Date of Conviction: 11/01/1787

Age at Conviction: 21

Crime Convicted of: Theft

Court Convicted at: Lancaster Quarter Sessions (held at the Black Bull Inn Session Room, Preston)

Sentence Length: 7 Years

Ship Transported on: Prince of Wales

Where Arrived: Port Jackson, New South Wales

Departure Date: 13/05/1787

Arrival Date: 22/01/1788

Biography: Elizabeth was a servant and a single woman from the village of Chipping in the Ribble Valley. She had stolen a printed cotton gown belonging to Jennet Sturzaker the previous August.

On her arrival in the new colony, Elizabeth married William Connelly (ship- possiblyy Scarborough- though there is another William Connelly recorded as onboard Alexander who appears to die either 1787 or 1789 which confuses the situation) in the October and soon after they had a son (William Thomas) who died only months old. They were moved to Norfolk Island in 1790 onboard the HMS Sirius, which was wrecked on arrival. In June, Elizabeth was tried for keeping a kettle belonging to one of the sailors but was let off once she had returned it. The couple helped farm and cultivate the new colony. Over the next few years they had two more sons, one, unnamed, in October 1791, whose birth was recorded by Marine Officer Ralph Clark but who died soon after, and another (John) in 1793. With his freedom earned, around 1793 William abandoned his family and left Norfolk Island (recorded as on the Sugar Cane, though docked at Sydney). Elizabeth began a common law relationship with convict Thomas Hill (ship- Wiliam & Ann) and they had two daughters in 1794 (Mary) and Elizabeth (1796) who passed away only months old. By 1797, Elizabeth had formed a new relationship with James Waterson (ship- Albermarle) and they had a girl (Elizabeth) in 1797 and a boy (William) in 1799, followed by twin boys (Thomas and James) in 1802.

Elizabeth, James and their children left Norfolk Island like many others for Van Diemen’s Land in May 1808 onboard Estramina. Elizabeth’s eldest surviving son John either remained or had died before this time. One of their twins, Thomas, also died only months after their arrival. After many years together, in April 1812, Elizabeth and James married at St David’s in Hobart (and although possibly incidental, a William Connelly had died back in Sydney earlier that year). They farmed and provided supplies to the government from their Clarence Plains farm. Their youngest son James died aged only 26 in 1825.

Elizabeth died, aged around 68, on the 28th June 1835 and was buried at Hollow Oak Cemetery (now St Matthews) under a memorial stone.