Date of Conviction: 22/07/1822

Age at Conviction: 36

Crime Convicted of: Theft from the Person

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

Sentence Length: 14 Years

Ship Transported on: Mary (1)

Where Arrived: Sydney Cove, New South Wales

Departure Date: 03/06/1823

Arrival Date: 18/10/1823

Biography: Mary Ann (also Mary Ann Huff) stole 30 shillings’ worth of silver from James Redford at Manchester. She had been born at Harrington near Whitehaven, Cumbria in 1785. She was reported single but had two children whom she left behind with their father at Manchester. She was 5ft 5 with blue/grey eyes, red/brown hair and a fresh complexion. She was a dairy worker. She had already had a number of past convictions under her maiden name(?) of Mary Ann Clarke. Mary Ann was boarded onto the Mary on the 17th May.

Mary Ann was in the female factory in 1825 after having been returned there by employer John McHenry Esq, but applied to marry weaver Thomas Tricknell (ship- Canada) in October 1826, and this was granted but it doesn’t appear a wedding took place. That same year she was in court for stealing goods including fabric, handkerchiefs and money in a case brought by her colleague and ex partner, a cook from the household of Dr Dalhunty who employed them both. John, the cook, had allowed the goods to be taken by Mary Ann who had initially pretended she wanted to marry him and had acted as his lover. She was denounced as a ‘abandoned prostitute’ in court and sent to the factory. In 1828, Mary Ann had begun using the surname Clarke again, presumably her maiden name as perhaps she had heard her children’s father was dead; and was a servant to William Lowe. She was sent to the 3rd class of the factory in 1831 for 3 months for returning to her master drunk and abusive, and again in 1833 and 1834, to the 3rd class of the female factory for 6 weeks. In 1835, Mary Ann applied to marry free man John Herring (ship- Adamant) but her use of her surname Clarke rather than Hough caused issues and this was refused. Mary Ann received her certificate of freedom in May 1837, at the age of 50. Her description at this time says she had started to go grey and had lost 4 front teeth and she had a small blue dot over her right eyebrow. She didn’t stay out of trouble for long though and in August that year, was sent to Parramatta for a month’s hard labour, repeated in December for 3 months. After this, her trail goes cold.