Date of Birth: 01/01/1768
Place of Birth: County Kerry, Ireland
Date of Death: 25/05/1848
Place of Death: Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
Parliamentary Service
| Member of the NSW Legislative Council |
17 Jul 1843 |
01 Apr 1848 |
4 years 8 months 16 days |
A Non-Elective Member of the first Legislative Council 1843 – 1856 |
| Member of the NSW Legislative Council |
06 Dec 1838 |
05 Jan 1843 |
4 years 1 month |
An Appointed Member of the first Legislative Council 1824 - 1843 |
Qualifications, occupations and interests
Soldier. Studied in Paris for the Roman Catholic priesthood. However, in 1785 his father arranged his entry to a military school. Arrived in Port Jackson in December of 1809 and was commissioned as lieutenant governor in January 1810.
Military Service
In 1792 he became a Captain in the French emigre forces serving on the French frontier under the Duke of Brunswick and in October 1794, after the Irish Brigade had been reconstituted in the British Army, he was appointed Captain in Count O'Connell's 4th regiment. Appointed in May 1800 as a Captain in the 1st West India Regiment, with which he served in Surinam, Grenada and Domenica. In January 1805 was appointed as brevet major and transferred to the 5th Regiment. saw much action in the West Indies and was distinguished at Roseau in Dominica in February 1805 when unsucessfully attacked by greatly superior French forces. In 1806 transferred to the 73rd Regiment and became lieutenant colonel in 1809.
Membership of other Parliaments & Offices Held
Local Government Activity
Personal
Younger son of Charles Philip O'Connell. Married on 8 May 1810 at Government House, Sydney, to Mary Bligh Putland, daughter of former Governor Captain William Bligh Royal Navy and widow of Lieutenant John Putland and had issue, 2 sons and 1 daughter. Their son, also Sir Maurice O'Connell (1812 - 1879) was also a Member of the first Legislative Council.
Additional Information
Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 2
O'Connell Papers, Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales
His portrait by William Nicholas (1807 - 1854) is in the National Library of
Australia (nla.pic-an 13834976)
