Today we leave Glasgow, Scotland which is a place I wished to visit as it was where Bernard McGowan, an ancestor on my Mum’s Mum family line, originates.
Bernard was convicted of breaking into the shop of Alexander Craig, Wright, Baroony Glebe. and stealing an iron faced plane also a hand-saw and other items on 10 July 1829. He also broke into the shop or booth of Margaret McColl, vegetable dealer of Nile Street the next day. He pleaded not guilty.
Below is the newspaper clipping from 28 September 1829 reporting his conviction and sentence to 14 years transportation to Australia.
Yesterday, when we arrived back in Glasgow I proposed we walk back to our apartment along West Nile St (the only Nile St I could find). We didn’t look terribly very hard, but were unable to find a vegetable dealer or even a mini mart where we could repay the debt of the vegetables stolen on this street.
Below are some photos.
Bernard was granted freedom in 1844 when he appears to have got a job splitting wood and working on a farm. He wasn’t receiving the right pay and appears to have taken his employer to court for this as mentioned in the Maitland Mercury in 1844:
On Tuesday Mr Child appeared at the police court on behalf of his father Mr Knox Child, to answer the complaint of Bernard McGowan. Mr McGowan stated that he had been hired by Mr. Child to split bark at 2s 6d per ton, and has accordingly gone to work the day the agreement was signed and up to recent continued in Mr. Childs employ doing odd jobs about the farm and garden, as well as splitting bark, during this period received no money from Mr.Child. He demanded the balance of 2 pound 2 shilling 9 pence, and finding he could not get the money he left his services. Court remanded till Friday, when the money was paid to the court.
Bernard married Jane Baker in Maitland in 1852. She would have been 20 years old and he 40.
They had 11 children together. They must have done some moving about, as according to wiki tree their children were born in the below locations.
Bernard McGowan Family History – WikiTree
Bernard appears to have died in the year before Eliza was born.
I am a descendent of Catherine.
Bernard died 11 November 1876 at about age 64 in Mudgee. I haven’t been able to find Bernard’s grave in Mudgee. We did find his wife Jane in Mudgee cemetery.