John Casey Wins His Freedom
John Casey
In 1826 John Casey was still a convict serving out his 7-year sentence. He was working for Joshua Moore as a bullocky, travelling between Moore’s Liverpool farm and his property, Canberry Station, near Mulligan’s Flat in the district that was later to become Canberra.
It was in that year that the convict John Tennant fled from his assigned landholder, along with his fellow convict, John ‘Dublin Jack’ Ricks (or Rix). Tennant, Ricks and two others (Cain and Murphy) robbed and terrorised a number of people in the area near Canberry Station. Cain and Murphy were eventually caught near Goulburn, while Tennant and Ricks were sighted near Canberry by John Casey.
The following extract from this Wikipedia article tells the rest of the story.
On 8 January 1828, about 2 am, Mr JJ Moore's station was stuck up by Tennant and Rix, and all his men rounded up and placed under guard. Mr. Cowan, awakened by the noise, jumped out of bed and armed himself with a musket, handing another to his hutkeeper, William Waterson. The bushrangers demanded that Cowan should open the door and come out, to which Cowan replied that "he would defend his hut to the last." Tennant, whom Mr. Cowan had been able to recognise (the night being moonlight), "making use of horrid oaths and violent threats," said to Cowan, "If you don't come out of the hut, I will burn you out."
Tennant's companion, who proved to be Rix, called out, "Tennant, fire in, what signifies the life of one or two?" Tennant was as good as his word, and actually set the bark roof alight on two occasions, but probably from being damp the bark would not burn. At this juncture, Thomas Leahy, an assigned servant of Mr JJ Moore, appealed to Tennant, saying: "Don't do that, Tennant, Mr. Cowan never did you any harm." Tennant replied, Well, I will not burn the hut, but if anyone, Scotch, Irish, or English came after them, he would have their lives.
The bushrangers then retired to the men's hut, where one of Mr Ainslie's men was ordered to get them some food, having partaken of which the miscreants made off. At sunrise, Mr. Cowan went over to Mr Campbell's station and reported to James Ainslie what had happened, saying, "It was time something was done." Ainslie's reply was short, sharp, and to the purpose, characteristic of the old trooper: "I will go out and take them, dead or alive".
Cowan replying that he would go with him. Ainslie, hearing that two constables were at a neighbouring station, sent for and requested them to accompany him in pursuit of the gang, also obtaining the services of four Aboriginals as trackers. John Jones, district constable, also joined Mr Ainslie at "Pialligo," before making their way to "Canberry," where Constable Fenton, Mr Cowan, Mr Macfarlane, and others joined the party. In fact, the colonial authorities had advertised ‘tickets of leave’ for any convicts willing to assist in Tennant's capture. John Casey volunteered. He knew Tennant, and that fact, plus his knowledge of the region would be critical to the party's success. And of course, it was the opportunity he needed to win his freedom.
Leaving "Canberry," the trackers soon picked up the track of the bushrangers, which was followed round the north side of a hill into the forest land, the track becoming quite plain and leading towards the Murrumbidgee River. After following the track for about five miles, they came to a brush on rising ground, where one of the trackers named "Make-a-cake," called out, "Make a light," meaning that he saw the bushrangers’ encampment. While the party halted to arrange their plans, Ainslie, unnoticed, rushed into the tent alone and surprised Tennant and Rix. Placing his musket to Tennant's breast, he said, "You rascal, Tennant! If you move, I will put the contents of the piece through your heart."
At this moment, in ignorance that Ainslie was in the tent, three shots were fired, which wounded Tennant in the neck, face, and hands, and Rix in the knee, but fortunately, Ainslie escaped injury, promptly shouting, "Cease firing, the men are fast."
Mr. Macfarlane promptly rushed to Ainslie's assistance, relieving him of Tennant, whom he gave in charge to Constable Jones. A large quantity of stolen property was recovered, and among other articles we are glad to know that Mr. Ainslie was able to swear positively to his light-coloured vest with the pearl buttons, and to his nightcap marked with his initials, but with his innate Scottish caution refused to swear to the other items, as they had "no particular private marks, though still believing them to belong to himself and some of his men."
John Tennant, John Ricks, James Murphy and Thomas Cain were convicted on 29 February 1828 and sentenced to hang. But their sentences were commuted, and the men were sent instead to the notorious penal colony of Norfolk Island for 7 years. Tennant served his term, arriving back in Sydney where he died a year later in August 1837.
James Ainslie later received a grant of 100 acres as a reward for assisting to capture the bushrangers.
And for his part in the capture, John Casey was given his freedom.
John Casey’s Certificate of Freedom
(Ticket of Leave)
And you would think that would be the end of that. To be honest, I would have thought freedom would pretty much do it. However, it may not have been quite enough for John. Just 10 days after the capture, a letter seeking some sort of additional reward was sent to the Governor. From the text below, John may not have been a signatory to that letter. It mentions “Free People” and John wasn’t provided with his Certificate of Freedom until some time after the letter was sent.
This is a transcript of that letter.
Colonial Secretary’s Office
Sydney, 29 January 1828
Gentlemen,
I have the honour to receive, and to submit to the Governor your letter of the 18th instant, reporting the apprehension of the two Bushrangers, Tenant and Ricks, and in reply am directed to convey to you His Excellency’s satisfaction at the service, indeed his confidence that the well directed intentions of the Inhabitants, as on this occasion, will always be attended with the best efforts.
At the same time I am directed to observe that His Excellency is unwilling to authorise any allowance being paid to the Free People who went in pursuit of the Runaways further than the rewards already offered, as it might establish an inconvenient precedent, and as every Settler must feel it his duty to step forward in pursing the Peace of the Colony, as it is to protect his own family and property.
By the Government Notice of this date to which I have the honour to draw your attention.
The Bench of Magistrates at Inverary
Government response to the letter seeking
a reward for the capture of the Bushrangers
John Casey was now a free man, and sought to marry Caroline Purcell. However, while John may have been “free” in the sense that he was no longer a convict, he was yet to prove that he was “free” from the wife he left in Ireland, and that was to prove somewhat of an impediment to his remarriage. For more that, and John and Caroline’s life together, click here.
Written by Rob Landsberry, last updated 13 May 2023