In a prison cell attached to the historic Hartley Courthouse is carved the words “Michael Lynch a native of Campbelltown” on the door, and on the wall “M. Lynch aged 15 years & 8 months. Aug 12th 1877. Who was this Michael Lynch of Campbelltown and why was he in a cell so far from home and at such a young age? I decided to investigate Michael’s life and was lucky to find a wealth of information about him.
Michael’s parents were assisted immigrants Thomas and Margaret Lynch. Natives of Tipperary, they had arrived in New South Wales in 1858. Thomas was a farm labourer, and neither could read or write. Their eldest daughter born in 1855 in Ireland did not come with them, she may have died as an infant, but they were accompanied by their next child, Alicia, born in 1856. It would appear that the Lynches came to Campbelltown fairly quickly, as their next child, Ann, was born in Campbelltown in 1858. Ann was followed by James in 1860, Michael in 1862, Thomas in 1865 and Patrick in 1872, all born in Campbelltown.
At age 12 Michael was placed on board the “Vernon”, a reformatory for boys. Previously a merchant vessel, the Vernon was anchored at Cockatoo Island from 1871 onwards. It housed about 100 boys who were given academic lessons and taught nautical and industrial skills.
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| The "Vernon" |
Why was Michael sent here? His intake record of 21st April 1875 states “loitering about the streets and public places in Campbelltown in the colony of NSW in no ostensible lawful occupation, and sleeping in the open air”. His mother stated that he had been to school but not made much progress, he was mischievous and dishonest but had good health. His parents were unable to give him much support, they had little themselves and a large family. He was then described as “a cruel dishonest bad boy indeed”. I can’t help but feel sorry for this 12 year old lad.
On leaving the Vernon, boys were either apprenticed, found employment or sent to situations in the country. It would appear Michael was apprenticed to a man named Morris Lynch of Little Hartley. In July 1877 we next hear of Michael having absconded from his apprenticeship with Morris. Here we gain a physical description of him. About 16 year of age, stout build, 4’9’’ tall (I think this was an error, he was later described as being 5’7” tall), round face, sandy hair cut short, dressed in black coat, black felt hat, moleskin trousers and Blucher boots. A warrant was issued for his arrest by the Hartley bench. Michael had fled to Campbelltown where he was arrested and remanded to Hartley Court House. It was during this time Michael made his mark on the cell wall and door. I’m unsure of Michael’s eventual fate for this incident, but unfortunately it set him on a path of petty crimes.
In 1879 he was suspected of damaging a mowing machine belonging to Joseph Terry of Campbelltown and stealing the tools belonging to said machine. Although being named in the newspaper no warrant was issued. He was then charged with stealing a saddle the same year and sentenced to 9 months hard labour for Horse Stealing. At Bathurst in 1880 he was tried for horse stealing and sentenced to 12 months hard labour and a concurrent 18 months for another incident of Horse Stealing. No lesson was learnt as Michael was then charged with Forgery and Uttering in Cooma in 1881. This means creating and circulating false documents. For this he was sentenced to 3 years hard labour for each of the three incidents to be served concurrently.
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| Michael's photo from his prison records. |
I’m happy to say that things then began to improve. Michael returned to Campbelltown and married a woman named Mary Cahill in 1891. Mary was working at the time for Miss Hurley of Queen Street. She had had a son already whose father was not named on his birth certificate. She and Michael married in St John’s and went to live at Quirindi for three years where they became parents of Katherine in 1892, and Johanna in 1894. On returning to the Campbelltown area the family moved to a cottage in Menangle. In 1895 son Thomas was born, and the same year Michael again found himself involved with the law, this time on the right side! He was working as a railway fettler and sadly discovered the body of a young woman at the bottom of an embankment about 10 feet from the rails. An open finding was found at the inquest, but no suspicious circumstances were found. The incident was reported widely in the newspapers. Michael and Mary’s last child was born in 1897, Patrick Michael, who would sadly die the same year aged 9 months.
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Michael in later years.
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Michael built a home at North Menangle and the couple lived there for many years. The home was relocated to Menangle Park. Michael continued to work as a railway fettler until around the late 30s/early 40s. Mary passed away in 1944, and Michael in 1948, still living in the Cummins Road Menangle Park house. Both he and Mary are buried in St John’s Cemetery Campbelltown with their infant son, as are Michael’s parents and a number of other members of the family.
Written by Claire Lynch (no relation!)
Sources - Trove, Ancestry, NSW BDM, https://www.findandconnect.gov.au/entity/nautical-school-ship-vernon/
