Mary Ann Sullivan

Level 221

D Wong on 6th August 2020

Old Bailey: MARY ANN SULLIVAN, MARTHA BELLAMY. Violent Theft: highway robbery. 11th January 1827 Verdict Guilty > with recommendation Sentence Death; Death MARY ANN SULLIVAN and MARTHA BELLAMY were indicted for feloniously assaulting Joseph Ortega, on the 16th of December, at St. Giles in the Fields, putting him in fear, and taking from his person and against his will, 1 ring, value 20s., 1 umbrella, value 9s; 3 sixpences, and 6 halfpence, his property. JOSEPH ORTEGA. I live in Arthur-street, Somers-town. I am a native of Spain , and am a teacher of languages. On the 16th of December, about a quarter past six o'clock at night, I had been to a coffee-house to see the newspaper, and as I was going home, the prisoner Sullivan came up to me in Soho-square, and asked me to go with her - I said No; being a stranger, I could not find my way home if I had gone with her - she said, "Come with me, I will give you a direction to Somers-town;" I went into her house, not knowing the character of such women; I do not know what street it was in - she took me into a back room, on the first-floor; she shut the door, and then said she wanted my money - I said, "I have no money;" she said, if I would not give her my money, I should not go home that night; I said, if she would open the door I would go home - she said she wanted my money first, and after that she beat me - I said that I would give her 1s., which I did; she said I had more money than that - I said, No; she said, "Let me see your pockets;" I said I would not; she said, "If you will not, I will kill you;" I then gave her 9d. - she then said that I must let her see my pocket - I said I would not. There was then a knock at the door; Bellamy came in and said, "What is the matter?" Sullivan said, "That gentleman will not give me his money;" Bellamy said, "If he will not give you his money, take the poker, and kill him" - I said I had no money; Sullivan said, "Let us see your pockets" - I said I would not; she said, "Well, if you won't, we will kill you to-night" - I had a watch in my pocket, and did not wish them to find it - I then said, "I will show you my pockets myself" - I turned them out, and Bellamy said,"Very well, if you have no money, give me your umbrella," and she took it out of my hand herself - I had a diamond ring on my finger, and Sullivan said I must give that to her - I said I could not get it off my finger; she told me to prove that I could not get it off - I tried, and could not, and she tried, and could not - she then said that I must put my finger into her mouth; I did so, and while I was doing that, Bellamy pushed my arm against the wall, and Sullivan pulled her head away with the ring in her mouth - she had got it off my finger against my will; she took it out of her mouth, and put it on her own finger - Bellamy then said, "Let him go;" she took my umbrella, and went away - Sullivan blew the candle out, took hold of me by the coat, and went away - I went out, and met the witnesses in the next street; I told them what had happened, and they accompanied me to the place - I never saw the prisoners before, but am quite sure they are the women; they were not there when I went back. Q. What made you go to their room? Did you know your way home? A. I did not know where I was; I went with her, as she promised me a direction home; that was my motive - I thought her a bad woman. JOHN TOFFT. I am beadle of St. Giles. On the 16th of December, about a quarter to seven o'clock in the evening, the prosecutor came to me in High-street, and gave me information - I went with him to these women's lodging, in Maynard-street; I was going up to the room, and I met a man at the door, who gave me some information, and we went down High-street, where we met the prisoners together - Ortega said, "Those are the two women who robbed me" - they denied it, but did not deny having seen him; we took them in charge, but found nothing on them - I never went up into the room. WILLIAM BELL. I am a beadle, and was with Tofft - the prosecutor said he was certainly with the women. SULLIVAN's Defence. I never saw him till he came and took hold of this young woman, and then he said, "I don't think this is the girl" - he let her go, took hold of me, and said, "I believe this is one," and we were taken - he went up to Bellamy and said, "If you will tell me who robbed me, I will let you go" - she said she could not tell him, and he said, "I will punish you for it." BELLAMY's Defence. He took hold of me, then let me go, and took me a second time. TOFFT re-examined. I was with the prosecutor - he pointed them out six yards before they came up, and had no doubt about them. SULLIVAN - GUILTY - DEATH . Aged 20. BELLAMY - GUILTY - DEATH . Aged 15. Recommended to Mercy. Martha Bellamy was also on board. Mary Ann Sullivan was listed as 21 years old on arrival. Place of Birth: Ramsgate. (Gave birth place as Dublin with parents Patrick Kelly and Dolly Sullivan. Occupation: Prostitute/Housemaid/nursemaid. Mary Ann was 5'2" tall, brown hair, blue eyes, single. 30/4/1832: Permission to marry George Roberts (Prince of Orange 1822) 25/6/1832: Married at St. John's, Launceston. George had a TOL, Mary Ann a convict - both signed with their marks. Children: Catherine Roberts, b. 1827, d. 1909, Buried in Hamilton VIC. Edward Roberts, b. 1831, d. 1893. George Roberts, b. 1835, d. 1858. James Roberts, b. 1836, d. 1921, Buried Port Fairy. Francis Roberts, b. 1838, d. 1920. Jane Roberts, b. 1841, d. 1929. Thomas Roberts, b. 1843, d. 1908. John Roberts, b. 1845, d. 1928. All children born in Tasmania. 27/1/1840: CP C1847/8 Moved to Yambuk, Victoria. 30/3/1873: Mary Ann died of cancer and was buried at the Yambuk Cemetery. George Roberts died 1/11/1879 at Hamilton, Vic., and was also buried at the Yambuk Cemetery.

Level 174

Iris Dunne on 4th August 2020

Conduct Record: Tried 11 Jan. 1827, transported for Robbery, Stealing a ring & umbrella from a man in my own room, Single, Conditional Pardon No. 2320 dated 27 Jan. 1840 https://stors.tas.gov.au/CON40-1-9$init=CON40-1-9P60