Ann Farrell

71

Robin Sharkey on 7th September 2021

ANN FARRELL, aged 18, and her sister JANE FARRELL, aged 15, were two of many in the Old Bailey on Saturday 19 February 1820, charged with forgery. They both pleaded guilty to possessing a forged note. They sailed in female convict ship ‘Morley’ departing in May 1820. The sisters were in the group of fifty women who were landed at Hobart when the ship reached Tasmania, the rest going to NSW. Morning Chronicle, Sat 19 Feb 1820, p.4 “The following are the names of the parties who were arraigned for the crime of forgery: ” Ann Farrell, 18, and Sarah Farrell, 15, two sisters, the latter is to all appearance pregnant;” “The above twenty [ prisoners who were indicted] were allowed to plead Guilty to the minor offence, of having the notes in their possession knowing them to be forged. They were afterwards put to the bar on the capital charge, but no evidence was offered against them. They are, however, subjected to transportation for fourteen years. We regret to say, that several of them behaved with a levity most disgraceful, laughing in the Court, and making a dreadful noise in the bail-dock, after being taken down.” The Farrell sisters were only in Newgate prison for three months after their court appearance. On 23rd April 1820, the Newgate women to be transported were taken down the Thames by lighter to the convioct ship “Morley” anchored at Galleon’s Reach (near Woolwich in S/E London). BEHAVIOUR ON BOARD The following information is from the journal by the ship’s surgeon, Thomas Reid, “Two Voyages to New South Wales and Van Diemens Land”. Ann Farrell seems to have been a bit of a troublemaker. On 6th May the Bank of England provided money — 5 pounds — to all the women on board convicted of possessing, or uttering, forged notes (41 women in all). The money was a philanthropic gift, to help them for the voyage or on arrival. The same afternoon, the Keeper of Newgate Gaol also came on board to give each of the Newgate women one guinea. This handout caused ‘misunderstanding among the women, who traded blows and got into an affray;. Surgeon Reid said it was only ended by ‘confining the combatants from each other’ and that two of them were sisters. The sisters must have been Ann and Sarah Farrell, since they were the only pair of sisters who had been in Newgate Prison. On 27th June, while Ann Farrell was talking with Ann Williams, Williams picked her pocket. But Farrell instantly detected her, “when all the bitter upbraiding of Farrell’s merciless tongue was levelled at the delinquent”. Consequently, Williams was tied up during the night. On 17th July, three soldiers tried to open the hatchway outside the prison to get Ann Farrell, Ann Harwood and Ann Newton out of the prison and down below with them. The sailors had given up at the task, fearing detection. The three women, “with the utmost plausibility and perseverance, insisted that they had no participation in the design”. But Surgeon Reid did not believe them and he put them in strict confinement and forbade them to go on deck for the rest of the voyage. A grating and more secure fastenings were placed over the prison hatchway as a deterrent to sailors. The other prisoners scoffed at and insulted the three Anns. When surgeon Reid had no luck in getting the other women to stop giving the three a hard time, he ended up removing the three Anns into the prison hospital “to screen them from personal violence, and preserve peace among them”. A few days later two sailors tried to break into the prison hospital to communicate with the three women; they a letter down from an opening in the deckfor air into the hospital but the letter was torn up unread. On 23rd July, Surgeon Reid allowed Ann Farrell and the other two women into the prison to hear a sermon from Rev Reddall. Reid thought they were appeared sorrowful and repentant. But they still had to stay in confinement in the hospital. They were avoiding “the frequent attempts of the sailors to induce them to a conversation”. 30th July “The three confined females continue extremely submissive in their behaviour. … and the reserve they show everyday gives me greater cause to be satisfied of the propriety of keeping them still confined.” Reid was not going to let them out however, determined they not be exposed to the sailors’ “wicked daring” again. (1 August). Three weeks later (21 August) he was prepared to let them out of the hospital (but not to go on deck) but they wanted to stay where they were, to which he consented. They had written him a letter, asking him to pardon their weakness and not send them away I anger. HOBART Both Ann and her sister Sarah were part of the group of fifty women disembarked at Hobart. Ann did not keep up the good character she’d displayed while confined in the ship’s prison hospital. CONVICT CONDUCT RECORD On 17 Nov 1820, shortly after arrival she married (ex) convict Edward Spring, in Hobart. Below "UX" means wife of, Ann being assigned to her husband, Edward Spring. * Nov 9 1820 - assault and beating Elizabeth Rose – 7 days in gaol on bread & water * Feb 13 1821, assault & beat Norah Lowe – acquitted. * Jan 15, 1823 – ux Spring, absent from her lodgings at 12 o’clock at night. Reported * Mar 25, 1825 — ux Spring. Absenting herself from her husband for an hour, Reported. * April 8 1825: – ux Spring, on Tuesday last and remained absent until apprehended last night. Ordered to be sent to the Factory C Class. * Dec 14, 1826 - ux Spring. assault * Jan 15, 1828 – ux Spring,/ absent from her lodgings at 12 o’clock at night. Reported * Nov 25th 1828 – ux Spring/ In the Gibraltar Rock public house kept by Mr Taprell between 9 and 10 o’clock lAST night. Reported. * April 8, 1829 - Living in a state of adultery with a man named John Walker – to be placed in the assignable C Class of the House of Correction

71

Robin Sharkey on 6th September 2021

ANN FARRELL and her sister SARAH FARRELL were charged together as part of a large gang of forgers - seven women and 23 men. The Bank of England, as the injured party in forged bank note trials, would offer the lesser charge of POSSESSION of bank notes if the accused agreed to plead guilty to it (instead of prosecuting an uttering charge which had the death sentence if found guilty). Twenty-six accused were ultimately all tried together on the possession charge, pleading guilty, and got 14 years transportation. Morning Chronicle, Sat 19 Feb 1820, p.4 “OLD BAILEY “The numerous list which the Calendar o f every Old Bailey Session presents, is a melancholy proof not only of the rapid increase of the uttering of forged notes, particularly the young, but also of the little attention which is paid to the means of preventing such a serious crime, and so great a less as public traders and others are liable to. “The following are the names of the parties who were arraigned for the crime of forgery: ” Ann Farrell, 18, and Sarah Farrell, 15, two sisters, the latter is to all appearance pregnant; [All the people who appear on the Old Bailey indictment list set out above were also listed here] “The above twenty were allowed to plead Guilty to the minor offence, of having the notes in their possession knowing them to he forged. They were afterwards put to the bar on the capital charge, but no evidence was offered against them. They are, however, subjected to transportation for fourteen years. We regret to say, that several of them behaved with a levity most disgraceful, laughing in the Court, and making a dreadful noise in the bail-dock, after being taken down.” Some of the gang did not take the possession plea, but instead “pleaded Not Guilty to both the major and minor offences”. All the seven women in the gang were sent on the ship “Morley” - Sarah & Ann Farrell, Mary Gould aged 21, Susan/Susannah Marr aged 16, Mary Jones aged 17, Ann Curtis aged 27 and Mary Herd aged 34.

341

Maureen Withey on 16th February 2020

Old Bailey Proceedings Online (www.oldbaileyonline.org, version 8.0, 16 February 2020), February 1820, trial of GEORGE STEWART ALBINE COOK, WILLIAM OWEN JOHN COATES WILLIAM SCOTT JAMES LANG MICHAEL LAMBERT THOMAS PHILLIPS WILLIAM QUIN JAMES RILEY JAMES ARCHBALD HENRY LEWIS THOMAS MARTIN HENRY BUCKNELL WILLIAM HARRIS ANN FARRELL SARAH FARRELL MARY GOULD SUSAN MARR MARY JONES DANIEL LUCAS JOHN CURTIS ANN CURTIS WILLIAM ROSE MARY HEARD JOHN CARTER (t18200217-17). GEORGE STEWART, ALBINE COOK, WILLIAM OWEN, JOHN COATES, WILLIAM SCOTT, JAMES LANG, MICHAEL LAMBERT, THOMAS PHILLIPS, WILLIAM QUIN, JAMES RILEY, JAMES ARCHBALD, HENRY LEWIS, THOMAS MARTIN, HENRY BUCKNELL, WILLIAM HARRIS, ANN FARRELL, SARAH FARRELL, MARY GOULD, SUSAN MARR, MARY JONES, DANIEL LUCAS, JOHN CURTIS, ANN CURTIS, WILLIAM ROSE, MARY HEARD, JOHN CARTER, Royal Offences > coining offences, 17th February 1820. 366. GEORGE STEWART , ALBINE COOK, WILLIAM OWEN , JOHN COATES , WILLIAM SCOTT , JAMES LANG , MICHAEL LAMBERT , THOMAS PHILLIPS , WILLIAM QUIN , JAMES RILEY , JAMES ARCHBALD , HENRY LEWIS , THOMAS MARTIN , HENRY BUCKNELL , WILLIAM HARRIS , ANN FARRELL , SARAH FARRELL , MARY GOULD , SUSAN MARR , MARY JONES , DANIEL LUCAS , JOHN CURTIS , ANN CURTIS , WILLIAM ROSE , MARY HEARD , and JOHN CARTER were severally and separately indicted for having in their custody and possession, forged Bank notes, knowing them to be forged . To which indictments the prisoners severally and separately pleaded GUILTY . Transported for Fourteen Years . Before Mr. Baron Graham . ____________________________________________ https://stors.tas.gov.au/CON13-1-2$init=CON13-1-2p56 and following pages. List of female convicts from Morely (3), Master, Brown, in 1820, who landed at Hobart, not Sydney. Ann Farrell, Convicted at Middlesex G.D., 17 Feb 1820, 14 years.