Criminal Records of Victorian Women Online

From the Times of Malta:

Thousands of Victorian criminal records giving details of female convicts, including a teenager jailed for five years for stealing an umbrella, were published online for the first time.

Family history website Ancestry.co.uk said more than 4,400 criminal records and 500 mugshots will be included in the collection.

Women and young girls featured in the records include Mary Richards, who was jailed for five years in 1880 at the age 59 for stealing 130 oysters valued at eight shillings; Elizabeth Murphy, 19, sentenced to five years of hard labour in 1884 and seven years of police supervision for stealing an umbrella; and Dorcas Mary Snell, 45, who was sentenced to five years of imprisonment with hard labour in 1883 for the theft of a single piece of bacon, although she was paroled two years later.

The website said the records, the originals of which are held by the National Archives, provide a picture of the “harsh” British judicial system at the time.

The site’s international content director Dan Jones said: “Crime is more often associated with men; however, these intriguing records shed light on some rather colourful female lawbreakers of their day and, given the petty nature of many of their crimes, also serves as a reminder of how harsh our judicial system was not so very long ago.”

Mary Bryant

Born in Cornwall England, Mary was the daughter of a family well-known for sheep-stealing. Mary was a wilful and adventurous young lass which led to her being sentanced to transportation to Australia (1786) for stealing. Mary arrived in Australia with the First Fleet (1788).

It was whilst serving her sentance that Mary rebelled against the harshness of the existence in the colony and the feeling of virtual banishment - she planned her escape. Mary organised provisions and muskets (guns); from a Dutch Captain, Mary obtained nautical equipment. With her husband and two children and companions, Mary made off with the Governor's cutter (ship).

The group travelled 5000 kilometers through the then unknown Barrier Reef and reached Timor. At first they were accepted as shipwreck survivors, however, the Dutch on Timor proved them to be otherwise. Mary and her family were transferred to Batavia - Mary's husband and son died here. Mary was sent back to England for trial, but on the voyage her daughter died.

Through the influence of the newspapers in England, the mandatory death sentance for escaped convicts was quashed. The writer James Boswell sponsored Mary anonymously. Mary returned to her native Cornwall and remarried, fading into obscurity.

Mary Reiby (1777 - 1855)

Pioneering Businesswoman

Originally from Bury, Lancashire, England, Mary Reibey was convicted of horse-stealing and sentenced to 7 years transportation at the age of 13yo. She arrived in Sydney Australia on the "Royal Admiral" (1792) and was assigned as a nursemaid in the household of Major Francis Grose.

Mary married Thomas Reibey (Sept 1794), a young Irishman in the service of the East India Company. The first years of married life were spent farming on the Hawkesbury River. Reibey then extended his activities to grain transport and importing general merchandise, naming his establishment in Macquarie Place - Entally House - after a suburb in Calcutta.

On the death of both her husband and his partner Edward Wills, Mary was left with 7 children and complete control of numerous businesses. She was a hotel-keeper and already experienced in assisting her husband when he was absent on voyages. Mary soon became prosperous, and gradually rose to respectability and affluence. She soon became a favourite of Governor Macquarie.

Gradually retiring from active business, Mary began to take an active interest in the church, education and charity. She was appointed (1825) on of the governors of the Free Grammar School. Her three sons followed their parents' lead and established mercantile and shipping ventures in Tasmania, and her grandson was archdeacon of Launceston and Premier of Tasmania.

The Parramatta Female Factory

From the Parramatta Sun:

Local MPs and Parramatta Heritage Centre members are furious that work has begun to turn one of Australia’s most important buildings into an IT centre.

The Parramatta Female Factory, now part of Cumberland Hospital, is the oldest surviving female convict structure in Australia.

To Parramatta Heritage Centre curator Gay Hendriksen it is an irreplaceable piece of women’s history.

Parramatta Federal MP Julie Owens called it ‘‘incredibly important’’ and said to not preserve it would devalue women’s contribution to Australia.

But when The Sun visited the site last Monday work had already begun on the third-class sleeping quarters building despite assurances that the renovations had not yet been approved.

A Convict's Life

So what happened to a convict once he or she arrived in Australia. Firstly, upon departing the ship, the convicts were sent to a barracks where they would find out exactly how their sentence was to be served.

The worst of the convicts were transported to prison settlements, where hard labour was their reward - and supervision was of the most severe kind. Those who committed crimes or behaved "badly" were then sent to prisons of even more stringent rules and regulations - Port Arthur or Norfolk Island. The conditions of these two penal settlements was so harsh and terrible, that a number of convicts took their own lives rather than endure these conditions.

Most convicts, however, were employed by the Government or were assigned to "free settlers". Work was undertaken in towns or farms. However, the fate or conditions of a convict rested in the mood or character of his or her master.

If the master was of a considerate nature, the convict might have enough food and comfortable conditions. Good behaviour led to the opportunity of obtaining a "ticket of leave" or even a pardon. With a "ticket of leave" a convict might work freely in a district, reporting to the local magistrate at regular periods. This system can be likened to the modern-day "parole" system. However, a convict could not own land until his or her sentence was fully served. A conditional pardon granted the convict freedom and restoration of all legal rights - on the condition that he or she did not return to England until the full sentence had expired. A pardon could only be granted at the discretion of the Governor.

However, if a master were harsh or cruel, the convict lived in daily fear of being whipped, even for the most trivial or imagined offences. This threat kept the convicts in a constant state of submission. Worse still, a convict may find themselves sentenced to hard labour.

For convicts assigned to farmers - and later "squatters" - life could be one of hazard and loneliness. Others were assigned to the labour intensive quarrying, road and bridge construction.

Those convicts who were lucky enough to find employment with the Government were usually those who had some skill. Having a skill greatly improved the prospects of a convict. Skilled tradesmen were in constant demand to undertake the construction of government buildings; other may be employed in government stores; other found employment in the homes of prosperous settlers.

Essentially, convicts provided cheap - and expendable - labour for a colony that was undergoing growth and the arrival of new settlers.

Bound For Botany Bay

"And we're bound for Botany Bay"

With the independence of the United States in 1776, Britain found itself without an avenue for disposing of its more anti-social elements. In the past, Britain had transported over 40,000 convicts to the United States since 1717. Transportation had not only been used as a judicial deterrant but as a cheap means of guaranteeing labour in the colonies.

However, both the population and the crime rate in Britain had exploded by the mid 18th century. Changes were taking place in agriculture and industry, and economic hardships were faced by many of the population.

As a temporary solution to Britain's prison woes, convicts were imprisoned aboard "hulks" - ships in permanent anchorage on the River Thames. But soon these too proved inadequate for the vast numbers of prisoners. Overcrowding became a serious issue. But what to do with these prisoners.

In 1779, a Committee of the House of Commons was established. It found that over 1000 convicts would need to be transported each year to alleviate the prison crisis. After dismissing South Africa, West Africa, Canada and the West Indies, a newly discovered continent was put forward for consideration.

Sir Joseph Banks - noted botanist - and James Matra - shipmate of Cook - suggested that Botany Bay would not only make a useful naval and trading station, but also a suitable colony. It wasn't until August 1786 that Lord Sydney announced the founding of Botany Bay. And in October 1786, Captain Arthur Philip was named the first Governor.

Further Research:

Disrupting the Boundaries - Resistance & Convict Women

Convict Ships to Australia

Convict Central

Molly Morgan (1762 - 1835)

City Foundress

Molly Morgan was transported to Australia (1790) for stealing hemp from a linen factory. Joined by her husband, Molly opened a shop in Parramatta (suburb of Sydney). She then escaped from Australia, without her husband, in the ship the "Resolution" and returned to England. In England she bigamously contracted a second marriage, but was then accused by this second husband of burning down their house. Molly was charged and transported again to Australia (1804).

Back in Australia, Molly acquired another husband (her third) and together they bought some land. However, Molly was caught branding government cattle as her own and she was sent to Newcastle Penal Colony. For her good behaviour, Molly was sent with a party settlers to the Maitland area (1819) and was given some land for settlement. Here Molly opened a wine shanty which became quite popular due to it being on the route to the north of Australia.

Aged 61yo, Molly acquired a fourth husband - and one that was much younger then herself. her shanty became the Angel Inn, which prospered as more lands were granted to her. Molly's business expanded and her Inn marked the beginnings of the City of Maitland. After her own creature comforts were dealt with, Molly helped those less fortunate, dealt out summary justice and medicine to the sick, and donated freely to set up church and schools.

Mary Wade (1778-1859)

Pioneering Australian Matriarch

From the age of 10yo, Mary spent her days sweeping the streets of London as a means of begging. Young Mary was one of a large family of a single mother living in poverty. With another child - said to be 14yo - Mary stole the clothes off a small 8yo girl and pawned them. However, young Mary was turned in by yet another child; she was arrested, and brought before the court. Both young girls were condemned to be hanged. Mary spent 93 days in the notorious Newgate Prison till her sentence was commuted to transportation for life, to Australia. Mary was transferred to the ship the "Lady Juliana" of the Second Fleet.

Mary arrived in Australia barely 11yo (c.1789) - the voyage from England to Australia took 11 months. It was not an unusual practice for the officers aboard to take a mistress from the female convicts for the duration of the voyage. Once in the colony, most female convicts were assigned to free-men - ostensibly as house servants. There was no record of who was Mary's master, nor was there any record as to who the father of her first two children was. The first child was born on Norfolk Island before her 15th birthday (c.1793), the other was born two years later (c.1795).

Mary was taken from Norfolk Island to Sydney. Here she lived in a tent, where she gave birth to a third child by a emancipated Irish transportee, Teague Harrigan - who joined a whaling expedition three years later. After this Mary married, and lived with her husband Jonathon Brooker near the Hawkesbury River (1809). It was here that Mary raised her family which numbered 21 children, seven of which lived to have their own children.

When Mary became emancipated, she and her family moved and established a farm at Airds, in Campbelltown, New South Wales. Mary and her husband owned 30 acres (1822) until bushfires destroyed their property (1823) - and Jon's livelihood (he was a carpenter by trade and his tools were all destroyed). The family was destitute. But they recovered. Mary (50s) and Jon (68yo) went on to own 62 acres in Illawarra (1828). Here Mary lived till Jon's death (1833), and then her own death (1859). Mary's funeral service was the very first to be held in St Paul's Church of England church, Fairy Meadow - her son donated the land on which the church was built.

Margaret Catchpole (1762 - 1819)

Female Convict & Midwife

Born in Ipswich, England, Margaret grew up a country girl. Margaret showed courage and daring when she rode bareback to fetch a doctor for a sick neighbour. In her mid-20s, Margaret linked up with a smuggler and stole a horse to meet him in London. She was sentenced to death for horse-stealing. However, Margaret was reprieved and gaoled for 7 years. After 2 years in prison, Margaret's lover arranged for her escape but he was killed in the attempt and she was re-arrested. Again sentenced to death, Margaret was again reprieved - this time she was transported to Australia for life.

Margaret arrived in Sydney aged 39yo (c.1801). She was assigned as a servant to a government official. Two years later, Margaret proved so hardworking and resourceful that she was sent to Richmond Hill to act as midwife to a Mrs Rouse, farmer's wife. The farmer was so impressed by her that he made Margaret farm overseer.

Margaret later opened a general store and acted as local midwife. She died, probably from pneumonia, after making a midwifery call in bad weather.

Hobart Female Factory

From ABC News:

A major new artwork has been commissioned to honour convict women at the Hobart Female Factory.

Shirley McCarron from the Female Factory Historic Site says $160,000 is needed for the sculpture, which is the first of three pieces planned for the former prison.

Ms McCarron says the artwork will stand in the grounds of the Female Factory, in South Hobart, representing the spirit of convict women.

"[It will be a] larger-than-life-sized bronze scultpture of a convict woman with a child clinging to her skirts, and she's standing at a glass door that represents her leaving her normal life and going into the life of a convict."

The second artwork will depict women arriving on Hobart's waterfront, and the third will comprise a series of plaques featuring convict women's names, to be placed throughout the city.

Ms McCarron says there is growing acceptance of convict heritage.

"There's been very little written about the women and not a great deal of interest, and indeed many families didn't want to acknowledge that they had a woman convict.

"That's changed dramatically, and people are very interested and wanting to research their history," she said.

The Female Factory Historic Site Foundation anticipates the first sculpture will be installed late next year.