Ann Best

Level 53

Beth Taylor on 4th October 2019

BEST, Ann (c1786-1829) Tried - 22 January 1812 Lancaster January Quarter Sessions In 1808 Ann Best was found guilty of larceny by the Lancaster October Sessions Court and served a term of 12 months in gaol. Ann was again accused of larceny in 1811, however, due to lack of evidence the case was dropped. At the 1812 Lancaster January Quarter Sessions Ann, aged 26 and a cotton picker, was tried again for the same crime and this time found guilty and received a sentence of 7 years transportation to NSW. The gaoler at Lancaster Castle Prison was given instructions to provide the female prisoners from Lancaster extra clothing for the journey, such as shoes, stockings, handkerchiefs, shifts and a jacket. Ann Best was first sent to the Colony in 1812 on the Emu and finally reached Sydney in 1814 on the Broxbornebury. BC: 1786 (Broxbornebury indent) 1808, Oct. – Ann Best was sentenced at Lancaster October Sessions for larceny & received a sentence of 12 months gaol. (Source: HO 27 Criminal Register Index 1805-1816 Lancashire, Vol. 23, by Stuart Tamblin, CD-ROM) 1811, Jan. – Ann Best was sentenced at Lancaster October Sessions for larceny & the judgment was “no bill”. (Source: HO 27 Criminal Register Index 1805-1816 Lancashire, Vol. 23, by Stuart Tamblin, CD-ROM) Sentenced: 22/01/1812 at Lancaster January Quarter Sessions to transportation for 7 years Crime: Larceny (Source: HO 27 Criminal Register Index 1805-1816 Lancashire, Vol. 23, by Stuart Tamblin, CD-ROM) Previous Occupation: Cotton Picker 1812 - ALSO ON SHIP EMU IN 1812 “Whitehall, 24 Sept. 1812 Sir, The Ship Emu which is appointed to convey Convicts to New South Wales, is lying at Woolwich in readiness to receive the Female Convicts named in the Margin; I am therefore to signify to you His Royal Highness the Prince Regent’s Pleasure in the Name and on Behalf of His Majesty that you do, on or before the 2 Oct. next, cause such Convicts to be removed from the Gaol at Lancaster on board that Ship, if their Heath should be such as to allow of heir Sentences being carried into Execution; and that each Convict be cleanly and properly cloathed (sic), as also provided with the additional Articles of Wearing Apparel under mentioned, and accompanied with a Surgeon’s Certificate of their being free from any infectious Sistemper, and in other Respects in a good State of Health, otherwise they will not be received on board, but will be returned to the Person who brings them. I am, Sir, Your most obedient humble Servant, [Lord] Sidmouth One spare Jacket or Gown One spare Petticoat Two spare Shifts Two spare Handkerchiefs Two spare Pare of Stockings One spare pair of Shoes Isabella Anderson Ann Best Alice Tomlinson Margaret Procter Jane White Martha Entwistle Mary Cunningham Ann Lord Bella Janson Mary Gleaves Recd. from Thos. Bunce (?) Keeper of HM Gaol Lancaster, the 10 Convicts who are mentioned in the Margin. John Brown” (Source: Copy of document from Lancaster Castle Archive # TRAN/25) Age on Convict Indent (Broxbornebury): 28 Certificate of Freedom 2261 (indent) 1814 Muster: Ann BETT (sic), Broxbornebury, con, on stores, FF, Parra (3283) c1819 - No marriage found for Ann & Patrick Flynn Child born to Patrick Flynn (Flinn) & Ann Best: • Edward FLYNN, born c1819 Airds, died 27/12/1819 Airds (Edward Flinn; Abode: District of Airds; Died 27 Dec 1819 [Airds district], Aged: 2 months, Cause: Convulsions; Buried 27 Dec 1819 [Liverpool] by [Reverend] Robert Cartwright; Registered at St Luke's Church of England Liverpool, Son of Patrick Flinn, & Ann Best. Source: St Luke's Church of England, Liverpool NSW: Church Register - Burials; ML ref: Reel SAG 92; Vol Entry# 80) 1822 Muster: Ann BEST, Broxbornebury, FBS, 7 years, employed by E. Hall, Liverpool (A00986). [No record found of E. Hall at Liverpool.] 1823-1825 Muster: Ann BEST, FS, Broxbornebury, 7 years, housekeeper to Edward Sims, Campbelltown (11887) [Edward Sims not found in Muster.] c1823 - 2) No marriage found for Ann Best & Edward Holt (c1771-?) [Edward Holt’s convict records were found on the indent of the ship Royal Admiral (1) which arrived in Sydney in 1791. Edward Holt, aged 20, tried Middlesex 11/09/1789, 7 years for larceny. [Note: Holt would later state it was the Albemarle.] Child born to Edward Holt & Ann Best: • Mary Ann HOLT, born c1823 (Mary Ann Holt, daughter of Edward Holt, & Ann Best, Baptised 29 Oct 1823 Airds, Registered at St Mary's Roman Catholic Sydney, Sponsor Louisa Nowlan; Additional Information: Mary Ann (Con); [Editor's Remarks: "Con:" probably stands for confirmation or conversion, or perhaps "conditional".] Source: St Mary's Roman Catholic Cathedral, Sydney NSW: Church Register - Baptisms; ML ref: Reel SAG 7) Airds, died? 1828 Census: Edward Holt, Age: 53, Protestant, Arrived per Albemarle 1791, 7 years, Free by Servitude; Labourer; lives at C S Dwyer [Cornelius Dwyer, CP per ship Atlas, aged 56, settler, & his wife Harriet]; Household Return district: Airds (H2099) also his wife – Mary A (?) Holt, Age: 44, Protestant, Arrived per Broxbornebury, 7 years; lives at C S Dwyer; Household Return district: Airds (A2100) & child – Mary A Holt, Age: 6, Protestant, Born in Colony; lives at C S Dwyer; Household Return district: Airds #H2101 1829, 2 Aug. - Ann Best, a free old woman, died 2 Aug 1829 of hydrops (?) disease, after 12 days treatment. Remarks – disease of long-standing, previous to her admittance to hospital. Ann Best, Free, Servant; Abode: Parramatta; Died [1829] [Parramatta], Aged: 42; Buried 3 Aug 1829 [Parramatta] by [Reverend] Samuel Marsden; Registered at St John's Church of England Parramatta] (Sources: SRNSW Female Factory Records, Reel 2802; 4/2094 p? & NSW Parish Church Register V1829-8601-2C & V1829-996-13) Nor record of death found for Edward Holt in NSW BDM indexes. Notes from the book “Journey to a New Life…” the story of the ships Emu & Broxbornebury by Elizabeth Hook (3rd ed. 2014). I am the author & can be contacted on tbeth3370@gmail.com for further info

Level 221

D Wong on 6th August 2019

Lancaster Gazette Lancashire, England 1 Feb 1812: Ann Best, for stealing wearing apparel; William Livesey, for stealing money, and James Pendleton, for stealing calico were sentenced to be transported for seven years.

Level 53

Beth Taylor on 6th August 2019

Occupation: Cotton picker

Level 53

Beth Taylor on 1st August 2019

Occupation: Cotton picker Although Ann was a free woman and apparently not there for a punishment, in 1829 Ann was ill in hospital at the Female Factory and she was described as “...a free old woman ... (suffering from) hydrops...disease of long standing, previous to her admittance to hospital.” Ann Best, aged only 43 (42 in the records), died at Parramatta on the 2nd of August 1829 and the funeral was held at St John’s. It is not known where or when her defacto husband Edward Holt died. Source: SRNSW Female Factory Records, Reel 2802; 4/2094