Date of Conviction: 22/07/1817

Age at Conviction: 25

Crime Convicted of: Theft

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

Sentence Length: 7 Years

Ship Transported on: Maria

Where Arrived: Port Jackson, New South Wales

Departure Date: 15/05/1818

Arrival Date: 17/09/1818

Biography: Betty stole a pocket book at Manchester belonging to Joshua Smith. She left Lancaster Castle on the 16th March and was put on board ship two days later on the 18th. Before sailing an Elizabeth Taylor (uncertain which as there were two onboard) was punished by the ship’s surgeon for using abusive language. On 4th June Elizabeth was vaccinated against smallpox by the ship’s surgeon along with several children. She suffered from diarrhoea in the final few weeks of the voyage and was given opium.She was placed in the female factory upon arrival and was still there in 1820. After arriving in New South Wales, she uses Elizabeth as her given name rather than Betty.

In January 1820, Elizabeth married James Cheetham (ship- Isabella), also of Lancashire, at St John’s Paramatta and signed her own name. They were both living in the Liverpool area at the time. However, the following year she was in the female factory. Elizabeth received her certificate of freedom in July 1824. By 1825, Elizabeth and James were living at Bathurst and James as a life prisoner was assigned to Elizabeth. The following year, their lives changed when they adopted Mary Ann Turley- the child of fellow Mancunian and ship mate Alice Wafer. Alice had been sent to the female factory for theft and her husband had either died or had abandoned her, leaving her to give up her 7 year old daughter. The new family can be seen living and farming on the 1828 muster at Anthony’s Creek (now Antonio’s Creek), Bathurst, along with James’ brother Leonard who had been convicted at Lancaster alongside him. A road and creek are still today called Cheetham’s Creek/Cheetham’s Flat Road for their farmstead.

The couple ran an unlicensed public house from their farmhouse ‘for wayfarers on the mountain road’ and as James was not free he was given a four year penal sentence in 1832. Whilst two years into his chain gang sentence there grew distrust between Elizabeth, James and Leonard his brother with James placing a newspaper request that only his brother, not Elizabeth be given any credit. Elizabeth countered that in the papers stating Leonard was trying to take her property (livestock), under the proviso of her husband and sell it and no one should buy anything from him. This was not heeded and Elizabeth sold 250 cattle, branded J.C which were then mysteriously herded away from the farm before they could be moved. We have no further records beyond this of Elizabeth. Her step daughter Mary Ann married the following year.