Date of Conviction: 22/07/1822

Age at Conviction: 20

Crime Convicted of: Theft from the Person

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

Sentence Length: 7 Years

Ship Transported on: Mary (1)

Where Arrived: Sydney Cove, New South Wales

Departure Date: 03/06/1823

Arrival Date: 18/10/1823

Biography: Ellen snatched a watch off J Seddon at Manchester. In her gaol description, she said she was born at Winsford (father and mother live there), near Middlewich, Cheshire. She was described as ‘rather stout made’, 5ft 3, with a fresh complexion, grey eyes, dark brown hair and a smallpox mark on upper lip, left side. She had been a dressmaker.

In New South Wales, Ellen married free convict and publican baker Andrew Fraser (Glatton) in 1824 who was 35 years her senior. In 1825 she ran away from home leaving her husband to place an advert in the newspaper denying any further responsibility for her. He died after a month long drinking binge in 1827 apparently grieving for his companion/servant of 20 years Jane Toome (though he left a large charitable trust fund to his hometown of Montrose in Scotland). Ellen was named in his will but legally it wasn’t clear what her position was as she was still ‘property’ having been assigned to her husband and instead was left a trifling shilling with her husbands’ other devoted servant Mary Jones being left the remainder of all of Andrew’s huge estate. For absconding, instead, she was imprisoned after a trial, in the female factory in 1828 which was hugely ironic considering the year before, Ellen had had Mary Jones sent there for redistribution after the death of Jane Toome. Despite these chaotic first few years in the colony, Ellen still gained her certificate of freedom in July 1829 and remarried Joseph Turner (ship- Tottenham) who was a book keeper at the female factory and had been one of the Pentrich Rioters at the beginning of September at St Johns, Parramatta. Ellen signed her own name in the marriage register. After ten years together Joseph died from ill health, then soon after, Ellen died (from ‘intemperance’) on New Year’s Eve 1840.