Ann Lane

53

Beth Taylor on 26th September 2019

LANE, Ann (c1782-1869) Tried - 30 October 1811 Middlesex (Old Bailey) Ann was a 29 year-old servant when she found herself before the London Old Bailey Court in 1811. She was accused of stealing a gown belonging to another tenant of the boarding house at 1 Union Street, Middlesex Hospital. Mary Elliot said that she had seven dresses and a £5 note missing from her room and found Ann Lane in the street wearing one of her dresses. Ann’s defence was “I am an unfortunate girl in the street. Mr. Simpson asked me to scower a room, and on the Sunday I took my gown off to wash it, and I took that gown, and that is all.” Ann was not charged with the theft of the other articles or the missing money, however the Judge sentenced Ann to 7 years transportation to New South Wales for stealing one gown. Ann was the mother of a two-year-old daughter, Elizabeth Lane, and Elizabeth was allowed to join her convict mother on the journey. Ann and her young child were first sent to the Colony in 1812 on the ship Emu and finally they reached Sydney in 1814 on the Broxbornebury. BC: 1783 [Indent] or 1782 [Trial] Sentenced: 30/11/1811 Middlesex [see trial record below] to 7 years transportation Crime: Stealing Previous Occupation: Servant 1811 - ANN LANE, Theft > grand larceny, 30th October 1811. 905. ANN LANE was indicted for feloniously stealing, on the 8th of September, a gown, value 16 s. the property of Mary Elliot. MARY ELLIOT. I am a single woman , I live at No. 1, Union Street, Middlesex Hospital; I lost a five pound note, and various other articles, seven gowns, there is only one gown indicted for. The prisoner lived servant at No. 8 Suffolk Street; I lived servant with a gentleman and lady, she moved into that house, the prisoner helped me up with my box; this was the 2d of September, she observed that it was very heavy. Q. Was your box locked. - A. No only corded. I put the box in an empty second floor, locked the door, and kept the key myself. On the next day I asked my mistress leave to go out, I obtained leave, I went to the box and got some clean things out, and to get two one pound notes, and left the five pound note in my box. This was between nine and ten on the Sunday morning. I found the things safe in my box, I locked the box and took the key up to the landlord; I returned on the Monday morning; I slept at my mothers; I went up stairs for the key, the landlord was out, I found the key on the table, I took it, and went into the room; when I came back the prisoner was gone. I found the room door locked; when I entered the room I found the rope not tied as I left it, there was nothing left in the box, all the clothes, and the five pound note were gone, I value my clothes at ten pound, I had seven gowns, they cost me twenty-five shillings each, on the 27th of October, I received information that the prisoner was in Oxford Road; I went and saw her, she had one of my gowns on her back, she said she had pledged the things, and left the duplicates at Mrs. Barlow's in Gravell Lane, and if I would forgive her, she would tell me all she could, and pay me half a guinea a week. JOHN LANGLEY. I am a constable, I took charge of the prisoner, and took the gown from her person, I went to Mrs. Barlow's, Gravel Lane, I could not find any duplicates. Prosecutrix. This is my gown. Prisoner's Defence. I am an unfortunate girl in the street. Mr. Simpson asked me to scower a room, and on the Sunday I took my gown off to wash it, and I took that gown, and that is all. GUILTY, aged 29. Transported for Seven Years. First Middlesex jury, before Mr. Common Serjeant. (Source: Old Bailey on-line www.oldbaileyonline.org ) CAME WITH CHILD Elizabeth LANE ALSO ON SHIP EMU IN 1812 Age on Convict Indent (Broxbornebury) 31 Certificate of Freedom 1270 (indent) 1814 Muster: Ann LANE, con, Broxbornebury, on stores, FF, Parra, plus 1 child (3307) 1815 - Ann Lane, widow, married Francis Thomas at St Philips Sydney on 13 Feb 1815. Francis X his mark & Ann signed. Francis Thomas, aged 45, Bachelor, Abode: Sydney [NSW AUS], Baker, Signed X; & Ann Lane, aged 30, Widow, Abode: Sydney, Signed; married 13 Feb 1815, registered St Philips Church of England Sydney by Banns by William Cowper, Assistant Chaplain; Witness: John Davis, Signed; Witness: Elizabeth Berry, Signed X. (V1815-1736-3A & 148-7 & St Philip's Church of England, Sydney NSW: Church Register - Marriages; ML ref: Reel SAG 90) 1815 – “The inhabitants are hereby cautioned against giving TRUST or CREDIT to my Wife, ANN THOMAS, formerly LANE upon my Account, as I will not hold myself responsible for any Debts she may hereafter contract. FRANCIS THOMAS” (Source: Sydney Gazette, 16/12/1815) 1816 – “WHEREAS my Wife, Ann Thomas, formerly Ann Lane, has eloped from me without any Provocation whatever; This is therefore to Caution the Public against giving her Credit on my Account, as I will not be responsible for any Debts she may contract; and any person harbouring her after this Notice will be prosecuted. FRANCIS THOMAS” (Source: Sydney Gazette, 09/11/1816, p2) 1822 Muster: No record found for Ann or Francis Thomas. [William FEATHERSTONE, TL, Indefatigable, life, carpenter, Liverpool (A07036). Future spouse of Ann] 1823-1825 Muster: Ann LANE, FS, Broxbornebury, 7 years, wife of William Featherstone, Minto (28896) & spouse – William FEATHERSTONE, TL, Indefatigable 1815, life, employed by Mr Hassall, Bringelly (20540). [Francis THOMAS, FS, Minorca 1801, 7 years, baker, Sydney (42722) Note: Legal husband of Ann] 1827, 20 Aug. – MANNIX, Mr or William, mentioned in Featherstone's statement re cattle taken. Also William FEATHERSONE, T/L, District of Cooke makes statement re cattle taken. (Source: Index to Cawdor Bench Books, 1825-1828 (CD-ROM), by Liz Vincent) [Note: William Mannix was the defacto husband of another Broxbornebury passenger, Mrs Elizabeth Toft] 1827, 27 Aug. – MANNIX, Mr or William, makes statement to court re cattle and William FEATHERSTONE. (Source: Index to Cawdor Bench Books, 1825-1828 (CD-ROM), by Liz Vincent) 1828 Census: Ann FEATHERSTONE, 43, FS, Broxbornebury, 7 years, prot & spouse - William FEATHERSTONE, 44, TL, Indefatigable 1815, 7 years, prot, carpenter, Mattavai, county Cooke [Francis THOMAS, aged 63, FS, Minorca 1801, 7 years, catholic, baker, Market St., Sydney employed by baker Henry Williams (T0594) Legal husband of Ann] [Note: Re Matavai: “On 22 November 1819 Mary Rouse married Jonathan Hassall (1798-1834) at St. John's Church in Parramatta - in the famous triple wedding when three of Rowland Hassall's children were married in the same ceremony: Samuel Hassall married Lucy Mileham, the daughter of Dr. James Mileham (c.1763-1824) and Mary Cover Hassall married the Methodist missionary Rev. Walter Lawry (1793-1859). After Mary Rouse's marriage Lachlan and Elizabeth Macquarie engaged Theodore Bartley, aged 16, as a tutor to their son Lachlan. During the first years of their marriage Jonathan and Mary lived on the Hassall family property Macquarie Grove at Camden. Their first child, Rowland was born in 1820. In 1816 Jonathan had received from Governor Macquarie a grant of 200 acres at the Cowpastures near Camden (present-day: Cobbitty) which he called Matavai. This was consolidated later by a second grant of 230 acres. In 1823, Jonathan and his three brothers, Thomas, Samuel, and James, received grants of land west of the mountains. Governor Thomas Brisbane granted Jonathan 800 acres at O'Connell Plains, south-east of Bathurst. The grant became known as Newberry Farm and in 1828 its location was listed as being at Macquarie Plains. The 1828 Census records that Jonathan's Matavai holding now totalled 700 acres; he also owned an additional 1100 acres at Bathurst known as Junction Farm.” (Source: Macquarie University Journeys in Time Project Website http://www.lib.mq.edu.au/all/journeys/people/profiles/rouse.html ] 1838 - Burial of Francis THOMAS on 01/01/1838 in Sydney “from hospital”. (V1838-2082-22) [Note: Ann’s legal spouse. No children were born to the couple] 1849 - Ann Thomas (nee Lane) widow of Burrowa (X her mark) wed William Featherstone widow of Burrowa at Yass on 03/06/1849 (V1849-400-34C) 1858 - William Featherston (sic), aged 62, died at Binalong in 1858. (DC 1858/2893) 1869 – “DEATH of AN OLD SERVANT.-The Burrowa Express records, this week, the death of Mrs. Anna Featherstone, who was born in Ireland in 1772. She was, therefore, 95 years of age at the time of her decease. She has lived in this colony sixty years, and with her husband accompanied the late Mr. W H. Broughton and family when they first settled at Broughtonsworth, long before it was thought that Burrowa would have any other history than that attaching to an ordinary squatting station. She brought with her a granddaughter, Pamela Thornbrough by name, who was married to a man named John Morgan, in the employ of Mr. F. R. Hume, of Castlesteads, whose daughter is married to Mr. George Smith, farmer, Burrowa River, and who has had issue-one child. It will thus be seen that she lived to witness the fifth generation of her descendants. Up to a very late period, she possessed all her faculties to an unusually vigorous extent. She died at Broughtonsworth, the residence of Mr. W. J. E. Wotton, who has been exceedingly kind to her, and who procured her a very respectable interment. Her remains were deposited beside those of her late husband in the Broughtonsworth family cemetery, on Tuesday, the 29th ultimo, thus reposing in death close to the ashes of her former employer and benefactor.” (Source: SMH, 06/07/1869, p4) Ann Featherstone, aged about 89, died at "Broughtonsworth" near Burrowa, district of Binalong on 28/06/1869, of “old age and general debility”. (DC 1869/3029) 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