Mary Clark

75

iain Frazier on 21st April 2024

Family connections for Mary (Clark/e) are: CLARK/E Mary (Clark/e) was born about 1780. She may have married. She was servant to David (Sydie) at Goodmans Fields London when she stole table cloth etc from him on 28 3 1805. She was tried at Old Bailey on 10 7 1805 & sentenced to 12months in house of correction. She was tried again on the same day for stealing hat etc, on 29 6 1805, of John (Messenger) of Whitechapel & found guilty. She was tried a third time on the same day for stealing bag etc, on 26 6 1805, of Mary (Gray) of Whitechapel, sentenced to 7years, held at Middlesex Gaol Delivery & arrived in NSW as a convict on 12 7 1806 after a voyage of 6.5months on ALEXANDER; she was perhaps sent to Womens Factory Parramatta. She married Joseph (Fidden) on 13 4 1807 at St Johns CofE Parramatta, lived at Ryde & produced 4children. She was Free by Servitude by 1813. She died on 5 2 1860 age80. [Some details taken from this Website] Joseph (Fidden) was born about 1778. He was tried for theft of paint etc at Maidstone Kent Assizes in July 1799, sentenced to death reprieved to 7years & arrived in NSW as a convict on 12 6 1801 after a voyage of 10.5months on EARL CORNWALLIS. He leased property at Parramatta where he farmed wheat & maize & would have met his future wife at Parramatta, perhaps by selection at the Female Factory. He was Free by Servitude by 1808. In about 1814 he moved to Lane Cove (Kur-ing-gai). On 5 4 1821 he was granted 40acres at Killara (Fiddens Wharf Rd) & became a sawyer & timber getter & boatman during the 1820s-50s. He was hard working & industrious, rowing the boat loaded with timber from Fiddens Wharf to Market Wharf Darling Harbour. He moved to 156 Kent St Sydney in 1850s, where he died on 17 4 1856 age about77 & was buried at St Stephens cemetery Camperdown Newtown. [Some details taken from this Website] Reference: Craig James Smee 'Births and Baptisms Marriages and Defacto Relationships Deaths and Burials New South Wales 1788-1830' ..a complete listing from church & other records in the early colony.

43

Darryl Buley on 12th May 2022

Mary was transported to the Colony in 1805 after being sentenced for theft in Middlesex, England. She was 22 years old when she arrived. She would have been sent to work at the "Womens' Factory in Parramatta". Joseph Fidden, a convict was farming wheat and maize on a property he leased near Parramatta. Joseph would have visited the Womens' Factory and chosen Mary to be his wife. They married in 1807 at St John's Church of England in Parramatta. At that time the Womens' Factory was located in the upper rooms of the Old Parramatta Gaol situated on the northern bank of the Parramatta River. The first Parramatta Gaol was built in 1796 and was a 100 ft long log walled structure enclosed within a high paling fence. In 1799 it was damaged in a fire and building work was not completed until early 1804, at which time weaving looms were established at the site with Master Weaver George Mealmaker appointed to oversee operations. The weaving establishment was known as the "Factory above the Gaol" and it was here in two upper rooms each measuring 80 x 20 feet, that convict women worked and slept among the bales of wool. A new "Female Factory" was built in 1816. After Mary's marriage to Joseph, three children were born and their births registered at St John's in Parramatta. Joseph was later granted land along the Lane Cove River on the southern border of Killara. Their fourth child Maria was born in 1813 at Lane Cove. They lived on the river bank in a hut built by Joseph for about 25 years, near the wharf where Joseph worked by gathering timber and transporting it along the Lane Cove River to Sydney. The wharf became known as "Fidden's Wharf". It is believed Joseph was a very strong and well built man who rowed his boat loaded with timber twice each day into the Wharf at Darling Harbour, Sydney. Fidden's Wharf Road was the first road built in the Kur-ring-gai Shire and joins the Pacific Highway at Killara to the Lane Cove River in the early 1800's allowing boats and ferries to load passengers and mostly timber in the early days. Goods would be transported along this road to the river and taken by ferry or riverboat to Sydney.

43

Darryl Buley on 12th May 2022

Old Bailey Proceedings Online (www.oldbaileyonline.org, version 6.0, 18 March 2012), July 1805, trial of MARY CLARKE (t18050710-40). ________________________________________ MARY CLARKE, Theft > grand larceny, 10th July 1805. 500. MARY CLARKE was indicted for feloniously stealing, on the 28th of March , a table cloth, value 3 s. a pair of breeches, value 1 s. a waistcoat, value 6 d. two blankets, value 2 s. a pillow-case,value 2 s. two frocks, value 1 s. 6 d. a shirt, value 1 s. a pair of shoes, value 1 d. and a pair of sheets, value 3 s. 6 d. the property of David Sydie . DAVID SYDIE sworn. - I live at No. 55, Chamber's-street, Goodman's-fields ; I keep the house, I am a labouring man ; having lost my wife, I hired the prisoner as a servant about the 11th or 12th of December last, she continued there till the 28th or 29th of March; about the 6th or 8th of March, I missed some articles of wearing apparel; she confessed that she had pledged them, and when I found she had left me, I applied for a warrant; I heard nothing of her till the 4th of June; I applied to the pawnbroker's and found some of the articles; I lost more articles than are in the indictment. DANIEL HILL sworn. - I am a pawnbroker, in Cable-street, Rosemary-lane; I produce two blankets and a table-cloth; I can only swear to one of the duplicates, the rest are not my writing; I took the table-cloth on the 27th of March, of the prisoner, in the name of Mary Clark . - BOWMAN sworn. - I am a pawnbroker's servant; I produce two sheets, a shirt, and a handkerchief pledged by the prisoner; I am sure of the person of the prisoner. EDWARD CUMBER sworn. - I am an officer belonging to the Police-office, Shadwell: On June the 4th, David Sydie came to me, and told me, that a woman had robbed him; I took the woman in charge; I found all these duplicates upon her; here is a table-spoon it was taken from the prisoner. (The property identified by the prosecutor.) Prisoner's defence. This man took me in to look after his family; with that, I lived with him as a wife; he did not allow sufficient for his children; I pledged these things to support them. (Prosecutor.) It is quite the reverse; I never knew they were pawned; I am not that sort of a person. The prisoner called two witnesses, who gave her a good character. GUILTY . Confined twelve months in the House of Correction , and fined 1 s. First Middlesex Jury, before Mr. Recorder. Old Bailey Proceedings Online (www.oldbaileyonline.org, version 6.0, 18 March 2012), July 1805, trial of MARY CLARKE (t18050710-54). ________________________________________ MARY CLARKE, Theft > housebreaking, 10th July 1805. 485. MARY CLARKE was indicted for feloniously breaking and entering the dwelling-house of John Messenger , about the hour of five in the afternoon, on the 29th of June , no person being therein, and feloniously stealing therein, a hat, value 1 s. a pair of shoes, value 1 d. three pair of stockings, value 3 s. a piece of check cloth, value 4 d. a flat iron, value 4 d. three caps, value 1 s. 6 d. and a piece of silk ribbon, value 1 d. the property of the said John . MARY MESSENGER sworn. - I live at No. 23, Church-lane, Whitechapel ; my husband's name is John Messenger , he is a glass-blower by trade: The prisoner at the bar broke open my room-door on Saturday, the 29th of June, about five o'clock in the afternoon; I came home, and saw a mob at the door, I went out in the morning to a day's work at half after five. Q. What do you accuse her of? - A. Taking of three pair of stockings, a hat, a pair of shoes, an iron, two cloth caps, and a muslin cap, and a ribbon. Q. Who did you leave at home? - A. No one; I had the key of my room in my pocket, my husband was in the country a hay-making. Q. How did you know that she had got in? - A. A neighbour in the next room told me; she had fastened the door with this poker, and when I got in, she told me to do my best and my worst, I should find nothing on her; I found her sitting in the room with a piece of my bed-gown. Q. Where were your things? - A. They were outside of the door on the landing-place; my neighbour rapped at the door, she would not let her in; I went to my landlord, he got in at the window, and let me in. - COOMBES sworn. - On Saturday, the 29th of June, between five and six o'clock in the evening, I was fetched to No. 22, Back Church-lane; when I went up stairs, I saw the prisoner in Messenger's room, and this bundle was on the outside of the room on the landing-place; the staple of the door had been drawn out, and it was lying loose on the floor; I took her down stairs, and searched her; she had nothing on her but this ribbon and this thread rolled together down her bosom; she said that the woman that was with her had gone away with the rest of the things; I produce the things that I found - a pair of shoes, a hat, a piece of check cloth, and a ribbon. (The property identified by the prosecutrix.) Prisoner's defence. About half past three o'clock, I came from Milk-street with an acquaintance; she said to me, Mrs. Clarke, will you come along with me, and have a cup of tea; I said, no, I thank you; she said, about a quarter of an hour before she went up, she should be obliged to break her door open; I said, I will not come up; she said, you may come up; I went up and sat down, and she took a piece of coarse cloth off the table, and said, I am going to buy two mackerel; she said she would not stay long, for if her husband came up, he would kill me and her; says she, hewill kick you down stairs; I staid in the room till she got down stairs; there was an alarm made, and they kept me in the room. GUILTY, aged 25, Of stealing to the value of 4 s. 10 d. Second Middlesex Jury, before Mr. Recorder. Old Bailey Proceedings Online (www.oldbaileyonline.org, version 6.0, 18 March 2012), July 1805, trial of MARY CLARKE (t18050710-55). ________________________________________ MARY CLARKE, Theft > burglary, 10th July 1805. 486. MARY CLARKE was again indicted for feloniously breaking and entering the dwelling-house of Mary Gray , between the hours of five and six o'clock in the evening, on the 26th of June , and feloniously stealing a bag, value 1 d. a flat iron, value 4 d. a pair of pattens, value 6 d. ten gilt edged pictures, value 2 s. 6 d. ten blue edged plates, value 2 s. 6 d. half a dozen cups and saucers, value 2 s. 6 d. a china soup tureen, value 2 s. a tea caddie, value 2 s. a tea canister, value 6 d. a pair of gloves, value 6 d. a key, value 1 d. and a thimble, value one farthing, the property of Mary Gray . MARY GRAY sworn. - I live at No. 22, Back Church-lane, Whitechapel ; I am a single woman . Q. Do you keep a house? - A. No, a room; my landlady lives two doors beyond: On the 26th of June, about ten o'clock in the morning, I went to work, I am a tobacco spinner; I returned about six in the evening, and found my door broken open; I missed a canvas bag, a flat iron, a pair of pattens, ten gold edged pictures, ten blue edged plates, half a dozen cups and saucers, a tureen, a tea caddle, a canister, a pair of gloves, a key and a thimble. Q. Did you find these things afterwards? - A. On the 29th, when she broke into the other room, the officer searched her, and found my gloves, key, and thimble, and the ticket of my flat iron; the staple was drawn from my door. ROBERT COOMBES sworn. - I am an officer belonging to Whitechapel; on searching the prisoner on the 29th, I found a bag, a pair of gloves, a key, a thimble, and two duplicates, which the prisoner owned; one of the duplicates led to a flat iron, the property of the prosecutrix. The prisoner did not say any thing in her defence. GUILTY, aged 25, Of stealing to the value of 4 s. 10 d. Transported for seven years . Second Middlesex Jury, before Mr. Recorder.

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ELIZABETH SCIBERRAS on 19th June 2021

Married Joseph Fidden in Parramatta, 13 April 1807.