Ann Layshaw

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Maureen Withey on 8th February 2023

Hobart Marriage Records. https://stors.tas.gov.au/RGD36-1-1p151j2k Charles Sefton of Hobart, Convict per Kangaroo, age 42 years, and Ann Lashaw, of Hobart, Convict per Mary, age 43 years, were married at Hobart by Banns, 28 November 1825, by Wm. Bedford, Chaplain.. Both signed their names, witness Samuel Cash. On Tuesday, the 13th instant, Mr. Charles Sefton, of the Britannia Inn, Macquarie-street, aged 57 years. The Courier, 24 Sep 1841. Death Registration: https://stors.tas.gov.au/RGD35-1-1p80j2k Dies 14 Sept 1841, Charles Sefton, age 57, Licenced Victualler, Cause of death, Inflammation. Informant, Undertaker.

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Maureen Withey on 8th February 2023

Sarah Wardle, who was sentenced to he transported at Stafford Assizes, escaped from the county gaol in the night of Sunday week. The apparent impossibility of a female effecting her deliverance from a building in which surety is made doubly sure, has excited much attention ; and has given rise to various conjectures. An investigation has taken place in the prison but nothing has transpired to elucidate the mystery. A ladder was found on Monday morning against the front wall the building; hut that tended to increase rather than abate the suspicion that some person in the inferior of the prison was concerned in the transaction.—Sarah Wardle. a married woman, and has three children residing with her husband near Leek. Oxford University Herald, 17 Jan 1818.

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Maureen Withey on 8th February 2023

The Notorious Mrs. Wardle. —(From the Gloucester Journal.) —A well dressed female, about forty years of age, lately applied for and obtained lodgings at a small public-house, in a borough town, not a dozen miles from Gloucester. She at first represented herself a lady’s maid in a family then resident at Cheltenham ; she staid only one night, but returned in a few days, observing that the family were gone to visit a nobleman in the neighbourhood for week, and that for that period she had been put to board wages.— After staying a few days, she came back, with a similar story of the family being on a visit to a Right Rev. Prelate! She again staid about week, and then pretended to go to Cheltenham to meet her mistress ; but within a fortnight returned, and said the family were gone to Ireland, where they would probably stay some months. She now became regular inmate of the house, and paid for her board and lodging liberally. — She seems early to have studied the characters of her host and hostess sufficiently find, that they might easily be made her dupes; her first act was therefore to adduce fabricated statements of the dishonesty of the servant girl; and having by this manoeuvre, got her discharged, she offered to fulfil the to fulfil the manifold duties of her situation - barmaid, tapster, cook, &c. until a suitable person could be procured. The landlord's wife very opportunely died at this period, and the whole concerns of the establishment devolved upon this kind-hearted stranger, who professed to be exclusively actuated by the purest of motives, in condescending to perform offices which were much beneath the dignity of lady’s-maid! She frequently received considerable remittances of money in letters and parcels, which she said were sent by her mistress and she was thought, by the kitchen customers to be person of small importance, until one of them, a female, who was passing through the town, recognised her as an old acquaintance, and immediately gave information, to Magistrate, that she was a notorious utterer of forged notes; that she had been convicted of the offence at Stafford, but the gang with whom she was connected had found means to bribe one of the turnkeys to connive at her escape, for which offence, he was himself transported, and that 100/. reward was offered for her apprehension. The Magistrate, however, unfortunately determined to wait until answer could be obtained from Stafford, before he granted a warrant; and the lady, having got intimation of what was going forward, escaped just time to evade two officers who had been sent from Stafford to secure her. There being no doubt whatever but that she was provided with plentiful supply of fictitious notes, if an opportunity had presented itself of putting them in circulation; but she was perhaps prevented from attempting this, by better prospects unexpectedly opening upon her; for it appears, that, from the moment her hostess died, this artful woman had contemplated becoming the wife of the landlord, who was possessed of considerable property; and it is believed that they would have been married in the course of a few weeks. But the most melancholy part of the detail?, that this worthless adventurer, who has a husband now living, had gained such an ascendancy over the mind of the old innkeeper, that, in a moment of temporary frenzy, brought on a consciousness of the impropriety of his conduct, in harbouring this unknown female in opposition to the remonstrances of his friends, he put a miserable period to his existence within a few days after her flight! On looking over the metropolitan police reports for the past week, we find that the above enterprising female has been taken into custody, and has undergone two examinations Lambeth-street Office, London, charged with uttering forged notes to a considerable amount. Four cases of utterance of forged 51. notes, were proved against the prisoner. Her escape from Stafford gaol, while under sentence of transportation for years, and her other exploits, were well known to the sitting Magistrate; and he informed her, that she stood in frightful situation; and that if she had twenty lives, they were all forfeited to Bank prosecutions, to say nothing of being already convict. She was remanded for another week; and stands charged under the names of Ann Layshaw, alias Sarah Wardle, She escaped from gaol the 4th of Jan 1818. Birmingham Chronicle, 25 April 1822. --------------------------------------------------- ASSIZE. CHELMSFORD. Ann Layshaw was indicted for uttering a 51. Bank note, at South Ockendon. It appeared in evidence, that on the (4th of February the prisoner introduced himself to the notice of a Mr. Sowers, who .keeps the Red Lion Inn, at Ockendon, by inquiring if he knew of a lady’s school in the neighbourhood. Mr. Somers mentioned school kept a Miss Gray, at North Ockendon. The prisoner said that was the lady she wanted to see, and said Miss Gray wits her niece. She then desired change of a £5 Bank note, which was given. She desired a boy should accompany her, to show her the way. Her wish was Complied with, and she gave the boy 1s. 6d. for his trouble. It was afterwards discovered that the note was a forgery, and that the prisoner’s story was without foundation in truth. To prove the prisoner's guilty knowledge, several other utterings were proved against her; namely, one of a 51. forged to Edmund Stokes, the driver of the Epping coach, on the 11th January, a £1 note on 6th of March to Mr. French, the owner of the Chelmsford coach; and the offer to utter 51. note the George Inn, Mountnessing, where she was apprehended. On the prisoner's person was found a map of the roads ; but there were no forged notes. The prisoner, who appeared a good deal affected on her trial, set up an alibi, and called a Mr. Turleigh, who swore, that the prisoner lodged in his house, and had that the prisoner lodged in his house, and had not been out for many months, except once on Christmas eve, when she went abroad for the day, but returned in the evening. The Jury, however, found her Guilty—Death. Mirror of the Times. 27 July 1822.

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Maureen Withey on 6th February 2023

Tasmanian Records. List of prisoners per Mary (3) who do not appear to have landed at Sydney. https://stors.tas.gov.au/CON13-1-2$init=CON13-1-2P278 See list for details.

7

Joan Pointon on 20th April 2015

Born Ipstones, nr Leek, Staffordshire. At time of offence in 1818 aged 34 years, married with three children. Convicted Staffordshire summer 1817 for passing forged banknotes, sentence death commuted to life. Escaped Stafford gaol 1818 with help from another convict and a turnkey, recognised in 1822 in Gloucester by woman from Staffordshire who was visiting Gloucester. Evaded capture, eventually retried (as Ann Layshaw) in Chelmsford 1822 and sentenced to transportation for life. Married Charles Jefson, a fellow convict, Hobart 1825. Believed possibly died 1853.