The CASEY Family of Limerick, Ireland and Maitland, NSW, Australia

My CASEYs are descended from an Irish convict from Limerick, Michael CASEY, who arrived in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, on 22 April 1823 on the convict ship the BRAMPTON.

He was tried at the 1822 Lent Assizes in Limerick, Ireland, with a John CASEY, and sentenced to seven years transportation for cow stealing.

John died in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia in 1828. He was eleven years older than Michael, possibly an older brother, cousin or even uncle - we will probably never know. Michael served his seven years, received his absolute pardon, married a free settler, Ellen CURRAN, and became a respected landowner. He leased 2,100 acres of land from the Government in 1841, and sub-leased it to various other settlers and ex-convicts. His land, just north of Clarence Town, New South Wales, and the property next door, were together known as Irish Town.

Both Michael and Ellen died in late middle age, Michael at 53 and Ellen at only 37, and only one child of their five, the eldest Thomas, survived to marry and have children. We have not yet traced all his descendants.

All we know is that Michael came from County Limerick, Ireland, and was born circa 1798. His father's name was possibly Thomas, as that is the name he gave his eldest son. His trial and convict records in Ireland were lost in 1922, so it is unlikely we will be able to pin point his place of origin, or identify his family. (The Irish Transportation Records, a Bi-centennial gift from Ireland to Australia in 1988, whose index is now available on the Internet, contains records mostly from 1836 onwards)

So, it's long lost cousins in Australia that we are looking to find. The information is presented in family group sheets, that start with Michael CASEY and Ellen CURRAN.

Go back to my Genealogy home page

Please contact Kerry Casey at [email protected] if you think you have a connection. Genuine enquiries only please, junk e-mail will be ignored.

Last updated: 23 May 2000

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