Eliza Morrison, 1829? –1855 John Hobbs, b.1824?
In eighteenth century Ireland
many ireful cailins turned wilful firebrands,
not crimps but boots agitating to emigrate.
Braids of flaming red, a freckly-faced Catholic cailin,
Eliza Morrison, bold as brass, illiterate, outspoken,
with startling pale blue eyes and double chin,
her Donegal pall, Mary Nowlan, being likewise roused,
contrived to scorch Margaret Cavanagh’s house,
an innocent widow with child, utter strangers.
The judge decreed this dangerous crime most heinous.
In the green beryl isle, arson was commonplace;
whereas in flinty England, ‘twas not a hanging offence,
but chance to fly, to leg the Earl Grey, a lag ship!
‘A long life to your Honour!’ Eliza quipped,
pleased as Punch to find her fate to emigrate.
The foal set unsteady foot on foreign soil,
slighted by eight dark, dank, dreary months in that colonial
transport, yet
assigned as ticket-of-leave holder
she tinkered as
housemaid, publican, then orderly
in Hobart Hospital,
lodging at the House of Correction.
Perchance she
bumped John Hobbs in the pub? Mentioned
to clergy she was
spliced, her husband enticed to America.
So risked with John
the morning drop for errant behaviour.
But disease of the
lungs caused her premature decease –
For Eliza,
What blessed release!
To crack the
shackles of his muck-worm, luckless life,
John Hobbs’
miserable game was a crime premeditated
with Tom Webster
and Robert Lewer, mates in strife.
They met up on a
farm at dusk in Richmond parish,
stony broke,
begging for bridge tolls, muchly famished,
desperate to cross
the Thames and wreak havoc.
Hobbs confessed in
court, ‘Aye, we looked to fire a stack.’
They struck. Neath a high, sightly stack they stowed
faggots
to set ablaze the
grazing property of Frederick Piggott.
Although Hobbs bore
no grudge to the offended farmer,
‘Twas he who lent
his baccy pipe to light three lucifers.
Sentenced to
fifteen years, Hobbs served time in Gibraltar,
then sailed in the St
Vincent to Van Diemen’s Land with
the
prospect of
declaring himself anew - a French polisher.
Michael Small
May 13-27, 2014
In September, 1854
John Hobbs and Eliza Morrison’s application for marriage was approved, but the
clergyman’s enquiries revealed that Eliza was already married. John was pardoned in 1856.
May 13-26, 2014
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