Bailey & Treloggen Families of St Helens

Edward ROACH (1794 - 1882)

        Born: Circa 1794, Waterford, Ireland
        Died: 6 Aug 1882, Benalla, Victoria, Australia

      Father: 
      Mother:

 1^st Partner: Susan KEARNEY (aka: Julian or Judith)
         aka: FENTON


    1^st Wife: Sarah WILLIAMS (1808 - 1891)
    Children: 4

       Tried: Waterford 1818
        Ship: Bencoolen 
   Departure: Cork, 24 April 1819
     Arrival: 25 August 1819
Ship NSW to Tasmania: Admiral Cockburn

Edward Roach was a labourer from County Waterford who was tried at Waterford in the spring of 1818 and was sentenced to life imprisonment. Edward was 25 years of age at the time of his conviction and was among 123 male convicts who departed on 24 April 1819 on board the ship Bencoolen, they arrived at Port Jackson on 25 August 1819. A number of Convicts including Edward were transferred to the ship Admiral Cockburn for the short journey to Van Diemen's Land. Edward worked as an assigned servant to Reverend Connolly and later became overseer of a road party. On the 24 November 1834 Edward applied for permission to marry Sarah Bailey (nee Williams), permission was soon granted and in December marriage banns were placed at St Marks Pontville. Sarah brought three sons to the family and Edward had a son from his previous relationship to Judith Fenton.
Edward's ticket of leave was issued on the 18 April 1836. A ticket of leave allowed convicts some freedom, they were allowed to work for themselves and earn an income, he was later recommended for a conditional pardon on 22 August 1836.
Sarah and Edward had four children, their son Alfred died in infancy and is buried at the Brighton Cemetery. For a few years Edward worked at a nearby lime kiln as a lime burner and leased 200 acres at Mount Dromedary before purchasing 50 acres at Black Brush. In 1873 Edward and Sarah moved to Victoria, perhaps enticed there by Sarah's son John who had settled in Victoria many years earlier. They lived the remainder of their years at Benalla and were buried in the Benalla Cemetery.

Edward Roach, a selector, who has resided for many years near Benalla, died at the advanced age of 103 years on August 12.

Launceston Examiner, 30 August 1882 , p.1