Date of Conviction: 21/03/1812

Age at Conviction: 32

Crime Convicted of: Theft

Court Convicted at: Lancaster Assizes (held at Lancaster Castle)

Sentence Length: 14 Years

Ship Transported on: Emu and then Broxbornebury

Where Arrived: Port Jackson, New South Wales

Departure Date: 11/11/1812

Arrival Date: 28/07/1814

Biography: Ann, a cotton spinner and married woman with a large family had thieved six pieces of printed calico at the bleaching grounds at Sunnyside, Crawshawbooth, in Rossendale belonging to Mr Henry Butterworth & Co., then she had them dyed. Seeing that she already had served a six month jail sentence in 1810 and the high value to the large fabric pieces, she was given a harsher sentence. The order for the keeper of the Castle to provide the women with clothing and to leave Lancaster came in late September and convicts had to be ready for boarding by October 2nd. The dates are unclear but either in May 1812, whilst still in jail, or May 1813, whilst in the Cape Verde Islands, Ann gave birth to a baby girl, Ruth who then travelled with her to New South Wales.

Like all the women onboard the Emu, Ann was repatriated back to Woolwich after the ship had been captured at Cape Verde. The women were later put onboard the Broxbornebury which transported them to Australia, collectively resulting in the longest duration voyage for a convict.

Ann and Ruth were placed in the female factory upon arrival. Within months, Ann began a relationship with free convict Edward Jones (ship- Tellicherry) and they went on to have three further children together including twin boys and a daughter Elizabeth, baptising them at St John’s Parramatta and eventually Ruth too was also baptised there. Eventually in 1821 after John’s death back in Lancashire, Ann and Edward themselves married at Parramatta with fellow Broxbornebury and female factory convict Ann Clough as a witness to the marriage.

Ann received her certificate of freedom in 1826, in it she is described as having been born in Liverpool, a ruddy complexion, brown hair and brown eyes, 5ft 2 and aged 49. in 1828, Ann’s daughter Ruth married, aged around 15/16 and Ann can be found living with her children in the home of William Morris, there is no mention of Edward, suggesting his death., Ann married again, this time the much younger convict John Knight (ship- Hindostan) at St Philips, Sydney in 1832. in 1839, one of her twins, Richard was sentenced to death for aiding in the murder of another man. Ann found herself widowed again in 1854 after John passed away.

Living with her granddaughter Annie (Elizabeth Jones’ daughter) and Annie’s husband Robert Bunter, Ann tragically passed away in December 1861 when now aged about 82, dozing in front of the fire whilst her family members were at chapel (they were Christian Israelites, derogatorily known as ‘Beardies’, a religious branch founded in Lancashire), a burning log fell. Ann was set ablaze and despite screaming for help she was discovered on the veranda, dying later that day. She was buried at the Sutton Forest burial ground (All Saints) two days after.