Date of Conviction: 14/03/1828

Age at Conviction: 28

Crime Convicted of: Putting Off Counterfeit Coins

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

Sentence Length: 7 Years

Ship Transported on: Competitor

Where Arrived: Port Jackson, New South Wales

Departure Date: 08/06/1828

Arrival Date: 10/10/1828

Biography: Catherine was convicted of putting out counterfeit coinage at Liverpool along with Mary Byrn (who would soon pass away in Lancaster Castle). Catherine was described as being ‘from Liverpool, can read, single, protestant and has two previous convictions. She was 4’ 11 1/4″, with a fair freckled complexion, brown hair and brown eyes.

Catherine was assigned on arrival to fellow Lancastrian convict and publican Mary Lebrun (transported in her maiden name of Mary Reynolds in 1818 and who had arrived back in Australia in 1828 after returning to England). Catherine married free convict gunsmith John Morris (ship- Malabar) at St Philips, Sydney in 1829 after employer Mary said she had a good character.

In 1834, Catherine was sent to the 3rd class of the female factory for 14 days. She got her certificate of freedom in March 1835. At this now, now aged 35 further description of her states she is ruddy complexioned, with a thick raised mole on the left side of her chin, another on her left cheek and a further on the right side of her upper lip.

There is a possible death record for a Catherine Morris who died aged 40 in 1842 with the parish of St James but it is not clear if this is the same Catherine. Her husband John went into the Liverpool Asylum several times in the early 1860s.