Jane Kitson

53

Beth Taylor on 4th February 2026

TIMELINE NOTES: BC: 1798 Sentenced: 02/08/1813 Hertford Assize to death, commuted to transportation for life Crime: Stabbing & cutting Previous Occupation: Servant Age on Convict Indent: 16 Ticket of Leave 962; Conditional Pardon 90 (indent) 1814 Muster: No record found for Jane. John Griffiths; Arrived per Anne (2), Status: C (Convict); Occupation/Residence &c: Assistant Overseer to Brickmakers, Mustered at Sydney; Victualling: On Stores (5665) 1816, 16 December – Jane Kitson, wife of John Griffiths, was on a list of prisoners sent to the Derwent (Tas), by order of the Gov. on the ship Kangeroo. (SRNSW Col Sec Papers, Letters Sent Reel 6005; 4/3495 p382) 1820, 6 & 9 March – Jane, a convict, sought permission to marry Thomas Deaton (?), free, in Sydney, by Rev Cowper. (SRNSW Col Sec Papers, Letters Sent Reel 6007; 4/3501 p289) 1822 Muster: Jane KETSON (?), con, Brox, life, wife of T Deacon, Sydney (A12145) Thomas DEACON, CP, General Hewitt, life, baker, Sydney (A05617) [Adam PALMER, con, Grenada, govt servant to T Hyndes, Sydney Note: Future husband of Jane] 1823 – Jane Kitson received TOL. (Source: Sydney Gazette, 25/09/1823, p1) 1823-1825 Muster: Jane KITSON, FS (?), Brox, 7 years (?), milliner, Sydney (28653) & spouse – Adam PALMER, con, Grenada 1821, 7 years, govt servant, Thomas Hynds, Sydney (35499) [Note: Thomas Hinds/Hynds ex-convict employed 12 people this Muster. He was a timber merchant in 1828, living Sussex St.] 1824, 6 Sept. – Adam PALMER per ship Grenada 1821. Re permission to marry at Sydney. Palmer was a convict & his bride-to-be was Jane Dayton (sic) convict per Brox. (SRNSW Col Sec Papers, Letters Sent, Reel 6013; 4/3512 p.291) 1825, 21 March – Major Goulburn asked the Col Sec about Jane’s CP. The reply states that she received it from Gov Brisbane because of a good testimonial. (SRNSW Col Sec Papers, Letters Sent Reel 6014; 4/3513 pp629-30) 1825, 12 April – Jane Kitson received a Conditional Pardon No. 90/12. dated 12 April 1825 – per ship Brox. 1814, tried Hertford Assize 02/08/1813, life sentence, born 1798, native of Cambridge - Occupation milliner & mantua maker - life term - 5'5" tall, ruddy complexion, flaxen hair & blue eyes. (Source: SRNSW Convict Pardons, #90, Reel 774, 4/4430, p196 also see Sydney Gazette, 28/04/1825, p1) [Have copy] 1825, Sept. to Oct. – Adam PALMER per ship Grenada 1821. Servant of T Hyndes of Sydney; testimony as to his character for a ticket of leave. The Assistant Superintendant of Police wrote that Adam had not been charged with “any crimes or misdemeanors”, since in the Colony. (SRNSW Col Sec Papers, Reel 6027; 4/1717.2 pp.80-1) 1828 Census: No record found for Adam or Jane. 1829 – “I HEREBY Caution the Public against harbouring or trusting my Wife, Jane Palmer, as she has absconded from her Home without any just Cause or Provocation. Any Person found harbouring her after this Notice will be prosecuted. ADAM PALMER, Sydney.” (Source: Sydney Gazette, 27/01/1829, p4) 1830 – Adam Palmer advertised again that his wife Jane had left home. (Source: Sydney Gazette, 17/04/1830, p4) 1831, 21 June – Jane KITSON wrote to the authorities to ask for an Absolute Pardon… “has received a Conditional Pardon & solicits an Absolute Pardon”. (Source: www.ancestry.com.au SRNSW Convict Registers of Conditional and Absolute Pardons, 1788-1870, Roll Number: 171; Volume Number: x62) 1832 – Adam PALMER, carpenter, Bathurst St., Sydney (Source: The New South Wales Calendar and General Post Office Directory, 1832) NSW BDM: 1) John Griffiths died 1820. John Griffiths, Convict; Died 13 Jan 1820 [Sydney], Aged: 39; Buried 14 Jan 1820 [Sydney]; Registered at St Philip's Church of England Sydney, Arrived per Anne. (Source: St Philip's Church of England, Sydney NSW: Church Register - Burials; ML ref: Reel SAG 90; Vol Entry# 181) 2) Jane Kitson married Thomas Deacon on 10 April 1820 at St Philips, Sydney. Also Thomas Deacon, aged 26, Bachelor, Abode: Sydney, Labourer, Signed; & Jane Kitson, aged 25, Spinster, Abode: Sydney, Signed X; married 10 Apr 1820 Church , registered St Philips Church of England Sydney by Banns by Richard Hill; Witness: James Carpenter, Signed; Witness: Ann Playfair, Signed (V1820-2521-3A & St Philip's Church of England, Sydney NSW: Church Register - Marriages; ML ref: Reel SAG 90) 3) Thomas Deacon, aged 28, died in 1823 & the service was held on 29 May at St Philips. Also Thomas Deacon, Free; Died 26 May 1823 Sydney, Aged: 28; Buried 29 May 1823 [Sydney]; Registered at St Philip's Church of England Sydney. (V1823-5780-2B & St Philip's Church of England, Sydney NSW: Church Register - Burials; ML ref: Reel SAG 90; Vol Entry# 881) 4) Jane Deacon, widow, wed Adam Palmer, carpenter, bachelor, on 27 Sep 1824, also at St Philips. Both signed X. Also Adam Palmer, aged 38, Bachelor, Abode: Sydney, Carpenter, Signed X; & Jane Deacon, aged 32, Widow, Abode: Sydney, Signed X; married 27 Sep 1824 Church, registered St Philips Church of England Sydney by Banns by William Cowper; Witness: Benjamin Hodghon, Signed; Witness: Elizabeth Stewart, Signed X. (V1824-3425-3B & 371-8 & St Philip's Church of England, Sydney NSW: Church Register - Marriages; ML ref: Reel SAG 90) 5) Jane died? 6) Adam Palmer died? “Notorious Strumpets & Dangerous Girls” page 145 – • (Wife of John Griffiths) • Transported for stabbing & cutting (Eng). Death recorded • Jane Kitson, wife of John Griffiths, arrived Derwent from Sydney on 28 Dec 1816. Jess’ Girls – SAG:  1825 – 7 years, milliner, Sydney  Indent – TL 962  Reel 1029 – to Derwent 1816 – wife of John Griffiths (person of this name was on the same ship [to Tas] & had been tried at Surrey Assize on 18 Aug 1808, life, Anne (2)  4/3501 – banns to marry Thomas Deaton (?) in 1820  Mutch – marr Thomas Deacon in 1820 at St Philips. He died in 1823  Mutch – as a widow, Jane m Adam Palmer in 1824  COD 19 – CP 90 – 12 April 1825 – from Cambridge, milliner, 5/5”, fair ruddy complexion, flaxen hair & blue eyes  Reel 798 – has CP, requires AP  Reel 774 – CP cancelled 14 April 1825. 598/758, aged 27 Convict Indents: 1) John Griffiths reached Sydney on the ship Anne II on 27 Feb 1810. He had been tried at Surrey Assize on 18 Aug 1808 & was given a death sentence, commuted to life. Crime: “Highway robbery” (PRO) 2) Thomas Deacon, Age: 19, Born: London [MDX ENG], Servant, Height: 5’3¾”, Complexion: Fair Pale, Hair: Light Brown, Eyes: Hazel, Convicted: Gaol Delivery 28 Oct 1812 Middlesex [MDX ENG] Life (trial record not found); Transported per General Hewitt, Departed England [ENG], Arrived 07 Feb 1814 Sydney; He received a Conditional Pardon #990 on 31/01/1818, per ship General Hewitt 1814, life term, tried Middlesex 1812, native of London, labourer, 5’5” tall, fair ruddy complexion, sandy coloured hair and brown eyes. (Source: SRNSW Convict Pardons, 4/4430, Reel 774, p116) 3) Adam Palmer arrived in NSW on 16 Sep 1821 on board the Grenada (2). He had been tried at Suffolk QS on 14 April 1820 & received a 7 year term. He was described as a native of Suffolk, a carpenter, aged 26, 5’6¾” tall, dark florid complexion, brown hair & grey eyes. TL – 1989. Crime: Larceny (PRO) [Note: Adam Palmer also had a previous conviction for “larceny” from the October Quarter Sessions at the Suffolk in 1817 & was given a 12 months gaol sentence. Source: PRO] 1825 – Adam Palmer, per Grenada (2), received a TOL on 20/10/1825 #515/1989 for the district of Sydney. He had been tried at Suffolk QS on 14 April 1820 & received a 7 year term. Described as a native of Suffolk, a carpenter, born 1795, 5’6¾” tall, ruddy complexion, brown hair & hazel eyes. (Source: SRNSW Convict Tickets of Leave, 4/4060, Reel 890) [Note: There is no record of Adam receiving a pardon or COF. His 7 year term expired in 1827] Notes from the book “Journey to a New Life…” the story of the ships Emu & Broxbornebury by Elizabeth Hook (3rd ed. 2014). I am the author & can be contacted on tbeth3370@gmail.com for further info

342

Maureen Withey on 8th August 2020

Assize Intelligence. At Hertford, Jane Kitson, charged on the oath of George Alsbury, with wilfully, maliciously and unlawfully subbing or cutting him, with intent in doing, to maim, disfigure, disable him, or with intent to do him some bodily hurt; and James Greaves, for stealing a bay mare, received sentence of Death, but were both reprieved. ... Norfolk Chronicle, 14 Aug 1813.

342

Maureen Withey on 8th August 2020

Tasmanian Record. https://stors.tas.gov.au/CON13-1-1$init=CON13-1-1p66 List of persons to be sent to the Derwent in His Majesty’s Brig Kangaroo. 16 Dec 1816. Jane Kitson, wife to John Griffith, per Broxbornebury, Hertford Ass. 2 Aug 1813, Life. https://stors.tas.gov.au/CON13-1-1$init=CON13-1-1p65 List of persons to be sent to the Derwent in His Majesty’s Brig Kangaroo. 16 Dec 1816. John Griffiths, Anne 2nd, Tried Surrey Ass, 18 Aug 1808, Life.