Date of Conviction: 25/10/1824

Age at Conviction: 30

Crime Convicted of: Theft

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

Sentence Length: 7 Years

Ship Transported on: Midas

Where Arrived: Van Diemen’s Land (Tasmania)

Departure Date: 22/07/1825

Arrival Date: 23/11/1825

Biography: Jane who had stolen seven shillings, sixpence, had been born in Liverpool. She was described in the jailer’s records at Lancaster Castle as having a sallow complexion, hazel eyes, dark brown hair and she was pitted from smallpox. She was a widow and unusually, could both read and write. She had already been in the New Bailey jail for two years.

Upon arrival in Van Diemen’s Land, her jail report stated that she had been well-behaved, however, her Tasmanian conduct record is a heavy one- A year after arrival, she absconded from her employer and was sent to the female factory, after a month she also tried to escape from there too. The following year (1827) she again absconded and was found with a forged pass and was jailed for a week on bread and water before being returned to the factory for 6 months. Let out early, she absconded again within days, was locked up for 48 hours and within a further day was on the loose again. She was found 3 miles from Hobart and sent back to the factory once more being being re-assigned into country service. This made little difference and in 1828, on the run again she was held in solitary confinement for 2 weeks on bread and water before having her hair shaved off and sent back to the factory. in 1829, she was found drunk and disorderly in the streets and was locked up for a week, in 1830, Jane refused to work as a servant and was sent to the House of correction for three more months. In 1831 she spent almost the whole year locked up for repeatedly absconding within a day or so of release. Jane had married Francis Yarnold (ship- Caledonia) on 29 December 1831 at New Norfolk. In 1832, she was three times in trouble and fined for being drunk and disorderly and the marriage was clearly unsuccessful as her new husband reported in the papers that Jane had also absconded from him and warned that he would not be responsible for any debts she incurred.

It appears Jane was using an alias during the time she absconded from her marriage to Francis as ‘Jane Sells (now Jackson)’ was fined for being drunk and using obscene language in 1836 and numerous times between then and 1841. We can also see her ex husband, Francis, re-marrying in 1843.

At this stage, this is unconfirmed but a 55 year old Jane Jackson married a John Finch at Christ Church, Longford, Norfolk Plains in 1847. The age would fit exactly for Jane and this Jane died of a stroke, at home in Longford in March 1853- an inconsistency shows her as 76 however and was buried at Christ Church in an unmarked plot.