Immigrant Ships
Transcribers Guild

Orpheus

News Item recorded in the Sydney Gazette & The New South Wales Advertiser September 16th 1826 "On Wednesday evening arrived , from London, the ship " Orpheus", Captain Duff. She left England the 8th of may, and Rio de Janeiro the 22nd of June arriving 16* September 1826. By this conveyance have arrived 213 men, woman and children of the New South Wales Veteran's Corps. The Officers comprise, Captain Robinson , Lieutenant Warner, Lieutenant North and Assistant Surgeon Robertson, of the 13th Light Infantry. Mrs Norton and Mrs Warner are the only Ladies arrived"

WHICH SHIPS BROUGHT OUT VETERAN COMPANIES

- John Barry, 8 July 1826
- Orpheus, 13* September 1826
- Marquis of Hastings, 1827
- Hooghley, 1828

WHAT ROUTE TO SYDNEY
For the John Barry, it "sailed from London the 20th February; Portsmouth the 8th March; and the Cape of Good Hope the 28th of May". It arrived in Sydney Saturday evening 8th July 1826.

For the Orpheus, left England the 8?th of May, and Rio de Janeiro the 22nd of June and arrived Sydney 12* September 1826.

For the Marquis of Hastings, left Portsmouth 18 April 1827 via Teneriffe and arrived Sydney 30 July 1827.

For the Hooghley, Left England 5 November 1827 and arrived Sydney 24 February 1828.

(a) POSSIBLE PASSENGER LIST FOR THE ORPHEUS

After the arrival of the Orpheus on 16* September 1826, the following names were added to the Muster Roll of the First Company of Royal New South Wales Veteran Company in Sydney for the period 25 September 1826 - 26 October 1826.

Table 12

LIST OF PASSENGERS ON THE ORPHEUS, 1826
Lt. Col Henry Dumaresq
Lt. William Bell
Lt. Samuel North
Assistant Surgeon Andrew Gibson 

Sergeants:
John Bury Curran
William Hopkinson
James Mitchell?

Corporals:
William Cheater
Charles Taunt?
William Taylor

Privates:
Beng 'm Blimston?
George Cadley?
Jduis? CameronJohn Chapman
William Cooke
Thomas Evans
William Finn
John Fergerson
??? Hughes
H??? Kones?
William Kenderick?
Richard Matton?
James McCormack?
??? McGann?
James Mc Nair
David McPhee?
Samuel Norman
George Percivat?
David Pegg
John Pickeife?
William Praguall?
John Riely
John Smith
John Shepherd
William Scott
William Sugden?
Richard Thae? (came on John Barry)
Stephen Whiteaker?
John? Whitehead?
John Wells
Gilbert Wright


Family who came on the Orpheus:
Ann Reilly (wife)
Mary Ann Reilly, bc 1811
Sarah Elizabeth Reilly, bc 1815
Anne Reilly, b 1826
There was mention of two additional Reilly children but no reference was made
if they came on the Orpheus.

Pte Thomas O'Brien and family:
This would provide the possible names for 31 rank and file members of RNSWVC
and the officers who came with them, one women and 2, and possibly 3, Reilly
children who came out on the Orpheus.

It would appear that Lieutenant Warner and Assistant Surgeon Robertson went
with Captain Robison and the second Company to Newcastle, while Lieutenant
James Sweeney, who came out with Lieutenant Bell on the John Barry, would
appear to have also gone with the second company to Newcastle.  As Sweeney's
role might have been to make preparations for the second Company's arrival
in Newcastle, he may have travelled there at any time between the arrival of
the John Barry and the Orpheus.

Transcriber's Notes:
*  There are three different arrival dates listed for the Orpheus.
    1. The Sydney Gazette & The New South Wales Advertiser and
       the section of this transcription entitled "POSSIBLE PASSENGER LIST
       FOR THE ORPHEUS" all list the arrival date as: 16 September 1826.
    2. In the section of this transcription entitled "WHICH SHIPS BROUGHT OUT
       VETERAN COMPANIES" the arrival date is listed as: 13 September 1826.
    3. In the section of this transcription entitled "WHAT ROUTE TO SYDNEY"
       the arrival date is listed as: 12 September 1826.

Correspondence 3/21/2004 passenger North
I think my G G G Grandfather Lt Samuel North b Dun Laoghaire, Dublin Co,
Ireland 1791 arrived on the Orpheus in 1826. He was married to Susanna
Campbell b 1794 New Brunswick, Canada. He became Chief Police Magistrate
in Windsor and had children: Frances, John, Emily, Eliza, Samuel, Henrietta
and Joseph. He died in 1864 in Crown St, Wolloomooloo, Sydney.
Derryn Heilbuth


Correspondence added 28 November 2006, Passenger Curran
John Bury Curran b.1791 Dublin Ireland d.1835 Sydney Australia.
Arrived: Veteran Companies from England to Australia,
London, England via Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to Sydney, Australia
Arrival 13 September 1826.

John Bury Curran was a soldier who was posted in India from at least
1819 to 1821. He served in the Dublin 17th Dragoons (Light) he was
discharged aged 38 (covering 1806-1825). He arrived in Australia, Sydney
in September 1826, on the sailing ship “Orpheus”  His family is said to
have arrived on the John Barry also in 1826 but I cannot confirm this.
The New South Wales Calendar and General Post Office Directory of 1833,
lists a Curran, John Bury, who was the Principal Clerk at Brigade Office
Sydney he held the rank of sergeant. The Brigade Office was the military
office in Sydney under the command of Lt-Col. Snodgrass who was the “Major
of Brigade". John Bury’s service record in Australia, served in the New
South Wales Veterans; 17th Dragoons (Light) he was discharged aged 43yrs
covering dates gives the year of discharge as 1832.
According to his will. John Bury Curran owned property in Smithfield Dublin,
which was leased to a Charles Tarrant. He was also granted land  on retirement
at Botany Bay which he bequeathed in his will as a freehold farm to his eldest
son John William Curran. John Bury Curran married Mary Ann Hatton. They had
five children 
1. John William b.1819 (India)
2. Mary Anne b.?1820 (India)
3. Maria Theresa b.1821 (India) 
4. Matilda Jane b.1826 (Australia)
5. Charles b.1825. (Australia)
Mary Ann Hatton died in 1833, John Bury Curran later married Leticia Baxter
in Sydney 1835. John Bury died in October 1838. His will, (on which he signed his name)
is dated only days before his death. His son, John William Curran, signed the probate
records but Leticia had to sign with her mark.

Another interesting fact is that his daughter Mary Ann became involved with
Ernest Augustus Slade.(1805 - 1878).
He was the Ernest Augustus Slade Superintendent of Convict Barracks and
Police Magistrate who had the reputation of living in a state of concubinage
with his female convict servants. Ernest Augustus Slade was named father of
Mary Ann Curran’s son. The convicts hated Slade. Even Sir Richard Bourke,
Governor of New South Wales stated in a dispatch to Lord Glenelg;
Mr. Slade’s service to the Government in the punishment of Convicts
have exposed him to the hatred of that class of persons in such a manner
to interfere with the security of his life or property… The reason behind
this dispatch to Lord Glenelg was not to praise Slade… it was to make sure
he didn’t come back to Australia.
(abstract from: Convicts Discipline...by them that were there.)
Compiled by: Brian McDonald.
Thanks,
Fran Nugent

Compiled from many sources from the research of Mike Boyd.

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