Catherine Edwards

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iain Frazier on 27th October 2025

Family connections for Catherine Mary (Edwards) are: EDWARDS Catherine Mary (Edwards) was born in 1763. She may have married firstly (1of3) a ??? (Everitt) with whom she produced a son. She was tried at Dublin city, sentenced to 7years & arrived in NSW as a convict with her son John (Edwards age2 (who was born in 1788 in Ireland, died 24 10 1791 at Rose Hill & was buried at St Johns CofE Parramatta) on 26 9 1791 after a voyage of 5months on Fleet ship QUEEN. She had a second (2of3) relationship with Timothy (Driscoll) & produced 1child. About 1792 while pregnant she may have escaped the colony & tried to walk to 'China' north of Port Jackson.>>> [Some details taken from this Website] Timothy (Driscoll) does not have an entry on this Website as yet; however, a Dennis (Driscoll) does: (& many others of the name originating in Cork also have entries) .. Dennis (Driscoll) was born about 1760. He was tried at Cork Ireland & arrived in NSW as a convict on 26 9 1791 after a voyage of 5months on Fleet ship QUEEN. He died on 18 3 1792 age31 & was buried at St Johns CofE Parramatta. [These details taken from this Website] .. >>>Catherine Mary (Edwards) had a third relationship with William (Yar/dley) from 1793 whom she later married. She became Free by Servitude by 1795 & married William (Yar/dley) on 5/7 11 1796 at St Johns CofE Parramatta & produced maybe 5children. She was charged after the death of her husband in 1805, with her convict servant Henry (Murray), with murder of her husband, for which they were acquitted after a period in gaol. [Investigation of the murder? was carried out by Magistrate Thomas (Arndell) of Green Hills] After her husbands death she remained on the farm with 3children Edward, Ruth, Mary. In 1815 her daughter left her husband & took 5children to live with her mother. She died (murdered) on 14 10 1818 age55 mother of 7children at Lower Portland Sackville/Colo area near Laws Farm Rd, with her son in law Richard (Hayman) being charged with her murder. William (Yar/dley) was born about 1757 & became a stationer. He was tried for burglary w/1other, on 7 10 1825 at Southwark, at Surrey Assizes, sentenced to death commuted to Life. He claimed at this time to have a wife & elderly father. He was transferred to the hulk CERES at Langstone Harbour Portsmouth in August 1788 & arrived in NSW as a convict on 26 6 1790 after a voyage of 6months on Fleet ship SURPRISE; a voyage noted for extreme brutality of prisoners with a high death rate. In 1796 he had land at Toongabbie. He was issued his Conditional Pardon in July 1797 & was granted 30 acres at Seven Hills in June 1797, on which he lived until at least 1801 & sold in March 1805. In 1801 he was granted more than 30acres at Lower Portland Hawkesbury & had 130acres confirmed at Sussex Reach in 1804. He died in 1805 age48 burned in a house fire which has variously attributed to lightning, the action of Aborigines & murder by his wife & a convict servant; leaving his property to family members. [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.

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Maureen Withey on 27th March 2024

Published in the Sydney Gazette, 5 Dec 1818. The next trial was that of Richard Hayman, committed by the Coroner for the suspected murder of his mother-in-law, Mary Yardley, on or about Wednesday the 14th of October last, at Cumberland Reach, Portland Head. The evidence taken upon this trial was to the following effect: that the defendant was the husband of the deceased Mrs. Yardley's daughter, by whom he had several children, towards his wife and whom he had always evinced the strongest marks of a sincere affection ; from causes that none of the witnesses could develope, Mrs. Yardley (the deceased) had so far disagreed with her son-in-law, (the defendant) as to compel him to leave her house and his own family, who had continued to live with her. On Wednesday the defendant went to Portland Head, from the upper parts of Hawkesbury, and breakfasted in the house of a Mrs. Dorrington, which was near to that of the deceased, saying that he was going to cross the river, and was obliged to go so low down for the purpose of getting a boat, as he could not get one higher up. He was under the necessity of passing near Mrs. Yardley's house ; and scarcely left Dorrington's before she entered, and seemed already agitated, but became much more so on hearing that he had gone that way. They were both seen ascending a steep acclivity, Mrs. Yardley far distant behind. The defendant dined with his wife and children on that day, but not with the deceased, with whom he had not been seen. He called at several of the neighbouring houses throughout all parts of the day, until four o'clock, when he went to Knight's, close to Yardley's, & there remained all night ; he went away next morning ; he had no stick or weapon whatever, and had never been by any person observed to show any marks of agitation or concern, except upon the mention of his separation from his wife and children. His deportment was described to be mild and gentle ; that of the deceased passionate and otherwise intemperate. The deceased was afterwards missing from her habitation, but for what space of time did not appear in evidence, and on the morning of the following Sunday was found dead at a short distance from her own house, in a state, from which it was evident she had been dead for several days ; a severe wound was on the back of the head, and a broken stick laying by her side, with a small stain upon it. The Inquest assembled on Monday morning; and the defendant attended, saying he had been informed by Mr. Howe, of Windsor, of the event. These were the circumstances brought out upon the trial ; and as no particle of the evidence could at all apply to the defendant, he was acquitted with out being required to enter on a defence, and ordered to be immediately liberated.

4

Andy Smith on 28th August 2023

Murdered in 1818, son in law tried but acquitted

20

Cheryl on 6th March 2023

Her age was 28 when convicted

221

D Wong on 27th February 2015

Catherine was 28 years old on arrival and had a child John Edwards aged 2 who arrived on the same ship, he died 24/10/1791 at Rose Hill. In 1792 Catherine gave birth to a child Thomas Driscoll Edwards, 24th January 1792. It is believed that whilst pregnant with Thomas, Catherine was one of several convicts that escaped the Colony and tried to walk to China (which they believed was just North of Port Jackson). They were re-captured and returned to Rose Hill. Baby Thomas died 7th May 1792. 7/11/1796: Married William Yardley at Parramatta. At that time William had land at Toongabbie but not long after they moved to the Hawkesbury area. Sydney Gazette Sun 8 Dec 1805 On Thursday a Coroner's Inquest assembled at Hawkesbury on the body of William Yardley, a settler down the River, whose death was was occasioned by the following melancholy circumstances: A considerable time after himself and family were in bed Wednesday night, the house took fire, and burned with such rapidity as to render their escape difficult: he suceeded nevertheless, with his wife's assistance, in snatching his children from the flames, and then unhappily returned to save some little cloathing, but the roof falling in, he perished in the attempt. The body of the deceased presented a ghastly spectacle to the jurors, whose verdict was appropriate to the event. As the accident of the house taking fire was most unaccountable and mysterious, many people attributed it to the lightning, which was very vivid at the time; but it is a much more probable conjecture that the disaster originated in the rancour of the Branch natives, to whose excesses his activity was a constant curb, and whose hostile inclinations are as manifest as ever. So long as they content themselves with pillaging the settlers' grounds they experience civility and hospitable treatment: but tiring with this comparative moderation, they rush into acts of open and declared hostility; and it is much to be lamented that possibly from the want of sufficient caution, the first objects of their treachery have too frequently become its easy victims. Catherine was tried for the murder of William and was found not guilty. After his death it is believed that Catherine remained on their farm with her three children Edward 1794, Ruth 1797 and Mary 1799. By 1814 Edward had left home. Ruth married Richard Hayman (Pitt) 21st June 1813 and Mary married Thomas Dent 14/8/1815. Later Catherine lived with her daughter Ruth who was estranged from Richard Hayman her husband. Catherine was murdered on 14th October 1818 in the Sackville/Colo area near Laws Farm Road. She had suffered a violent blow to the head. Her son in law Richard Hayman was charge for her murder and stood trial in Sydney on 4th December He was found to be not guilty.

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Ron Selden on 27th February 2015

Catherine is thought to have killed her Husband William Yardley with the help of another convict but nothing could be proved by the Police. She died at Lower Portland on the 14-10-1818