At the age of 18,working as a Chimney Sweep, Henry was convicted along with Charles Ferguson (alias Adam Gibson) of the charge of shop-breaking, by the West Circuit of the High Court of Justiciary on 4/5/1832.
It was Henry's first offence. In his statement to the court he said he was born in Ireland, but grew up in Scotland. At this stage nothing is known of his parents or family, or whether he was orphaned before becoming an apprentice Chimney Sweep, generally known as 'Climbing Boys', as they climbed up the chimneys often under force and threat.
After his conviction Henry would have been placed in chains and taken, probably by ship, to the dockyards of Sheerness in Kent, where he was to spend the next two years on the Hulk 'Retribution', before being transported to Australia He was transported on the ship "Susan", on her first voyage to Australia as a convict ship, sailing from London on the 10/ 3/ 1834 via Madeira, with 292 male prisoners on board On the 25th. March, Henry was admitted to the ship's hospital, with an ulcer of the leg; he was discharged 'well', on the 11th.April.They anchored in Sydney Cove on the 8/7/1834. The "Susan's" human cargo was disembarked over the next 24 hours. There were 8 deaths during the voyage.
Henry was assigned to Mr George Sewell at 'Sutton Forest' near Goulburn; country N.S.W. George Sewell had come to Australia as a convict in 1814, he received a colonial pardon after 7 years and was granted 60 acres of land in Sutton Forest by Sir Thomas Brisbane in 1822.
Henry received his Certificate of Freedom on the 2/3/1840. the description of Henry on this certificate states 'height 5'7 1/2", complexion 'ruddy freckles', eyebrows meeting, small wart inside right arm, several warts back of right hand and fingers, five blue dots back of same, tear inside calf of right leg, small of same dreadfully fractured.
Henry made his way to Melbourne, possibly joining up with an overland stock drive. he was living in Dandenong, when he married Catherine Fitzwilliams of 'Tarose'. on the 16/5/1842.
Catherine was the daughter of Phillip and Catherine Fitzwilliams from Westmeath, Ireland. She came to Australia aboard the 'Enmore' arriving at Port Phillip on the 4/10/1841, age 19 years. She came as an indentured maid to Mr. Cain who paid 19 Pounds for her fare.
Children of the marriage;
George B. 16/2/ 1843 D. 1843
Henry B. 16/2/1843, married Elizabeth Lindsay, D. 8/3/1931.
George B. 1844, married Bridget
Curley;
Martha B. 1849 D. 1849 Edward B. 1852 D. 1852
William James B.16/5/1854, married 1/ Alice Medwin,
@/ Gwendoline Blood.
They seem to have spent some time in Melbourne,
then Dandenong, before settling in
Brighton. Henry worked as a market gardener on a
five acre block, in Brighton. Possibly working for Mark or
Stephen Lindsay, brickmakers of Brighton.
He also went gold prospecting--perhaps he struck it
lucky, as he was able to lend money to a 'mate'
which was to lead to his demise. Extract from
inquest into death of Henry McCurrie. in 1856
About twelve o'clock yesterday the deceased and I
went to cut poles for our tent, and met Evans, who I never saw before,
and two other men who asked us to drink. WE stopped
there about 2 hours, having consumed two bottles
between the five of us. Henry said that Evan's
mate, Cotton, owed him some money, and asked Evans if
he would go for Cotton. Evans said he would go,
and went and brought out a double barrelled gun
from a dray about 60 or 70 yards away, and asked
one of the men with him to look after the gun
while he went for Cotton. He stopped for two or
three minuets after laying the gun down.
Henry said that though he was lame, he could
go as quickly himself. I and Henry rose at the
same time, and Evans said that the first man that
followed him he would shoot him. Evans had
cocked both barrels and fired one off at Henry
immediately. Henry might have taken one step forward
I jumped behind a tree. Henry fell immediately on the
shot being fired and never spoke again.( signed J. G.
Hartshone)
Henry is buried in an unmarked grave at Cathcart
Cemetery, near Mount Ararat.
Foot Note- A witness at
the marriage of Henry and Catherine was Thomas Evans!.-
A warrant has been
granted by the Lexton Bench for the apprehension
of one David Evans, for that he on the afternoon
of the 2nd instant, at Mount Ararat, did felonious
shoot and kill one Henry McCurrie......(Victorian
Police Gazette.
Henry McCurrie probably came to Melbourne soon
after getting his certificate of Freedom in 1840.
At that time Melbourne was a fledgling town of the
colony of N. S. W.
Some Notes on the growth of Melbourne
1835 The town--subsequently to become known as
Melbourne--consists of no more than "two brick
buildings, three weatherboard shanties and eight
turf huts"( extracts from Georgiana's Journal, edited by Hugh McCrae)
In about 1839 Melbourne was described
as having 'six shoemakers, two saddlers, three bakers,
four butchers, three tailors, and only one Attorney!!
Extracts from a letter in 1840; this town, which
18 months ago had but three brick houses in it,
has now a population of 300 souls, with suitable
dwellings. There are five places of worship for
various denominations of Christians, and a court of
justice. Two schools, two banks, a club consisting of
60 members. a fire and marine insurance office,
six clergymen, 12 medical men, and five lawyers.....
In 1841 there was a population of between 5,000
& 6,000; protected by ten constables and a chief,
twenty-five soldiers for guard and escort duty;
two hundred and fifty ticket-of-leave men-thirty
as a street gang; and the rest assigned servants.
(The Victorian Historical Magazine)
In 1841,Georgiana writes "After dinner Mr M drove
some of us home in his trap: a fearful experience-
the horse sent at top-speed through some of the worst
country in the world. At one minute we were completely
off the ground, at the next, suddenly down again
-gutters,3 or 4 feet deep, and everywhere, jaggered
tree-stumps interspersed with boulders!
( from Georgiana's Journal)
From the Diary of Joseph Wilson 1842
....continued to look around, Melbourne's wide streets
were much worn by horse and bullock drawn vehicles.
There were several general stores, hotels, banks, shops, saddlers, and blacksmiths scattered among the
dwellings. A small post Office building with a
town clock had recently been constructed on the corner
of Bourke and Elizabeth St. (Elizabeth St. had been
a tributary of the Yarra river), and five churches
graced the town.
As the new arrivals approached the township they
were met by the sight of hundreds of tents
erected on the south side of the river Yarra. Large
numbers of immigrants lived in this 'canvas-town'
while seeking employment and accommodation.
During 1842 10,000 immigrants
arrived in Melbourne, and Melbourne was on the
brink of a financial depression. In 1851 July 1st.
the colony of Victoria came into existence.
Some reports say "the town went mad celebrating"
Next Generation McCurrie
The first children of Henry and Catherine were
born in Melbourne, 16/2/1843. Family lore says Henry
McCurrie was born in a tent in Collins Street Melbourne.
It is more likely he, with his twin brother,
were born in a tent in 'canvas town' on the
south side of the river. By the time the fifth child,
Catherine was born the family were living in Brighton;
a settlement about 5 miles south of Melbourne on
Port Phillip bay. then, as now, considered one of the
more affluent suburbs. Henry junior never went to
school, and it seems probable that when he was 8 or 9
he went to work for a Mr. Murray, who kept a store on
Arthur's seat road (now Point Nepean Road) Brighton.
The Murray's gave Henry board & clothing until he was
14 years of age.
In 1854, at the hight of the gold rush in Victoria at ,
12 yrs. of age Henry was carting potatoes from Brighton
to Bendigo, a little over 100 miles away, a ton on each
load. He would leave Brighton early Monday morning &
arrive at Bendigo on Saturday evening, he
received 100 Pounds in gold for the load. Asked if he
was never afraid of bush-rangers, which were prevalent,
in the area at that time, he replied "I never had cause
to be, being young nearly all the people I came in
contact with were kind to me". After his father's death
it is believed Henry
returned to Brighton and worked as a market gardener
for some time, possibly working for the Lindsay's
as his father had done Here he met and married
Elizabeth Lindsay on
the 2/7/ 1866
Elizabeth Lindsay B.24/2/1849, at Brighton,
was the daughter of Mark Lindsay
and Jane Balkham-Lindsay. Mark Lindsay came from
a long line of Brickmakers in Surrey, England. A
neighbour, Henry Dendy an only child, who inherited farms
in Rudgwick in Sussex, and at Wotton and Walliwood
in Surry, on the death of his father in 1838. On the
19th March 1841 he applied for, and was granted
5,120 acres in the County of Bourke bounded on the
west by the coast of Port Phillip bay, on the north
by the 5 mile reserve and on the east and south by
lines to enclose 5,120 acres. This grant was under
a 'Special survey' offer made by the government, with
arrangements for the purchaser to bring out a certain
number of persons of the labouring class for a free
passage to the colony. Mark and Jane Lindsay, with
their two small children, and Mark's brother Steven,
were among 'Dendy's immigrants' Sailing on the
"Earl of Durham" 12/2/ 1842, they arrived in Melbourne
18/6/1842.(Henry Dendy and his Emigrants, by
L.A. Schumer) The Lindsays did well in Victoria,
making
the bricks for the first Brighton town Hall and
many other buildings of note. When their daughter
Elizabeth married Henry McCurrie, the son of a
former convict it was a union of two people from
'opposite sides of the track'--Pity Henry senior didn't
live to see how well his family fared--
Children of Henry and Elizabeth McCurrie
Lindsay Henry James B. 1867 William George B.1868,
married 1/ Annie town, 2/ Annie Marver, D 1899;
Fredrick Mark b.1871,married Margaret grieves D.
Nov. 1944 Ernest Edward B. 1873 D. 1873; Alfred
Thomas B.1875, married Lucy Ruth Snell, D. Dec. 1954;
Mary Adelaide B. 1877, married Thomas Scriven,
went to England to live; Ada Maud D. 1879,married
Henry Emmerson; Emily Jane B. 1881,(my grandmother)
married W. H. George Box, Henry Albert B.1883,
married 1/Lillian May stone 2/ Gwendaline Casey Blood;
Margaret rose Victoria B.1886,married
Hector Henshall; Francis Horace B. 1888;
Sarah Alice Eliza B. 1891,married 1/ Robert Brown
2/ Cliff Cutler.
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