Jane Gamble

Level 73

Robin Sharkey on 9th February 2026

Jane’s Crime and Arrival in NSW Jane Gamble, arrived per convict ship ‘Mary’, 7 September 1835; at Sydney. Aged: 29 years. So, she’d been born about 1806. Her crime was Pledging, Tried at Lancaster Quarter Sessions, at Liverpool, commencing 20 October 1834. Her sentence was 14 years transportation. She had a previous conviction and had been imprisoned for it for 18 months. (all from ship’s indent). Jane’s crime of pledging meant she had pawned an item she had no ownership of, whether obtained illegally by stealing it, or obtaining it by fraud. Probably, she had pawned stolen goods, and likely there was no proof that she’d been the one who had stolen them, otherwise she’d have been charged with theft. Or she might have been in concert with the actual goods and received them to pawn (acting as a ‘fence’ for the thief). The indent further recorded that she could read, was Roman Catholic; and was born at Liverpool. She was married, and was a Dressmaker. She was tiny, being just 5ft 0 inches tall. Her complexion was ruddy & freckled; brown hair & brown eyes. In NSW The ship arrived in NSW in September 1835. By April 1836 she was in the service of Mr Levien of the Pultney Hotel. She would not have been with him initially on arrival because Mr Solomon Levien had only obtained the lease of that hotel in 1836 and had been in Maitland prior to that. The hotel had been built by Thomas Petty (arr free) and its first licence was granted 1 June 1833 (The Australian, 12 July 1833, p.4). Petty moved on in 1836 to take over Cummings Hotel on Church Hill and rename it as Petty’s Family Hotel. The Pultney Hotel where Jane worked was a very respectable establishment, where meetings of gentlemen were held, such as for shareholders associations (Sydney Gazette, Th 7 April 1834 p 2), and the Loyal Association and balls and dinners held there were attended by the Governor (Syd Gaz, 5 Oct 1833 p.2; The Australian, 1 Nov 1833 p.2) and concerts were held (see Sydney Herald 21 April 1834, p2). ANU biography online “People Australia” states that Solomon Levien, stockbroker, and his wife Harriet, arrived in Sydney in 1833 aboard the Westmoreland, with five of their nine children aboard. They had come because the eldest son, John James Levien had been transported to Tasmania. Perhaps this made Solomon sympathetic towards his convict servants. On arrival, he became deputy postmaster at Maitland and in 1834 was the proprietor of Maitland’s Rose Inn. He obtained the licence for the Pulteney Hotel in Sydney in 1836 and two years later became the chairman of the Licensed Victuallers' Association. His son gained a free pardon in 1836. The Sydney Gazette, Thursday 7 April 1836, p 2 “On Sunday, a female Servant in the employ of Mr. Levien of the Pultney, Hotel, went out leaving her box locked, in which was twenty nine shillings ; the key she left in the room to which another servant named Jane Gamble had had access ; on her return she found that the box had been unlocked, and the money abstracted. Gamble was taken into custody and the money found upon her.” 1836 24 October – assigned to C [sic] Chapman. Jane appeared on a charge (24/10/1836) before the Bench of Magistrates [NSW Archives, Bench of Magistrates Cases 1822-1836] 1837, December Convict Muster List. Jane Gamble per ‘Mary’ in 1835, with Thomas Chapman. Sydney Monitor, Friday 27 July 1838, p. 2 “On Monday night (23 July), while the relief was out of the guard-house, near the Dock-yard, only eight men remaining, two out of these brave fellows rushed from the room, crossed the road, and seized upon an unprotected female who was passing, named Jane Gamble; they threw her down, close to the door of Mr. Daley, the shopkeeper; one held her, while the other proceeded to violate her person; fortunately her cries were heard by Mr. Daley, who immediately proceeded to her assistance; upon his coming up, they desisted, and the bravos ran across to their quarters. Upon the police coming up, they went to the guard room to enquire into the matter, but the sentry denied that any one had left the place, and the inmates appeared to be enjoying a sound repose!” 1840, 9 December – Absconded this day from George Wyndham, JP of Maitland Jane Gamble aged 34, native of Liverpool, dressmaker, 5 feet, ruddy and freckled camp, brown hair, brown eyes, lost a part of a front upper tooth, long perpendicular scar on centre of forehead, mole left corner of mouth, two scars back of left wrist. 1841, January –Jane Gamble on the apprehended convicts list 1842 - Jane Gamble per ship Mary in 1835 - Ticket of Leave Number: 42/2963 Year: 1842; Allowed to remain in the District of Parramatta; 1843, December – Cancellation of T/L Gov Gazette 22 Dec 1843 – Jane Gamble, Arrived per ship: Mary; 5; Residence: Parramatta; Reason for ToL cancellation: Dishonest conduct SMH Mon 25 Dec 1843, p.2 –Tickets of Leave Cancelled - “Parramatta Bench. Jane Gamble, per Mary 5, for dishonest conduct” SMH Tuesday 6 January 1846 p.3 “COMMITTALS BY PENRITH BENCH - ... Christopher Bent, free by servitude, Denis Murphy, bond, and Jane Gamble, bond, stealing ale.” 1846, January – Tried at Penrith Quarter Sessions for stealing an ale bond. Guilty, Trial Term or Fine or Punishment: 3 months in the Female Factory at Parramatta 1847 - Jane Gamble per ship Mary, in 1835 - Ticket of Leave Number: 47/0959 Year: 1847; Allowed to remain in the District of Parramatta; 1864 SMH 5 July 1864 p 5, Central Police Court Summarising: Peter Taylor had been charged with assaulting his wife, Mary. They lived in Sussex Street. Then evidence was given by Jane: “Jane Gamble, occupying a room in the prisoner’s house, deposed that on the day in question she saw Taylor strike his wife on the head with an iron bar, holding it with both hands ; Mrs. Taylor fell senseless, and witness procured the police and medical attendance.“ Empire, 10 August 1864, p 5 Central Police Court “Jane Gamble and Isabella Bland, drunkards, and Amelia White, charged with making use of obscene language in Pitt Street, were discharged.” Jane was then aged about 58. Isabella Bland was not the convict per Broxbournebury in 1814, that woman having died in 1844. However, for several years, another Isabella Bland had been frequently reported in newspapers as a vagrant, charged with being idle and disorderly, and spent many short stints in prison.

Level 351

Maureen Withey on 20th May 2025

LIVERPOOL BOROUGH The following is a summary of the sentences passed these Sessions:  Fourteen Years.—- … Jane Gamble 29, … Gore’s Liverpool General Advertiser, 30 Oct 1834.