Life History

Notes

• Bernard Barry Mahony was born in Cork, Ireland about 1816. In 1829 he was arrested for picking pockets and tried at Cavan, 150 miles from Cork, on 5 August 1829. He was convicted and sentenced to seven years in NSW. He was transported to New South Wales on the 'James Pattison' with 199 other convicts, arriving at Sydney Cove on 20th January 1830. On arrival he was 14 years of age, four feet seven and one half inches in height, with a ruddy freckled pitted complexion, grey eyes and light brown hair. He was assigned to William Lawson (jnr), the son of the explorer, possibly at Macquarie Plains near Bathurst.
  
  The nickname Barney was commonly used in Britain as a diminutive of Barnabas, Barnaby or Bernard. It was shown on his convict record, and seems to have stuck with him for a while. On his marriage certificate his name was given as Barnaby; probably a church official decided that it wasn't proper to use a nickname on an official document, and chose the incorrect name without checking first. Barney could not write, and could read only slightly, so he was in no position to correct any errors in his name. Later documents show that he chose to use his second name, Barry - probably to sever all links to his convict past.
  
  Barney was granted a Certificate of Freedom on 20 September 1836. He was then reportedly five feet seven and one half inches in height (which seems like an amazing growth spurt - perhaps it was an error?).
  
  On 6 April 1842, Barney married Catherine McCarthy (or Jordan), at St Mary's Cathedral in Sydney. Catherine arrived in NSW on 28 January 1842 as a free woman. She travelled with her cousin, Martha Jordan, on the "Carthaginian" from Dublin, Ireland. She was listed as a domestic servant and was 18 years of age. They were brought in by a Miss Aspinall, of Brown & Co, and employed through the Caroline Chisolm organisation, at Sir Thomas Mitchell's house on Darling Point.
  
  Catherine's parents were baker James McCarthy of Dublin and Ann (nee Rogers). Her surname is listed variously as Carty, McCarty, McCarthy orJordan. It is assumed that her father died, and her mother married a Mr.Jordan, whose name she adopted. Why she reverted later is a mystery.
  
  Barry Mahony and his wife Catherine remained all their lives in the Bathurst district. He is shown as having several trades through his life; these include a tinsmith - he is listed as such on several documents, a bootmaker, and also as a hotel keeper - he seems to have operated "TheGood Woman" hotel in George St, Bathurst from 1871 to 1874. He is also said to have operated a hardware store, with an emphasis on crockery. On his death certificate he is shown as a General Dealer.