Date of Conviction: 14/07/1819

Age at Conviction: 28

Crime Convicted of: Theft

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

Sentence Length: 7 Years

Ship Transported on: Morley

Where Arrived: Hobart, Van Diemen’s Land

Departure Date: 17/05/1820

Arrival Date: 29/08/1820

Biography: Mary Ann was a single woman who had stolen linen cloth from John Thornber at Manchester. She left Lancaster Castle along with eleven other convict women at the end of April 1820 and arrived on board ship on the 28th that month. Ship surgeon Thomas Reid described the Lancaster women as displaying ‘riotous conduct and mischievous behaviour’

Mary Ann was given a report of ‘very good’ on arrival and assigned to a Mr Kemp for general service. She committed many offences in her first few years. In September 1820 she was given two weeks jail with hard labour for being drunk and disorderly. In Jan 1821, she ran away from her master Mr Emmett and been noted as insolent. She was locked in solitary confinement for a week on bread and water before being returned to the Emmetts, She repeated this in May the same year, being absent for nine days and received two weeks on bread and water, having to sit in the stocks three times. Just days later she escaped the female factory and was sent to be confined in the main jail for two weeks on bread and water with three more sessions in the stocks. In September she was missing from government house where she was being held and was found drunk and disorderly, resulting in more time in the stocks. Similar events followed in 1822 and 1823 at which time Mary Ann was assigned to a Mrs Birstall(?). In March 1825 after similar events, she was sent to the female factory and was reassigned in the country. Though the pattern of behaviour didn’t change there either and throughout the remainder of her sentence she was in and out for absconding, riotous behaviour and bringing spirits into the police office.

Mary Ann was given her certificate of freedom in July 1826. She was killed by James Parker (ship- Lord Melville) who had thrown a brick at her after provocation in December 1827. He was convicted of her manslaughter and given a further 7 year colonial sentence.