Summaries of the Lives of Four Convicts in Australia
Mary Hurley,
John Copas,
William Guthrick, and,
Mary Carey
Information from the History Services
NSW Databases contained in the following genealogical summaries of the four
convicts and their immediate families is shown in italics.
John Copas
Convict
records indicate that John Copas was born in London in approximately 1803.
Before coming to the colony as a convict, John Copas had an alias of Coops and
was a
bricklayer of London.
He
was of the Protestant faith and was an educated person as he could read and
write.
He was convicted in London on 4 September 1834 for Highway Robbery and
received a
sentence of 14 years.
Around
the same period, John's brother, George Copas who was also a London bricklayer
was sentenced to life on a conviction of house breaking following a trial at
Middlesex on
10 April 1834. Both John and George Copas arrived in the colony
from England on the
`Marquis of Huntley' on 5 July 1835. The ship sailed from
Downs in England with 320
convicts aboard. It took 100 days to complete the trip
to the colony and arrived on
5 July 1835 which was its fourth trip as a convict
transport. During the journey one
convict died.
The
1837 `General Return of Convicts in NSW' lists John (surname listed as Copers)
as
undertaking Government works in the Illawarra district.
The
following information is contained in the ship’s Indent of the `Marquis of
Huntley' on
John Copas alias Coops:
| Age: 32 Education: Reads and Writes Religion: Protestant Native Place: London Trade or Calling: Bricklayer (Tolerable) Offence: Highway Robbery Tried: London Gaol Delivery; 4 September 1834 Sentence: 14 years Former Convictions: None Height: Five feet, two and three quarter inches Complexion: Dark and sallow Hair: Brown Eyes: Hazel Marks: Mole inside left breast. |
At the time of the marriage in 1847, John held a Ticket of Leave for the district of Illawarra, dated 11 December 1841, however Mary Carey did not hold a Ticket. As they were both convicts the Governor's permission had to be obtained for the marriage.
Permission for the marriage was granted on 6 January 1847. At this stage Mary did not hold a Ticket of Leave. The register of St. Michael's Church of England, Wollongong records that they were married with consent of the Governor in a school house on 18 January 1847. They were married in the school house as the new St. Michaels Church was being constructed during 1847. John and Mary were married by the Rev. M. D. Mears, the Wollongong Chaplain, in the presence of Henry Copas of Clarence River and A. A. Moore of Wollongong. Mary was still not able to write her name as she signed the marriage register with an `X', her mark. It is believed that Henry Copas was a brother of John Copas.
John Copas received a Conditional Pardon on 30 September 1847. During their married life John and Mary Copas had a total six children.
John Copas remained a bricklayer, at least until 1849 when his daughter Jane Mary was born in Wollongong, however John was to alter his occupation from bricklayer to cab proprietor. The earliest reference to this occupation occurs in an 1855 land Deed that is registered in the Deeds Branch of the Land Titles Office. In the Indenture, which was dated 14 November 1855 Henry Gilbert Smith released land in Crown Street, Wollongong to John Copas of Wollongong, a cab proprietor for the sum of 230 Pounds.
In 1858 John Copas of Crown Street, Wollongong, Cab Proprietor, voted in favour of the formation of the Wollongong Municipality.
Mary Copas (nee Carey) died on the 15 December 1867 at Wollongong aged 51 years.
Mary Copas was buried at the Catholic burial ground at Fairy Meadow (Corrimal).
John Copas died on 25 March 1891 at Wollongong, aged 88 years. He died at his residence in Crown Street, Wollongong and his occupation was listed as a bricklayer. He was buried with his wife in the Catholic Cemetery at Corrimal.
Their gravestone located in the Corrimal Catholic Cemetery (relocated within the cemetery in recent years) and reads:
 |
Gravestone of Mary and John Copas `Sacred to the memory of Mary Copas who died on 15 December 1867, aged 50 years. Requiescat in Pace. Also, John Copas, husband of the above who died on 25 March 1891, aged 88 years. May his soul rest in peace'. |
[Source: History Services NSW Convict Database, Local Government Petitioners Database].
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Kevin McGuinness
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