William Jones

31

Garry O'Keefe on 19th June 2021

William Jones was convicted at The Old Bailey, London, England on 12 January, 1814 on a sheep stealing charge. When a local shepherd at Hillingdon, just outside London, found one of his sheep was missing, a search soon discovered the remains of the carcass with the prime cuts of meat missing. Next to the carcass were footprints in the snow of a newly repaired shoe, easliy recognised and just as easy to follow back to the farmhouse inhabited by William and his wife Mary. The denials of William and his wife were of little avail after the missing meat cuts were found in the cellar. Following his conviction, William was sentenced to death, but the presiding Judge decided to commute the sentence to transportation to the Colonies for the term of his natural life and William subsequently arrived in Sydney on 27 January 1815 aboard the vessel "Marquis of Wellington" when he was placed under the authority of a Mr. Naple of Parramatta. William evidently changed masters, as in 1823 when he applied for a "Ticket of Leave", he was described as a servant to Mr. John Smith of the first branch of the River Hawkesbury, his application being supported by a reference from his Master, Mr Smith and others;- " We certify that William Jones, convicted for life, who came by the ship "Marquis of Wellington" which arrived in the year 1815, has not been convicted of any crime or misdemeanor in these districts, but it is our belief an honest, sober and industrious character having served faithfully Mr. John Smith of the first branch of the Hawkesbury River from the time of his arrival to January, 1823." J Brabyn, J.P John Crofts, Pros. Chaplain. Master John Smith It was not until 1 September, 1825 that the "Ticket of Leave" was granted. During the early years of the progress of the Colony, a man desiring his wife, and being able to suit himself elsewhere could, on the production of a certificate issued by a clergyman or magistrate setting forth that the applicant is a proper person to have a wife, makes application to the Matron and Master of the female factory, the Parramatta Factory. Introduction are then made, in the presence of the Matron, to the best behaved of the female convicts who have expressed their willingness to marry. At the conclusion of the interviews, the intending groom and his chosen wife-to-be advise the Matron of their mutual agreement and a date for the marriage ceremony is set. The Authorities are informed, the Clergyman of the place publishes the Banns and if no impediment intervenes, on the appointed day the parties are married, the woman leaving the Factory and returning to a state of freedom in the Colony, providing she remained of good conduct thereafter. Under these conditions, on 29 October, 1822 William Jones married at St. John Church, Parramatta, a young woman named Mary Ann Sullivan who had been sentenced to death on 25 November, 1821 at here trial at Newgate by Justice Park on an assault and theft charge, with the jury giving a recommendation for mercy on account of her youthful age. Mary Ann had arrived in Sydney with her friend Ann Turner on board the convict ship "Mary Ann 2" on 20 May, 1822. It would appear that at the time of his marriage to Mary Ann, William had not divorced his first wife Mary Baker and that his second marriage could be regarded as bigamous but for a neatly defined law at the time, which gave "separation by water for seven years" as a reason for considering the first marriage dissolved, thus giving freedom to re-marry. Mary Ann Sullivan and her friend Ann Turner, had been residents of a London house in Swan-Yard near Drury Lane Theatre in the district of St. Mary le Strand when on 23 October, 1821 they were visited by two men, Charles Mitchell and Lewis Baptiste. Mitchell went upstairs with Mary Ann and Baptiste with Anne Turner. Mitchell claimed that a short time later he came downstairs to wait for his friend. When Baptiste came downstairs, he told his friend that he had been robbed. Baptiste later complained to the police constable that the two girls had obtained fourteen shillings and six pence from him by threats of violence. He said that he went upstairs with Turner who had asked him for four shillings, which he gave her and then she asked for further money, which he gave her. Mary Ann Sullivan then entered the room and asked for money. Baptiste claimed that he was told that if he did not give it to her, she would knock his brains out. He gave one shilling and another to Ann Turner. After that, the proprietor of the house, Rachel Simmons asked for two shillings and six pence for the room and he refused. Sullivan and Turner allegedly knocked him down and there was a scuffle. It was at this stage that Baptiste said he gave the girls the money they were later charged with obtaining by assault. At the trial, Mitchell's evidence was that when he went upstairs with Mary Ann she asked him for money. After he declined and she insisted that his friend Baptiste would pay for him, he said he declined the offer and returned downstairs. Rachel Simmons was charged with keeping a disorderly house, but was found not gulity. The two girls were found guilty and sentenced to death with the jury's recommendation for mercy. Mary Ann Sullivan provided little defence against the charges. "we were down at dinner. Mitchell asked if I know him, he said 'come upstairs' and offered me two shillings. I said that was too little. He said his friend would pay me. He did as he liked. I went down and he gave me one shilling. I saw no more of him. In answer to the claim by both men of their innocence of wrong doing, one would have to ask why did they go upstairs with two girls aged sixteen years, and why did Baptiste so readily part with his money to Ann Turner. Following their conviction and sentence, Mary Ann Sullivan and Anne Turner petitioned Lord Viscount Sidmonth to appeal to His Majesty, King George III to save their lives by substituting a period of confinement that may be thought proper in lieu of the death sentence. It appears that the jury's recommendation for mercy and the petition resulted in the death sentence being commuted to the transportation of the girls to the Colonies for the terms of the natural life. A further petition organised through Lord Viscount Sidmonth by Martha Turner and Winifred Sullivan, mothers of the two girls and supported by "fifty two respectable homekeepers" to His Majesty, Kine George III, asked that the commuted sentence of transportation to the Colonies for life be reduced to a term of transport for a period of fourteen years. It appears that the request of this later petition was denied, as in the "Ticket of Leave" recommended on 30 June, 1833 and granted as No. 34/200 on 26 April, 1834 the sentence was quoted as being life, with her years of birth being recorded 1808. At the time of their marriage, William was 33 years old, 5 feet 3 inches tall with fairly ruddy complexion, brown hair and hazel eyes with his occupation being given as that of farming. Mary Ann was 17 years old, Five feet one and a half inches tall, dark ruddy complexion, dark hair, grey eyes and her calling as that of a needlewoman. It is not known if any children were born between 1822 and 1826 who did not survive, possibly Mary Ann did not join her husband immediately. The early years of the marriage did not run smoothly, because late in 1825 Mary Ann was listed as a runaway convict. She was sentenced to 12 months detention in the Female Factory for being at large from her husband. On 26 February, 1826 Mary Ann petitioned Dr. Reddall, the sentencing Magistrate, for permission to leave the Factory and rejoin her husband. Attached to her petition was a recommendation from the Matron of the Factory Mrs. Falloon, in which she said that Mary Ann had behaved herself very well since she had been under her charge, explaining that Dr. McLeod, the second Magistrate had signified that he had no objection to her fine being forgiven, but had returned to England before his agreement could be signed. Dr. Raddell observed that at his last visit to the Factory, he had promised to remit the remainder of Mary Ann's sentence, and as her behaviour had been commendable, and having been assured of Dr. McLeod's agreement, he would not withhold his consent to the remission if the Governor approved. Mary Ann's petition for release from the Factory as recorded;- "To the Honorable Gentlemen of the Council Sydney Gentlemen, Your humble petitioner being in a state of pregnancy wishes to return to her husband. He being willing to receive and able to support her being a free man holding a situation as overseer to Mr. Chilcott Conroy, Hunter River. If it meet with the approbation of the Gentlemen, she wishes to return to her husband before her confinement with is very nigh and your humble Petitioner shall as in duty ever pray, your humble and grateful servant, Mary Sullivan. Permission was granted and approval given by the Governor, Major-General Sir Thomas Brisbane K.C.B. Shortly after, Mary Ann was released and rejoined her husband. Their first child, James was born on 21 April, 1826 and baptised at Windsor on 21 May, 1826. Included in the 1828 Census for the area of Patrick's Plains, now known as Singleton, was a William Jones now working for William Singleton. William and Mary's second child Sarah was born on 4 February, 1828 at Mt. Thorly, approximately 10 miles south west of Singleton and it appears that William ceased his employment with Mr. Conroy sometime between James' birth and the Census taken in November, 1828. Possibly this mismatched couple had reached an understanding by this time, although one can wonder at the circumstances three months earlier, when on 27 November, 1827 William's "Ticket of Leave" was re-issued with the notation that the original had been returned "Mutilated and torn up". On 30 June, 1833 the Patrick's Plains Bench recommended on the request by Mary Ann that she be granted a "Ticket of Leave", with the proviso that she be allowed to remain in the district of Patrick's Plains. At that time she had been married to William for over eleven years and had born him four children. The "Ticket of Leave" was granted on 26 April, 1834. From notations made on the Ticket, it appears that a recommendation was made in October, 1849 that Mary Ann was granted a "Conditional Pardon", with a further notation indicating that the "Conditional Pardon" was granted in 1850 or 1851. On 8 September, 1836 Major-General Sir Richard Bourke, Captain General and Governor-in-Chief of His Majesty's said Territory of New South Wales and its Dependencies, under the Power and Authority vested to him by his Majesty, King George III, granted a "Conditional Pardon" to William Jones with the condition that he remain in the Colony for the term of his original sentence, the term of his natural life. It appears from the Certificate of Death that William and Mary Ann's marriage had deteriorated to the extent that William took up employment with a Alfred Augustus Adams, the owner of Gennairi Station, a property 84 miles from Warialda in north western New South Wales. His death on 2 October, 1856 from self administrated strychnine was reported by Mr. Adams who also arranged the burial at Wellburn, NSW