Date of Conviction: 22/03/1817

Age at Conviction: 28

Crime Convicted of: Uttering Forged Notes

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

Sentence Length: Life

Ship Transported on: Maria

Where Arrived: Port Jackson, New South Wales

Departure Date: 15/05/1818

Arrival Date: 17/09/1818

Biography: Elizabeth had uttered three forged £1 bank notes knowing them to be forged to Samuel Flemming at Manchester. She received the death sentence which was reprieved on condition of being transported for life. Whilst she was in Lancaster Castle, she was in trouble with the governor, Mr Higgin for not standing up during the singing of hymns in chapel. Alice Wafer and Elizabeth Harrop, other Lancastrian convicts were also abusive to her in jail, calling her names etc and both were put in solitary confinement. Whilst they waited, Elizabeth and a group of the other convicts wrote (or had a scribe write) a petition to the bank of England. They said…

“Honoured Sir, I hope you Will Excuse the Liberty We unfortunate Wemen take in addressing you Relating to a little Subsistory Money We understand the Governers of the Bank alows to us unfortunate Wemen Which if you will have the goodness to Intercede with the Governers of the Bank of England We unfortunate Wemen Will for Ever be Bound to Pray for you by so Doing the undersighned Will for Ever Pray for you Alice Willcock, Betty Healey, Catherine Hardacre, Elizabeth Stott”.

Elizabeth left Lancaster on the 16th March as part of the second group of women from the castle bound for Deptford and the Maria. During the voyage, Elizabeth caught a cold onboard and was given magnesium sulphate by the ship’s surgeon. She gave her occupation as a shopkeeper on arrival.

Less than two weeks after arrival, Elizabeth was sent to Port Dalrymple at Van Diemen’s Land onboard the Elizabeth Henrietta. She was sent to the female factory on arrival. She was recorded as the wife of Hopkins in the 1823 muster though this may have been an informal/common law relationship.

In February 1825, Elizabeth was bound over to keep the peace after she assaulted and threatened to stab a Hannah Murphy. She was also reprimanded for failing to attend church on April 12th that year. Only two months later, Elizabeth died at Launceston on the 3rd July 1825 and was buried two days later in the Cypress Street Anglican Cemetery. She was recorded as aged 40 though was probably around 36/37.