan. I have been informed that Paul Fergus now accepts that John Joseph Curtis is the son of John Curtis and Ann Moran/Fagan.