MOEN

  The MOEN name is linked to our main interest,   Maria COURTNEY.  In 1816 Maria was caught in Berwick on Tweed, near the Scottish border, coining and passing sixpences.   Along with her accomplices Margaret DUFFEY (believed to be Maria's mother) and Barnard/Bernard DUFFY, Mary MOEN and James MOEN (sometimes MOON/MOORE), she was found guilty and sentenced to death.   All five sentences were commuted to life transportation to New South Wales.   The tale of their crime, capture, convictions, etc. are told in Sixpence.   The men were transported on the Shipley in 1817.  The women were transported on the Friendship, arriving early in 1818.   Later that year Maria married Denis HAMILL, a convict who had arrived from Ireland four years earlier.   Their story starts with the story of Denis HAMILL of the Three Bees.

The report of the trial indicates Maria was family with Margaret and Barnard DUFFEY, who were Irish.   So was James MOEN.   The group did not reside in Berwick on Tweed, but were passing through.   They had been there only a few weeks, and would have been moved on earlier, but for the bad weather.

Bernard DUFFY disembarked from the Shipley on 2 May 1817, and sent to Windsor for assignment.   He and an accomplice were convicted of robbery, and he was sentenced to death in September 1823.   This sentence was commuted in november 1823 and he was transported to Port Macquarie in November 1823 per the Lady Nelson.   In January 1824 Bernard's wife and two of his children were permitted to proceed to Port Macquarie to join him.   It seems that Catherine (aged about 10 or 11).   The other was probably Mary DUFFY (she was listed as a student at Port Macquarie in 1828).   In 1830 a report from the Commandant's Office at Port Macquarie remarked that Marjy (Margaret) DUFFY was 64 years of age, but appeared much older, was very infirm, and prayed for a Ticket of Exemption toremain with her daughter (free).

Ann DUFFEY married Charles EVANS in Sydney in 1819.   Denis and Maria HAMILL were witnesses at the wedding.   Ann's brother Barnard was living with them per 1822 Muster.   Rosanna DUFFEY was living as wife with Edward MACKIN at Richmond about 1824.   Edward was transported to the colony in 1813 aboard the Archduke Charles, and had served out his sentence.   Rosanna married Richard McGINNIS (MAGENIS/McGENNESS) in a Church of England ceremony at Christchurch, Newcastle, and in a Roman Catholic ceremony at St Mary's, Sydney, in 1832.   Catherine DUFFEY married William ROLFE at Port Macquarie in 1831, then moved to 92 Kent St in sydney, where they were joined by Margaret DUFFEY, who's ticket of leave was altered to the Sydney district on 22 June 1831.   Margaret was aged about 77.   She lived for another ten years, passing away in Sydney in 1841.

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