Date of Conviction: 23/04/1817

Age at Conviction: 27

Crime Convicted of: Theft

Court Convicted at: Lancaster Quarter Sessions (held at the New Bailey, Salford)

Sentence Length: 7 Years

Ship Transported on: Maria

Where Arrived: Port Jackson, New South Wales

Departure Date: 15/05/1818

Arrival Date: 17/09/1818

Biography: Margaret was a fustian cutter. She had stolen money from Barton Honeley. She was put on board the Maria on the 17th March. The ship’s surgeon recorded that Margaret had ‘a foul stomach’ onboard and she was given antimony.

Soon after arrival, Margaret was transferred to Hobart, Van Diemen’s Land on the Elizabeth Henrietta. In 1819, she served a week’s hard labour in jail for being drunk and disorderly. In 1821, drunk and disorderly again, she was made to sit in the stocks for two hours. in 1833, now free by servitude, she was twice more fined for being drunk. From around 1835, Margaret lived in a hut at Muddy Plains, on the outskirts of Launceston with a man called John Draper in a common-law relationship and by around 1846, became infirm, with only the use of one arm and was unable to take care of herself. In June 1849, John went out for a few hours with a lodger and came home to find Margaret burned to death, she used to sit smoking a pipe with her feet on the fireplace and this was believed to be the cause of death. Sadly her partner could not afford her burial so she was given a pauper one.