Date of Conviction: 10/04/1826

Age at Conviction: 48

Crime Convicted of: Receiving Stolen Goods

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

Sentence Length: 7 Years

Ship Transported on: Louisa

Where Arrived: Port Jackson, New South Wales

Departure Date: 21/08/1827

Arrival Date: 03/12/1827

Biography: Mary received 100lb of stolen lead. She ran an operation from a back room and two young men would bring the lead to her. She was caught after a newly built premises in Salford was missing its roofing lead and the men were followed and Mary was witnessed weighing and receiving the lead from them. She was held over from the January sessions and paid her own £200 bail money whilst the case indictment was sorted.

The judge summed up saying “You, Mary Jones, must know that it is a painful task for us to pass a severe sentence upon a person in your situation in life, but if there were not individuals ready to receive stolen goods, there would not be so many felonies. This is the first time you have been detected in receiving, yet your place was full of stolen property. Your crime is one which holds out an encouragement to theft, it is one too which is extremely difficult of detection; but when, as in your case, it is discovered, it is our duty to mark it with a severe punishment”… Upon the sentence being pronounced, the prisoner who appears to have entertained hopes of being much more leniently dealt with, fell upon her knees and besought the mercy of the court in an affecting manner. (Manchester Mercury)

Mary had been born in Belfast when her father was a soldier there. She was described as having a rather fair complexion with brown eyes and dark brown hair and she had lost her upper front teeth. She had previously had 10 children and had five now living. Her husband, Henry Jones, lived in Deansgate opposite Parliament St. She was put onboard the Louisa on the 1st August 1827. Whilst at sea, Mary saught the surgeon’s assistance for a bruise she had obtained and towards the end of the voyage suffered from diarrhoea. She was further described in the ship’s muster as ‘sinister looking’!

By 1830, Mary had a ticket of leave (her description at this point stating she was 5ft 5, ruddy and freckled, her dark brown hair was turning grey) and that she had received it in view of her good behaviour in service. The same year she applied to marry John Norris (ship- Prince Regent) stating she was now a widow and given a character statement by William Galvin (possibly her employer) saying she was ‘well behaved’. The muster showed she was widowed on arrival so the marriage went ahead in October at St Philips, Sydney.

Mary gained her certificate of freedom on the 23 April 1833.