Ann Lord

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Naomi Parsons on 28th January 2025

Ann had disposed of and put away £15 of forged bank notes for John Ireland at Newchurch (Rossendale) along with John Wylde (age 48) and initially received the death sentence. Her husband Edmund had been executed for the same crime. A reprieve came on the 16th April for two more weeks and then her life was reprieved on the 27th in exchange for transportation for life. Ann was married with three children who were left behind. While she was in jail, with the assistance of jailer Mr Higgin, Ann wrote a petition (below) to the Bank of England asking for their help and that she be kept at Millbank instead. The response follows after- Ann Lord, Lancaster castle, 28 November 1817 "Sirs I have taken the liberty to write this to you, hoping you will excuse the freedom I have taken. I have got a petetion to Lord Sidmouth Secretary of State, signed by all the respectable Inhabitants in and about Newchurch, my native place, the purport and prayer of my petition is that my sentence of transportation for life may be commuted into, and that I may be allowed to be admitted to the Penitentary at Millbank established for the reception of Convicted offenders. I have given you all the information I can respecting forged Bank of england Notes, and shuld any further information come to my knowlidge, rest assured it shall be communicated to you, Sickness and death are light afflictions, nay are blessings when compared to the anguish of the heart, under a sense of being far separated from any communication with my three dear Children, I therfore humbly beg and pray that you will be so kind as assist in forwarding my views and use your Interest in my behalf, with the Bank of england to procure its signature to the Petition (which send herewith directed to them) and forward same to his Lordship and I am sirs your very humble servant Ann Lord Attached: copy letter from Bank solicitors to Lord, 5 Dec. 1817, saying her petition submitted to governors but, consistent with their duty to public, they will not interfere on her behalf any more than they have already done, but will hand petition to anyone whom she directs to apply for it." Ann was part of a group of 35 women who left Lancaster over several days in March, she was in group two, leaving on the 16th March and put on board the Maria on the 18th March. There, on the 1st April, Ann and a number of the Lancaster women, again wrote and petitioned for aid whilst the ship was moored at Deptford. "Honoured Sir We hope you will Excuse the Liberty We take in letting you know that We are all very ill Distressed for want of a few necessaries as there his 5 of us from Lancaster Castle that has Been upwards of 12 months in Prison and is very Badley of for a little mony We hope Sir you will Consider our distressed Situation as most of us is Destitute of Friends Mr Capper was on Board to day and said We Must Aply to you and you Would relieve us, We are Sir your Humble Servants, Alice Willcock, Betty Healey, Catherine Hardacre, Ann Lord, from Chester Betty Wild, from Litchfield Mary Norman, from Carlisle, Mary Young" To no avail, the ship sailed and whilst at sea, Ann suffered back pain and was given opium. Later, she suffered from severe abdominal pains and was given peppermint and castor oil and ipecac. Immediately after arrival, she was sent to Port Dalrymple at Van Diemen's Land, onboard the Elizabeth Henrietta. In August 1821, Ann received a conditional pardon and in November 1836, this was converted to a full pardon, having served twenty years/life. In 1830, Ann was a lodging house keeper at Kangeroo Point (now Bellerive) but received complaints that her assigned servants were stealing from the house owner and that she may be complicit or at least was setting a immoral example and the servants were removed from her. In 1832, she was seriously assaulted by two women who had grievances with one of her lodgers. In the court case, Ann was described as talking in her broad Lancashire dialect, referring to the two women (for their hair colours) as 'the black'un and the red'un and they calling Ann a toothless old hag (amongst other choice words). The area where Ann lived was changing as Hobart developed in 1836, and her house and farm at Kangaroo Point is named as 'Balance's'. Ann passed away at her home in late August 1841, aged 60, noted as a widow, she was buried in Hobart in St David's Cemetery, now a public park.

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jennifer burgess on 20th July 2022

sent to Tasmania age 39