Date of Conviction: 17/07/1820

Age at Conviction: 23

Crime Convicted of: Theft

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

Sentence Length: 7 Years

Ship Transported on: Providence

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

Departure Date: 06/06/1821

Arrival Date: 18/12/1821

Biography: Mary had stolen clothing at Manchester belonging to James Booth. She had born in Carlisle and was an unmarried servant. She was described whilst in Lancaster Castle as having a fresh complexion with grey eyes and brown hair. She was stoutly built, 5ft 3 tall and had a severe burn mark under her chin and another on left arm. She already had two previous convictions at Salford in 1818 and 1819.

Mary was sent to the female factory on arrival where it was noted her proper name was ‘Johnson’. I April 1822, she absconded from her employer Mr Spode at New Norfolk and was on the run for a month before she was captured and sentenced to hard labour for a month and fed only on bread and water for a week and had to sit weekly in the stocks. Mary married fellow convict John Smith (ship- Maria) in August 1822.

She had been returned to the female factory at the time of the 1823 muster and whilst there in October of that she she was given a week on bread and water for adding water to the yarn she had been made to spin to increase its weight and get off work sooner. By 1827, Mary was employed at the hospital and from here, she absconded in June, and was found in the house of John Blundell, a Constable, earning her another week in the cells.

Mary was given her certificate of freedom in July 1827. In 1829, now free, she was bound over to keep the peace for a year for threatening to strike and maim a Catherine Blay. This is the last record for Mary, she died and was buried at Launceston in January 1830.