Hannah Grave

Level 105

Denis Pember on 16th December 2020

Hannah Wane had been in a common law relationship with one William Grave since before 1810, hence the variation in surnames. In the colony, Hannah formed a relationship with one Thomas Collins (nothing known). They had two sons George and William born 1815 and 1816. These children are often recorded as Collins or as Grave . She then married Matthew Charlton (Convict, Recovery, 1819). They married in 1821 in Sydney. In 1825 they had a son, Matthew Charlton. Then in 1828 Hannah died leaving Matthew with a family of three boys. He subsequently remarried Matilda Smith (Convict, Earl Of Liverpool, 1831). They married in 1833.

Level 105

Denis Pember on 16th December 2020

Hannah was tried at Carlisle, Cumberland. Carlisle Journal - Saturday 22 September 1810 p. 4 Text: "The following is a fuller report of the trial of Hannah Grave, for stealing sheep the property of Elizabeth Vickers, of Thornthwaite, and others, than we could before give, It appeared on the evidence of the prosecution that Elizabeth Vickers had at different times lost one or more sheep off the common. The prisoner, who lived in the neighbourhood with two children, was strongly suspected of being guilty of sheep stealing. On the 16th of May last, Joseph Vickers, son to the prosecutrix, and who has the management of her concerns, on the 16th of May last missed one of his mother's sheep. This induced him to watch over them more narrowly, and on the Friday following he observed that one of his own was wanting. Having watched for some nights and not having seen any thing; on the Friday following he obtained a search warrant, and accompanied by his brother and four of his neighbours, went to search the prisoner's house. After having informed her of the object of their visit that it was to search her house, she replied that they were welcome. They first entered the pantry, where they discovered the head part of a lean sheep unfit, in the judgment of the witness, to be eaten as a man's food - it was unsalted and fresh. A salted dried leg of mutton was there hanging up, and which was not of the same sheep. They next proceeded upstairs, and at the foot of the prisoner's bed found a tub, which contained the greatest past of a carcass of mutton, the hind parts were wanting. But it was not the same carcass, the hind parts of which were downstairs but another. This was also lean, and considered as unfit to be eaten. Some parts of the floor was stained with blood and had the appearance of having been recently done. There was also in a rack some wool which had the appearance of having been plucked from the skin. On returning downstairs, they found hanging in the fire place a large pot filled with mutton nearly to the top, which was boiled to a jelly. They now entered the orchard, where they found buried some wool, a great many bones, and the entrails of several sheep. Some of these last manifested signs of a recent interment; others were quite dry and appeared to have been a long time in the present situation. They next searched a new unfinished dwelling house which was adjoining the house of the prisoner, and which seems, on some occasions, to have been occupied by her. There were found a large basket covered over with wool but not any marked and proceeding further they discovered underneath some rushes, a sack which contained two sheep skins; both of which had on the wool-mark, and one of them an ear mark. Witness swore to the marks. Both of which, that on the ear and that on the wool, were the witness's mother's. There was also a large sack of wool which did not appear to have been shorn, and a quantity of straw. On searching the dunghill with a muck-fork, four sheep skins more were discivered. They had ear marks on them, but it does not appear that they were identified. The jury after having heard the learned Judge sum up the evidence, returned a verdict of guilty.