Mary Hughes

75

iain Frazier on 5th August 2024

Family connections for Mary (Hughes) are: Some amendments added Jan 2026. HUGHES Mary (Hughes) was born about 1763. She arrived in NSW as a convict on 22 1 1788 after a voyage of 10months on First Fleet ship PRINCE OF WALES.>>> Noted a Frances Ann (Hughes) appears on PRINCE OF WALES. [Noted a Mary (Hughes KITTY 1792) does have an entry & is recorded on Norfolk Island.] Mary (Johnson PRINCE OF WALES 1788) may be the same person. .. >>>Mary (Hughes) may have had a first relationship with James (Meredith) officer from FRIENDSHIP 1788. She was taken to Norfolk Island on KITTY, arriving on 24 1 1794 & left on 8 8 1795. She was Free by Servitude by 1798.>>> James (Meredith) arrived in NSW as Captain of 40th Chatham Co 47th Portsmouth Regiment on 21 1 1788 after a voyage of 6months on First Fleet ship FRIENDSHIP. He is recorded in another relationship with Mary (Johnson). He is recorded as to have left the colony in 1791. Mary (Hughes) & James (Meredith) produced perhaps 2children-shown here from Smees records: some inconsistency here, suggesting Mary (Hughes) & Mary (Johnson) are the same person. 1.James (Meredith) was born in 1790 & baptised on 9 5 1790 at St Phillips CofE Sydney. 2.Mary (Meredith) was born on 24 3 1792 & baptised on 22 9 1792 at St Phillips CofE Sydney. She died on 23 10 1793 age19m & was buried at St Phillips CofE Sydney. .. [Noted a child Sarah (Hughes) is recorded as dying on 28 2 1791 & buried at (or recorded at) St Phillips CofE Sydney] .. >>>Mary (Hughes) had a second? relationship with John (Piper his first (1of5? relationship) & produced 1child. She was Free by Servitude by 1798. She died on 19 12 1806 age43 mother of perhaps 3children at St Phillips CofE Sydney. John (Piper) was born on 20 4 1773 at Maybole Ayrshire Scotland. He enlisted in NSW Corps on 20 4 1791 in United Kingdom as an ensign & arrived in NSW as an ensign on 14 2 1792 after a voyage of 8months on PITT. In 1793 he volunteered/was posted to Norfolk Island as lieutenant where he was granted 100acres at Petersham Hill. He gained the rank of Lieutenant on 6 5 1795 & in 1796 he was in Sydney where he was granted 60acres at Parramatta on 1 5 1797 after which he took leave from 1797-99 & returned to United Kingdom. He returned to Parramatta NSW in 1799 where he leased 3acres 135rods at Parramatta on 24 10 1799. In 1800 he gained the rank of Captain. ('People & Their Families' has him arriving in NI in 1801.) In 1801 he seconded Mr John (McArthur) for duel with Mr John (Paterson). He was court martialled in 1802. He was sent again to Norfolk Island as 2nd in command in 1803 [The Ref:'People ...' has 1801] where he gained the rank of acting Commandant in August 1804 serving until April 1810. He had many relationships. He apparantly associated with many? women. He is recorded as having a second relationship (2of5?) with Sarah (Edge her first relationship) about 1805. He had another relationship (3of5?) with Sarah (Hughes her second relationship (2of4)). He had another relationship (4of5?) with Margaret (Eddington age14). He had another relationship (5of5?) with Elizabeth (Nicholls age about16). During this period on Norfolk Island, he also commenced living with (5of5?) Mary Ann (Shears from age14) whom he later married. He was Captain again on 13 11 1806 until his return to Sydney on 20 4 1810, having been in charge of the Regiment Withdrawal. He remained as Captain until his return to United Kingdom in August 1811. In 1814 he returned to Sydney again on GENERAL HEWITT arriving on 7 2 1814 after a voyage of 5months, taking Mary Ann (Shears) & 3children, where he was granted 190acres at Eliza Pt (Point Piper). In 1816 he was in Sydneys 1st Masonic Lodge. He married Mary Ann (Shears) on 10 10 1816 at St Phillips CofE Sydney & produced maybe 13 more children. He was a military officer (Captain) & became Sydney customs official landholder for Government in Sydney, while at Pt Piper, & Norfolk Island. He became a magistrate & Director of Bank of NSW. He was known to be extravagant & a socialite. In 1827 he moved to his 2,000acre grant at Bathurst Alloway Bank. Here he promoted & established horse racing & hosted many dinners & was generous to all the neighbouring inhabitants. He lost Alloway Bank in the 1840s slump & moved to Westbourne. He died on 8 6 1851 age78 father of perhaps 18children at Westbourne/Sydney & was buried at Presbyterian Bathurst. Details of John (Piper)s family are given in entry for James (Shears SCARBOROUGH 1788) on this Website. References: 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. Irene Schaffer & Thelma McKay 'Exiled Three Times Over! Profiles of Norfolk Islanders Exiled in Van Diemens Land 1807-1813' James Hugh Donohoe 'Norfolk Island 1788-1813-The People and Their Families' Reg Wright 'Forgotten Generation of Norfolk Island & Van Diemens Land'