Mary Lucas

Level 21

Karry Fisher-Watts on 12th January 2014

MARY LUCAS Who she was ? Born: London 1804 Died: Parramatta Lunatic Asylum in the Colony of New South Wales 24th of February 1683 Tried: Middlesex Goal Delivery Convicted: for Shoplifting Date of Conviction: 10th April 1834 Former Convictions: None Height: 4ft 10” Complexion: “sallow’ meaning ‘Of a sickly yellowish hue or complexion’ Mild Eyes: Brown Hair: Black and Grey Term: Of her Natural Life Transpiration to : Penal Colony of New South Wales Religion: Church of England Child: 1 Literacy: Could read and write Occupation: Housemaid Home town: London Age at conviction: 30 years Prisoner Number: 379 COMMENT: Lost three of her upper teeth, mole back of her left cheek, another left side of her shoulder. Mary Lucas Ticket of Leave # 44/722 Convict Number: 34/379 - Granted 28/07/1844 to remain in the District of Paramatta 1: Cancelled for absence from District 28/09/1950 2: Vide Governors Minute registered 11850/2964 3: Ticket of Leave reinstated absence of leave explained vide for Governors Minute on letter Registered 50/3595 BURIAL LOCATION Mary Lucas is buried in All Saints Cemetery Parramatta New South Wales and a plaque with her name and date of death is recorded, along with several other names of in-mates of the Parramatta Invalid and Lunatic Asylum formerly the Female Factory. A note on her death certificate states that she was a long term resident of the Facility. Parramatta Female Factory - Invalids Folio 48/744 Mary Lucas - George Hibbert - Imbecile Female Factory - 15th January 1848. A further record states " ADMITTED APRIL 1 1848 – Folio 144 1: April 1 1848 Disease : A permanent Invalid - a delicate, half-witted woman who had been for a considerable time an inmate of the facility. 2: Missing front Teeth 3: Class of Diet ‘Half’ "She was on this diet until her death 27th of February 1863.

Level 21

Karry Fisher-Watts on 26th December 2013

A detailed historial review of the George Hibbert and her Journey to Australia. On Board was Mary Lucas one of 144 Convict women bound for Botany Bay. http://www.jenwilletts.com/convict_ship_george_hibbert_1834.htm Convict Ship George Hibbert 1834 Master - Captain George N. Livesay. Surgeon Superintendent John Tarn The George Hibbert was the next convict ship to leave England after the departure of the Henry Tanner earlier in July. The George Hibbert departed the Downs on 27 July 1834. She was spoken by the Dorchester on 25th August in lat 10N., long. 25 W. Passengers included Rev. John Saunders, Mrs Saunders, Henry Didsbury, Mrs Didsbury, Miss Didsbury, Sarah Brown, Emma Brown, Maria Smallwood, Eliza Smallwood, Rebecca Parker, Charles, David and Hezekiah Parker, Mary Miller, James, John, Charles, Mary and Andrew Miller, Elizabeth ely, Catherine James, William, Jane, David and Elspeth James, Hannah Smith, Mary Forster, George, Sarah, Mary and Emma Forster, Jane Ewing, Margaret and Emily Ewing, Sarah Shepherd, and Mary Ann Shepherd, Maria Harper and Richard Harper. From the Memoirs of Elizabeth Fry......Mrs. Fry's communications with Lord Melbourne were on the subjects connected with the Ladies' British Society; chiefly that of transportation, female convicts on board ship and their treatment on arrival in the colony. They discussed the subject of matrons for convict ships.....The first Matron who undertook the office, with the joint sanction of Government and Ladies' British Society, was Mrs. Saunders, the wife of a missionary, who went out in the George Hibbert. Her passage was paid by Government, but she suffered so much sickness, that her own exertions were continually impeded. Mr. Saunders supplied her place, as far as it was possible to do so and very satisfactory were the results. They cannot be better described than by extracts furnished by Miss Fraser, from the books of the Convict Ship Committee, held September 12th 1834. The George Hibbert convict ship embarked one hundred and fifty female convicts and forty one children; also, nine free women, and twenty three of their children. It was visited four times by members of the Convict Ship Committee, and the usual articles distributed. The ship was found to be much crowded, and serious inconveniences were felt, and were to be apprehended, during the voyage, from this circumstance. It is however to be noticed, with thankfulness, that both the captain and surgeon superintendent appeared to be peculiarly well qualified for the offices to which they were appointed. (1) This was John Tarn's second voyage as surgeon superintendent on a convict ship. He kept a Medical Journal between 7 June and 18 December 1834.......... Between the 3rd and 17th of July 1834, 144 female convicts, 11 free women and 64 children were received on board at Woolwich, having been forwarded in parties from the different counties of Great Britain. Most of the women were below middle age and in sufficient good health to make the journey without much risk of disease. The vessel was very crowded but the usual precautions to reduce risk of disease made it a healthy voyage. The convicts and children were on deck whenever possible and stoves were used to reduce dampness. Most complaints were affections of the bowels, catarrhal and dyspeptic attacks and diseases of the uterine system and were generally not severe. Bowel complaints appeared during the close, sultry weather and were mostly connected with hepatic secretions. Calomel and purgatives removed the symptoms. The voyage was longer than usual, taking 130 days, and there were numerous slight symptoms of scurvy for some weeks before arriving in Sydney. Lemon juice had been regularly issued and when it ran out it was replaced with citric acid and a solution of nitre in vinegar. These remedies produced good effects particularly in the dysenteric cases. Among the children, only 11 were subjects for vaccination, 10 successfully and the other unsuccessful although the virus was taken from the arm of a healthy subject. - John Tarn ' The George Hibbert arrived in Port Jackson on 1 December 1834 with 144 female prisoners. The convicts were mustered on board on 5th December. Convict indents include the name, age, religion, education, marital status, family, native place, trade, offence, when and where tried, sentence, prior convictions and physical description. There is also occasional information such as admission to the female factory, family members on board and deaths. There is no information in the indents as to where the women were assigned on arrival. Those with children were probably taken directly to the Female Factory at Parramatta on arrival. Some may have been assigned to family members. Those with relatives already in the colony or about to arrive included: Eliza Latham whose sister Martha arrived five years previously Ann Heywood's brothers Denis and William Horns had arrived 11 years previously Mary McCann's brother Francis McCann arrived 5 years previously Sarah Fuller alias Mary Matthews alias Hunt had an uncle Thomas Fuller who arrived 18 years before her Martha Pickard's son William Thomas Pickard arrived on the Hooghley Hannah Willoughby's brother George Willoughby arrived 11 years previously Maria Smith's daughter Ann Hutchinson arrived on the Numa in 1834 Esther Russell alias Ruick had a brother and sister by the names of Moses who were publican's in Sydney Catherine Sullivan's aunt Mrs. Fenwick arrived four years previously Catherine Bonham alias Emma Martin had a half brother James Gregory Hopkins who arrived 7 years previously Jemima Davis' husband John Davis arrived on the Hooghley in 1834 Sarah Sharrod's brother Edward Sharwood arrived 18 months previously Mary Ann Stiff was a cousin of Betsy Fitch also on board Letitia Foreman's husband arrived in VDL on the William Metcalf in 1824 Ellen Walsh's brother in law Daniel McCarthy was convicted at the same time Mary Greenwood and Mary Ann Greenwood mother and daughter both on board as well as five sons and two daughters Caroline Richardson's half brother Henry Isaac arrived three years previously Ann Richardson's brother William Richard six years previously Maria Cox's husband arrived on the Hooghley Margaret Doyle's half sister Sarah Milligan arrived 7 years previously Charlotte Watson's brother William Reed arrived 10 years previously Mary Blackburn's brother James Blackburn arrived 2 years previously Mary Murphy's brother Denis Murphy arrived 8 years previously Margaret Browley's husband Peter McColl arrived on the Henry Tanner and was assigned to Mr. Wallace in Sydney Mary Lochrie's husband Terence Clancy was convicted at the same time as her Catherine McCormick's brother John McCormick was sent out 18 years previously Mary Ann Hamilton's brother James Hamilton came four years previously Margaret Hall's brother Peter Hall arrived 8 years previously Frances Harrie's husband Charles Collins arrived 1 years before Helen and Agnes Rankine were sisters There were some very young prisoners on the George Hibbert: Rachael Stewart was only 12 years old. Her mother was also a prisoner on the George Hibbert and her father was transported on the Henry Tanner. Mary Ann White was also only 12 years old and her sister Jane White was 16; Catherine Sullivan was 14 years of age. Thirty of the prisoners had been convicted in Scotland..... Helen Bowman (Aberdeen) Mary McNamara (Dumfries) Elizabeth Vales (Edinburgh) Janet Crabbe (Edinburgh) Margaret alias Ann Henderson (Edinburgh) Mary Blackburn alias Black (Edinburgh) Catherine McDade (Glasgow) Mary Murphy (Glasgow) Mary Ann Nelson (Glasgow) Janet Morrison (Glasgow) Fanny Hamilton (Glasgow) Jean Miller (Glasgow) Margaret Browley alias McColl (Glasgow) Janet Thompson alias Duff (Glasgow) Mary Lochrie alias Clancy (Glasgow) Catherine McCormick (Glasgow) Mary Ann Hamilton (Glasgow) Margaret Frazer (Inverness) Margaret Hall (Perth) Elizabeth McBridge (Perth) Ann McKenzie alias Wilson (Perth) Jean Taylor (Perth) Jane Duncan alias Ingles (Perth) Isabella Brown (Stirling) Christian Cock alias Cook (Stirling) Robina Lochie (Stirling) Catherine Mitchell (Stirling) Frances Harris alias Brown alias Collins (Stirling) Agnes Rankine (Stirling) Helen Rankine (Stirling) More may be found about Scottish convicts by a search in the Catalogue of the National Archives of Scotland By January 1835 some of the prisoners of the George Hibbert were already causing trouble in the community. The Sydney Herald reported.......The female prisoners who lately arrived per George Hibbert, seem fully equal to the task of rivalling n bad conduct those renowned damsels who arrived in the Colony a few years ago by the Roslin Castle and Lucy Davidson, and who were so noted at the time for their bad behaviour. Scarce a day passes without a batch of George Hibberts being placed at the bar of the Sydney Police. The following women have been identified residing in the Hunter Valley region in the following years. Select HERE to find out more about them......... Mary Ann Adams, Eliza Barlow, Mary Blackford, Mary Brown, Maria Davies, Jemma Davis, Emma Foster, Ann Gale, Fanny Hamilton, Margaret Henderson, Eliza Herring, Ann Heywood, Maria Jervis, Mary Jones, Susan Jordan, Margaret Maddox, Margaret McColl, Mary McTeer, Mary Milson, Charlotte Mitchell, Elizabeth Morris, Martha Pickard, Anne Potter, Ann Pugh, Helen Rankin, Ann Richards, Sarah Sharrod, Maria Smith, Mary Stewart, Rachael Stewart, Catherine Sullivan, Mary Ann Thwaites, Mary Tottenham, Jane Trewick, Mary Ann White and Harriet Woodham. The George Hibbert was one of three convict ships bringing female prisoners to New South Wales in 1834, the others being the Andromeda from Cork and the Numa from Portsmouth A total of 453 female convicts arrived in the colony in 1834. John Tarn was also employed on the convict ships Georgiana in 1831, Bengal Merchant in 1836 and the Surry in 1840 (VDL) John Saunders wrote to the Colonist in January 1835 - His Majesty's Government was pleased to grant myself and wife a free passage in order that I might exercise the ministration of the gospel on board: but such free passage consisted in an allowance to enter on the vessel - the necessary pecuniary arrangements having to be made with the captain. In common with yourself, I deplore the unfortunate circumstances attendant upon the female emigration vessels, and perceived the salutary influence which the regular performance of Divine worship had upon the prisoners on board the George Hibbert. I cannot but hope that government in future will grant free passages (in the full sense of the phrase) to sincere men of every denomination. It is a wise economy in any nation to expend her wealth on the religious advancement of her children. And here, I desire to acknowledge the zealous and efficient co operation of the surgeon, superintendent and commander, gentlemen to whom not only I , but the members of the Ladies Prison Association in Britain and all friends to the diminution of crime, the reformation of the profane and the amelioration of human misery stand deeply indebted. The George Hibbert departed Sydney bound for Madras via Swan River on 13th February 1835. Passengers Mr. Shirwin, Mr. Bond and Mrs. Mars. In March 1835 the Perth Gazette carried news of the George Hibbert - Two seamen (Choan and Williams) belonging to the George Hibbert, were charged by the Captain, G.N. Livesay, with creating a riot on board, and threatening his life. After a patient investigation, the prisoners were fined £5 and in default of payment, to be imprisoned for two months in the Jail of Fremantle. The George Hibbert having sailed, the Captain has thus succeeded in getting rid of two of his most troublesome characters, who, at the expiration of two months, will be let loose upon our little community. The Sydney Herald reported in February 1836 - We regret to hear of a series of disasters to the ship George Hibbert, which left this port for India during last year. It appears that the vessel proceeded prosperously until she reached Madras, where the second officer died. The Captain was fortunate in meeting with a ready cargo and a number of respectable passengers for London; for which port they sailed on 25th June, having three of the sailors on the sick list; the Surgeon stating that they would recover after the vessel had put to sea. Three days after leaving the port a tremendous gale comae on and the ship became leaky, and continued in that state for several days, during which time, from the shortness of hands, many others were obliged to desert their duty from complete exhaustion. During the storm the unfortunate sailors who had been sick died and the Captain left with only four men and two boys to work the ship and man the pumps; he therefore determined to put into the nearest port, when after enduring the most agonizing miseries he reached Coringa on the coast of Coromandel. The Captain's misfortunes were not to end here; for as soon as the ship arrived, the passengers rose a report that the ship was not sea worthy, and after going through a variety of expensive repairs and surveys Captain Livesay was under the necessity of abandoning the vessel and transhipping her cargo into the Duchess of Northumberland, in which ship he also took his passage for London. Resources used to compile Convict Ship pages: Sydney Gazette, The Australian, The Monitor, The Maitland Mercury and other publications available via Australia Trove UK, Prison Hulk Registers and Letter Books, 1802-1849 - Ancestry Various 19th Century British Library Newspapers available via National Library of Australia eResourses ( see Cora Num's site for instructions to access) Lesley Uebel's Port Jackson Convict Anthology Surgeon's Journals at National Archives UK Royal Navy Medical Journals, 1817-1857 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Original data: Admiralty and predecessors: Office of the Director General of the Medical Department of the Navy and predecessors: Medical Journals (ADM 101, 804 bundles and volumes). Records of Medical and Prisoner of War Departments. Records of the Admiralty, Naval Forces, Royal Marines, Coastguard, and related bodies. The National Archives. Kew, Richmond, Surrey. Publications available at Google Books Historical Records of New South Wales Vols. 1 - VII Historical Records of Australia Series 1 The Convict Ships - Charles Bateson Martin Cash: His Personal narrative as a Bushranger in Van Diemens Land Free Settler or Felon Database Journeys In Time 1809 - 1822 - The Journals of Lachlan and Elizabeth Macquarie The Proceedings of the Old Bailey Online North to Matsumae, Australian Whalers to Japan by Noreen Jones. Bound For Botany Bay: Narrative of a voyage in 1798 Aboard the Death Ship Hillsborough - Frank Clune A Narrative of a Voyage to New South Wales, in the year 1816, in the ship Mariner, describing the Nature of the Accommodations, Stores, Diet &c., together with an account of the Medical Treatment &c." by John Haslam in John Croaker: convict Embezzler: John Booker and Russell Craig. Ancestry.com. New South Wales, Australia, Colonial Secretary's Papers, 1788-1825 [database on-line]. Australian Town and Country Journal 3 January 1891 - Arrivals of vessels at Port Jackson and Departures of same up to 1817 Transcriptions of Lloyds Register of Ships Australian Dictionary of Biography East Indian Company Ships Lachlan and Elizabeth Macquarie Archive Journal of Arthur Bowes Smyth, 1787 March 22-1789 August 8 [manuscript]., National Library of Australia, MS 4568 Records of Bristol Ships 1800 - 1838 Musters and other papers relating to convict ships. Series CGS 1155, Reels 2417-2428. State Records Authority of New South Wales. Kingswood, New South Wales, Australia

Level 21

Karry Fisher-Watts on 25th December 2013

Convict Ship George Hibbert Item reference ADM 101/29/3/3 Record Summary Scope and content Folios 25-26: Copy of the daily sick list (names and details follow - continued): Records of the Admiralty, Naval Forces, Royal Marines, Coastguard, and related bodies ADM 101/29/3 Medical and surgical journal of His Majesty's female convict ship George Hibbert for 7 June to 18 December 1834 by John Tarn, Surgeon, during which time the said ship was employed in conveying convicts to New South Wales. Folio 26: 1. Mary Lucas, aged 29, Convict; disease or hurt, dysenteria. Put on sick list, 18 November 1834. Discharged, 15 December 1834. Held by The National Archives, Kew Legal status Public Record(s) Folios 19-21: Mary Lucas, aged 29, Convict; Disease or hurt, dysenteria. Put on sick list, 18 November 1834, at sea. Discharged 15 December 1834. Given rice water with citric acid and sugar for common drink when the lemon juice was expended. Her gums took on a scorbutic appearance some days later. After the arrival in port, on 1 December 1834, she was given fresh meat and vegetables. General Summary of Transportation Folios 24 -25: Surgeon's general remarks. 'Between the 3rd and 17th of July 1834, 144 female convicts, 11 free women and 64 children were received on board at Woolwich, having been forwarded in parties from the different counties of Great Britain'. Most of the women were below middle age and in sufficient good health to make the journey without much risk of disease. The vessel was very crowded but the usual precautions to reduce risk of disease made it a healthy voyage. The convicts and children were on deck whenever possible and stoves were used to reduce dampness. Most complaints were affections of the bowels, catarrhal and dyspeptic attacks and diseases of the uterine system and were generally not severe. Bowel complaints appeared during the close, sultry weather and were mostly connected with hepatic secretions. Calomel and purgatives removed the symptoms. The voyage was longer than usual, taking 130 days, and there were numerous slight symptoms of scurvy for some weeks before arriving in Sydney. Lemon juice had been regularly issued and when it ran out it was replaced with [concrete] citric acid and a solution of nitre in vinegar. These remedies produced good effects particularly in the dysenteric cases. Among the children, only 11 were subjects for vaccination, 10 successfully and the other unsuccessful although the virus was taken from the arm of a healthy subject. Signed, John Tarn Covering dates 1834. Held by The National Archives, Kew Legal status Public Record(s)

Level 21

Karry Fisher-Watts on 25th October 2012

Mary Lucas was my 6th Generation Grandmother MARY LUCAS Theft > housebreaking 10th April 1834. Reference Number: t18340410-101 Offence: Theft > housebreaking - Verdict: Guilty Punishment: Transportation Old Bailey Proceedings Online (www.oldbaileyonline.orgversion Before Mr. Justice Taunton. 624. MARY LUCAS was indicted for feloniously breaking and entering the dwelling-house of James Edward Butler on the 22d of February at St. Marylebone and stealing therein 1 tray value 1s. 6d.6 rings value 3l. 18s and 1 eye-glass value 30s.his goods. JANE BUTLER . I am the wife of James Edward Butler jeweller of Crawford-street in the parish of Marylebone. On Saturday evening the 22nd of February 1834 See original heard a noise at a quarter past nine o'clock - I was serving a customer at the time and heard a noise like a blow at the glass and then heard the glass break - I immediately turned round and saw a woman's hand through the window taking out this tray containing forty-nine gold rings - the gold eye-glass hung on a wire over it and fell into the tray with the breaking of the glass - a vinegaret and other things were lost through the glass being broken - I opened the shop-door directly and perceived a great number of persons had collected together - I saw the prisoner and caught her with the tray in her hand at the middle of the road crossing the street - there were five gold rings and a double gold eye-glass in the tray when I stopped her with it - I called a number of persons to my assistance and detained her - Edward Sherriff came took her from me and gave the tray into my hands - she was taken to the shop and asked why she broke the glass – she said"To get at the rings" - these are the rings - they are worth 5l.: that is the selling price - the tray is worth 1s. 6d. - there were forty-nine rings on the tray when it was removed and they were found in the bed of the window afterwards. EDWARD SHERRIFF . I am shop man to Nalder and Smith who live next door to Mr. Butler's. I was in the shop on Saturday evening the 22nd of February and heard the smashing of glass - I walked to the shop door and saw Mrs. Butler calling for assistance - she had hold of the prisoner - I went up and laid hold of the prisoner and took the tray from here with five rings and a gold eyeglass in it - I took her into the shop. HENRY SAUNDERS . I am a policeman. On Saturday night the 22nd of February about a quarter past nine o'clock was in Crawford-street and was called by Mrs. Butler - I went into her shop - the prisoner was there - I neither threatened nor made her any promise - I went down into the area and found one ring - the prisoner said in going to the station-house that this was not the shop she intended to rob for she had marked out a watch or two in another shop higher up but through being lazy and drinking with another man she was too late and the shop was shut up - she thought she must have something so broke this window. Prisoner's Defence. I was very much in liquor and did not know what I was about - as for breaking the window have no recollection of it nor how they ever came into my hand at all. HENRY SAUNDERS. She had been drinking but not so as not to know what she was about. GUILTY . Aged 29. - Transported for Life .