Date of Conviction: 23/03/1816

Age at Conviction: 35

Crime Convicted of: Receiving Stolen Goods

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

Sentence Length: 7 Years

Ship Transported on: Friendship (2)

Where Arrived: Port Jackson, New South Wales

Departure Date: 03/07/1817

Arrival Date: 14/01/1818

Biography: Ellen had received two pieces of printed calico from the bleaching grounds at Wheelton near Chorley, knowing them stolen. She was a cotton spinner. Ellen left Lancaster for Deptford with three other female convicts on 28th May 1817.

Ellen had been described as “quiet” by the ship’s surgeon and had not taken part in the supposed mutiny onboard the Friendship. She was sent to Derwent River, Van Diemen’s Land two weeks after arrival in Sydney on the Duke of Wellington. In 1820, Ellen was listed as being in the female factory. Her conduct record in Van Diemen’s Land lists one misconduct in November 1818 for neglect of duty and absconding from her master Mr Capon. She was jailed for one week on bread and water. In 1819 she had a son, James with James Burn/Byrne (ship- Anne). In 1820 and 21, she is listed as being at Hobart and had a ticket of leave- she was assigned to James, her common law husband. In 1822 Ellen and James married at Hobart. By 1823, Ellen and James are listed as living at Lower Clyde (today called Hamilton) and over the next decade farmed there at (Lower) Hollow Tree, having another son, John in 1824. Ellen was widowed in 1831 and inherited James farm and property, though for some years afterwards, there were false claimants who said money was owed to them, causing Ellen to put a threatening advert in the newspapers against them.

Ellen soon married again in November of 1831 to neighbour William Hobbs who briefly ran the farm then set up an inn and had a number of other short lived failed business ventures before abandoning Ellen. Ellen returned to using her surname Burn(e)/Byrne and continued managing the farm along with her sons. Her family and farm were implicated in a cattle stealing in 1846, resulting in younger son John being sent to a prison colony. She fostered a young boy who lodged with them for many years and sadly died on her settee in 1852. Ellen died in 1863, with her sons reunited and was buried in St Stephen’s Cemetery, Hamilton, recorded as aged 76.