Tickets of Leave were granted to prisoners who were considered to be well behaved, who could then hire themselves out for wages. Patrick was employed by one John Edye Manning, who had a property named Vermont. Here Patrick met Mary McInerney (another convict who had been sent out from Clare town in 1836, also for seven years) -- they fell in love, and settled into a de facto relationship as Patrick was till married to his first, Irish wife. They proceeded to have another five children. On Patrick's death certificate, a John Collins is shown as the eldest son.
As his age precedes the arrest date, I am assuming that John
Collins was his Irish-born son. There is no mention of his family at
home, other than the name of Patrick's father was also John, and no
leave was requested to have his Irish family brought out to Sydney.
I am looking to find out more about the Irish connection, as it would be
interesting to find out what happened to his family in Limerick, and who
his siblings and parents were.
Any help would be gratefully received.
Geoff Humble
Mail me!