Date of Conviction: 24/10/1825

Age at Conviction: 18

Crime Convicted of: Theft

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

Sentence Length: 7 Years

Ship Transported on: Providence (2)

Where Arrived: Hobart, Van Diemen’s Land (Tasmania)

Departure Date: 08/12/1825

Arrival Date: 16/05/1826

Biography: Charlotte had stolen clothing at Manchester. She was a dressmaker, recorded as single and having been born at Booth St, Manchester. She was noted as having a rather sallow complexion with brown hair, brown eyes, a scar on her forehead and another on her upper lip and was 5ft 4. She was tattooed with the initials ‘ST’ and ‘JxJ’ on her left arm and had seven dots and a band/ring around her fourth finger on her left hand. Charlotte had already been imprisoned twice in the New Bailey jail in Salford, Manchester for theft of money from the person and for another clothing theft.

Within two months of arrival, Charlotte has absconded from her employer and was on the run for several weeks and was sent to the female factory for three months. This then starts of chain of continual absconding, insolence and being drunk and disorderly throughout 1827 resulting in time in the stocks, longer stays of six months, then twelve months in the female factory (including in solitary confinement and on bread and water) and having her head shaved. On one of these occasions she was found in the home of James Johnston, husband to Mary Townley. There is no mention of whether Mary was home! Charlotte continued to abscond from or refuse to work for whoever and wherever she was placed. Whilst in the service of Mr Walker, JP, in December 1828, Charlotte ran away and was discovered in bed with four free men at Garth’s Hut, Rushy Lagoon along with another female runaway, Sarah Johnson; earning her more than six months at the factory. The same patterns carry on throughout 1830, 31 and 32 including Charlotte assaulting an Eliza Jones whilst in the female factory at Georgetown.

Charlotte spent seven years fighting against the convict system. She gained her freedom in October 1832 but only enjoyed it for just over one year. She died at Launceston in early January 1834, aged 28, free by servitude and was buried at the Cypress Street Cemetery.