Elizabeth Durant

75

iain Frazier on 24th June 2026

Family connections for Elizabeth (Durant) are: Replacing my Contribution of Nov 2025 DURANT Elizabeth (Durant aka Williams) was born about 1783. She arrived in NSW as a convict on 10 10 1811 after a voyage of 7months on FRIENDS. She married William (Herbert) on 16 6 1812 at St Johns CofE Parramatta. She died in May 1814 age about31. [However, this Website shows that she, having arrived on ADMIRAL GAMBIER-accompanying FRIENDS, married a different William (Herbert) who is mentioned in entry for John (Herbert CHARLOTTE 1788) on this Website] [Some details taken from this Website; where 2entries are found] William (Herbert) was born about 1764. He was tried at probably Old Bailey, sentenced to Life, held at Middlesex Gaol Delivery & arrived in NSW as a convict on 7 5 1804 after a voyage of 6months on COROMANDEL. [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.

110

Ron Garbutt on 17th March 2020

Also known as Mary Sullivan Convicted: Middlesex Gaol Delivery, Old Bailey, London, 6 June 1810 Crime: Violent theft Age: 28 Sentence: 7 years Tried as Elizabeth Durant alias Elizabeth Sullivan Elizabeth picked up a man in the street in the London district of St Giles and took him to the Turk’s Head, where she drank gin. William Gardener was a waterman from Gloucestershire with a wife and family at home. Elizabeth told him it would cost half a crown to spend the night with her and he accepted. She took him back to her rooms in Church Lane, where she asked him for 18p to pay for her lodging. Gardener handed over more money to pay for some liquor and Elizabeth called on Mary Kite and Elizabeth Ellis to fetch it. Gardener fell asleep and when he awoke he found his watch gone, along with 9 shillings and a bundle of clothes he had with him. The women were still in the room and Gardener placed himself against the door to prevent them escaping until they surrendered his belongings. By morning, Mary Kite was all for murdering him and she took up a large pair of bellows, Elizabeth took up an iron bar and Mary Ellis a pewter pot. Together the women attacked Gardener. He managed to escape out the door and find a night watchman to assist him. All three women were arrested and convicted and sentenced to transportation. Both Elizabeth and Mary Kite travelled on the Friends. Sources: Old Bailey 6 June 1810 http://friendsconvictship.com/convict-women/

105

Denis Pember on 10th February 2017

In the colony, Elizabeth married William Herbert: William Herbert of the parish of St John Parramatta and Elizabeth Durant of ditto were married in this church by banns this sixteenth day of June in the year one thousand eight hundred and twelve by me Samuel Marsden William signed the register and Elizabeth made her X mark, in the presence of John Moss and Elizabeth Moss who both made their X marks in the register. William had been born in the colony in December 1791 and was the son of John Herbert (First Fleet Convict, 1788, “Charlotte”) and Deborah Ellam (First Fleet Convict, 1788, “Prince of Wales”).

105

Denis Pember on 1st February 2017

OLD BAILEY TRIAL (www.oldbaileyonline.org) t18100607-70 Elizabeth Durant Jun 06 1810, Assault and Stealing. ELIZABETH DURANT , alias, SULLIVAN , MARY KITE , and ELIZABETH ELLIS , were indicted for feloniously making an assault upon William Gardener , on the 25th of April , putting him in fear, and feloniously taking from his person and against his will, a watch, value 2 l. a silver breast buckle, value 5 s. a shirt, value 2 s. a pair of stockings, value 1 s. three handkerchiefs, value 3 s. and nine shillings , his property. WILLIAM GARDENER . I am a waterman ; I live at Lechrade, Gloucestershire; I have a wife and a family of children. On the 15th of April last I was in St. Giles's, I met with Elizabeth Durant, she asked me to give her a glass of gin; we went to the Turk's Head, I gave her what she desired; I called for a pint of beer, she sat herself alongside of me. I called for another pint of beer, and repeated it to the third; she then asked me if I was going to reside in that part of the town that evening, if I was she had an excellent bed and a room, if I would put my body under her care: I asked her the expence, she told me half a crown; I granted the request. She piloted me home to a room in Church-lane, St. Giles's ; when I came there she asked me for eighteen pence to pay for her lodging; I gave her the eighteen pence, and in a minute and a half after she asked me if I meaned to send for any liquor for supper. Q. What time of night was this - A. Ten o'clock. She said she should like a drop of gin; I told her I was not partial to gin, if she would send for a drop of beer, well and good; I gave her a shilling more; she called Kite and Ellis into the room where I was in the second story; she sent them for the liquor, they were gone rather longer than ordinary, I being very tired and wearisome asked Durant's consent to lay down upon her bed till they came back. Q. Had you been to work that day - A. I had moored the craft that morning that I had come in with. Q. Besides the liquor that you had with Durant had you drank more liquor than that - A. Yes; I had drank my mooring beer, which is a pint allowed. When I met Durant I was sober. Q. When you asked her to lie down upon the bed were you sober - A. I was as sober as I am now. Q. Have you been drinking any thing this morning - A. I had a little saloop, and one pint of half and half. Q. When you asked her to lie down did you lie down upon the bed - A. Yes; I fell asleep. Q. Before you went to lie down upon the bed what money had you in your pocket - A. I handed my watch up to see what o'clock it was; I had nine shillings in my pocket; I had a loose great coal, tied with two pieces of rope yarn, and a bundle in that coat pocket containing a shirt, a pair of stockings, and three handkerchiefs. After I fell asleep Durant shook me by the shoulder and asked me whether I meaned to have any of the liquor that I sent for; I told her that I wanted rest more than I did any thing to drink; before I went to bed I laid my great coat on the feet of the bed; I arose from off the bed and told them that I would drink; they were all three in the room then; I got up and found the waistband of my breeches slack, on my examining it it was cut in two with some instrument; I felt in my pocket, my money was gone, and my watch was cut out of my fob, I examined the pocket of the great coat, the bundle was gone. I put my shoes on; I told the girls that they had been serving me in a clandestine manner, and if they did not surrender my property I should look for further assistance; they began to threaten me with terrible fury and oaths; Kite said, blast his eyes, if he pretends to say any thing about his property, murder him. I told them to have a little mercy, as I was a stranger, and give me permission to abide in the room that night; they all three laid down upon the bed with their clothes on, I placed myself across the room door to hinder them from escaping; I placed myself in that situation all night, I had enough to do, sometimes they were asleep, sometimes they were domineering over me, and at break of day light Sullivan got out of bed and laid on my big coat upon the floor. When it was broad day light Ellis got out of bed and demanded the door to be opened; I told her I did not object it, if she would deliver my property up to me; Kite rolled herself off the bed, and said, do not stand hesitating about him, let us do the b - r; I said, what do you mean by doing of me; she said, murder the b - r. Kite took up a large pair of bellows, Durant took up an iron bar which burned in the fire, Ellis took up a quart pewter pot, they came to me with great fury; I got Kite in the center, Durant to the right, and Ellis to the left; they struck me, and repeated their blows as long as their strength would hold out. I found myself weak, I thought I must take some other means. Q. Did you cry out for assistance - A. I did not, the engagement was too sharp; I made at Durant, but catched Kite, I threw her athwart the room with as much vengeance as I could, she received her fall upon the bed; the other two drew back, which gave me time to open the door; I went down stairs as fast as I could, I left my great coat behind me; luckily I heard the watchman sing out the hour or five, at my second call he came to my assistance; I told him that I had been robbed in the night and nearly liked to be murdered about a minute ago; I told him that was the entrance of the nest, and the birds were up stairs. On our going up stairs Kite and Ellis escaped from the room where we were all night into a different apartment; as they were crossing the top of the stairs I heard one of them say, if we had murdered the b - r, as we proposed, it would have been all snug enough. I went up stairs with the watchman into the apartment where they resided all night, there was Durant by herself, the mother of all the mischief, I contracted with her for the bed; I gave the watchman charge of her, he took her to the watchhouse. Q. Was the searched when taken to the watchhouse - A. Not till the others were taken. We went back directly and found Kite and Ellis just come down stairs at the door, they were taken to the watchhouse; they were searched, a watch was found on Kite, between her breast and under her arm, in a kind of a pocket in her shift. These are the breeches that I have on now, the waistband is cut in two. Durant. Did you not give me the watch to keep for the night till the pawnbrokers were open - A. I never gave you the watch, so help me God. Durant. I gave Kite the watch in his presence - A. I never saw the watch from the time I handed it up to see what o'clock it was, till I saw it in the watchman's hands. WILLIAM EDMONDS . I am a watchman of St. Giles's. On the 25th of April, past five o'clock, I was opposite Church-lane, the prosecutor called me, I went to him, he took me to the house where the robbery was done, and conducted me up stairs, he went first, and just as I put my foot on the third stair I heard a woman say, the b - r is charging the watchman with us, had we murdered him according to our proposal it would all have been snug enough. I did not see any body go out of the room because I was behind him. He opened the room door and said here is the mother of the mischief, pointing to Durant; I took her to the watch-house, and delivered her to the constable. I went back with Gardener, I saw Kite and Ellis somewhere near about the door, I took Kite and the patrol took Ellis, we delivered them to the constable. CHARLES STRAY . I was constable of the night. On the morning of the 26th of April the watchman and Gardener brought in Durant to me, and in about three quarter of an hour Ellis and Kite were brought in; I searched Durant and Ellis, I found nothing; I saw Kite shifting her hands about her bosom, I put my hand nearly under her armpit, I found a silver watch, she said she found it on the stairs. I found nothing else. JOSHUA PEENE . I am a patrol. On my going down George-street I met the watchman and Gardener, he told me he had been robbed in Church-lane; I told him there were two or three suspicious characters in Church-lane; I went with him there, he pointed out Kite and Ellis; they were standing talking to another woman about four doors from the house where he had been robbed; I told him to be quiet for fear they should make a run; I went beyond them and crossed over, Ellis ran down the lane, the prosecutor took her. I took Kite and conveyed her to the watchhouse. Durant's Defence. I knew this man for some years by coming to the Black Dog and the Turk's Head, and he mostly, when he came out of the country, sent for me. I was at work all that day; he sent for me, I told him I could not come until I came from work and when I had done work I went to him; he said I am short of money, I have not got above two shillings, take me home, my girl; I said, you must make it more than two shillings; he said, I will pawn the watch and give you five shillings, and give you something to drink; I said it was too late. He gave me the watch, and in the morning he wanted to take it away from me. As he was kicking up the row I reached the watch to Kite. Ellis was never in nor near the place. Kite's Defence. I live in the same house. I heard this man and woman a quarreling. I went into the room, this man went to hit her several times; I said, do not hit her, what she has got she will give it you. She gave me the watch and told me to keep it. Ellis's Defence. I was down stairs, and when the watchman was coming by I was talking to a young woman that came from Covent Garden with flowers; he pointed to me; I said I knew nothing of it. I attempted to go away, he stopped me. DURANT - GUILTY, aged 28. KITE - GUILTY, aged 24. ELLIS - GUILTY, aged 26. Of stealing from the person, but not violently. Transported for Seven Years . First Middlesex jury, before Mr.Baron Graham.