Mary Monks

75

iain Frazier on 5th May 2024

Family connections for Mary (Monks) are: MONKS Mary (Monks) was born about 1764. She was tried at Dublin Ireland & arrived in NSW as a convict on 11 2 1796 after a voyage of 6months on MARQUIS CORNWALLIS; & was sent Norfolk Island on 13 2 1796 on HMS RELIANCE. She had a relationship with Thomas (Creghan/Crahan) whom she later married on Norfolk Island, perhaps in 1807 & produced maybe 8children. She left Norfolk Island with her family on 26 12 1807 on HMS PORPOISE to Derwent Tasmania arriving on 17 1 1808; then to New Norfolk Derwent Valley. She was Free by Servitude by 1808. She was recorded as off stores at Hobart Town on 2 10 1818. When her husband was sentenced to Life at Newcastle for stealing sheep in 1817 she offerred her sheep to their owners. On 10 4 1830 she was found drunk & tried in Hobart Town-fined 5shillings & on 27 12 1830 tried on suspicion of stealing a loin of pork on 27 12 1830-case dismissed. She was at Crown Inn Pontville in 1840s with son James. She died on 30 3 1857 age93 at Pontville & was buried at St Marks Pontville. Mary (Monks) does not have an entry on this Website as yet-this entry added by me. Thomas (Creghan/Crahan) was born about 1766/9 & became a landlord. He was tried for highway robbery at Dublin city Ireland in December 1791, sentenced to 7years & arrived in NSW on 7 8 1793 after a voyage of 6months on BODDINGTONS. He was sent to Norfolk Island in 1796. He was Free by Servitude by 1802. He was recorded as off stores settler/landowner with 15acres land on Norfolk Island in February 1805. He seems to have accommodated Elizabeth (Curtin/Williams/Crowder NILE 1801) & her children in 1806/7. He had 33acres on Norfolk Island. He, Thomas (Crahand), had 15acres when he left Norfolk Island with his family (& with Elizabeth (Williams & her children) on 26 12 1807 on HMS PORPOISE (as part of the first evacuation (for which volunteers apparantly had been called with appropriate compensation offerred & for which he may have tried to decline as some successful farmers were asked to stay) to Derwent Tasmania arriving on 17 1 1808; then to grant of 33acres at New Norfolk Derwent Valley. He & his sons became notorious as plunderers, habitual sheep stealers in association with bushrangers & a robber named (Watts). In September 1817 he was accused with son Thomas & 2others for stealing sheep of Mr (Wade), sent to Port Jackson/Sydney on PILOT for trial where they were sentenced to death commuted to hard labour for Life. On 20 11 1817 he was sent to Newcastle as prisoner on ELIZABETH HENRIETTA. In 1819 he was selected to help find government boat CORSER with runaway convicts wrecked 500miles north-on HMS LADY NELSON. He next lived in Sydney where he was issued his Ticket of Leave no.408/2007. He returned to Van Diemens Land (Tasmania) in 1820 as Thomas (Croughan) on PRINCESS CHARLOTTE & rejoined his family. In January 1828 he had to prove he had a Ticket of Leave, which was achieved, but not clearly enough. through the efforts of Police Magistrate John (Burnett). He was taken to Hobart Town on 22 5 1828 as the Ticket of Leave issue was not satisfactorily proved & imprisoned; he petitioned with support from fellow settlers resulting in being sent to New Norfolk for a few weeks, then to Sydney on MERMAID for the matter to be resolved. He returned to New Norfolk where he sold the 33acres & equipment to George (Stokell) builder of Hobart Town for 250lb on 22 7 1828. He died on 17 2 1837 age68/71 at hospital New Norfolk & was buried at St Matthews New Norfolk Van Diemens Land (Tasmania). [Some details taken from this Website] REFERENCES Craig James Smee 'Births and Baptisms Marriages and Defacto Relationships Deaths and Burials New South Wales 1788-1830' ..a complete listing from church & other records in the early colony. Irene Schaffer & Thelma McKay 'Exiled Three Times Over! Profiles of Norfolk Islanders Exiled in Van Diemens Land 1807-1813' James Hugh Donohoe 'Norfolk Island 1788-1813-The People and Their Families' Reg Wright 'Forgotten Generation of Norfolk Island & Van Diemens Land'