Mary Morgan

338

Penny-Lyn Beale on 8th October 2025

Offence; Robbing her mistress Real Name; Pearce. Status; Single - 1 child

343

Maureen Withey on 7th April 2025

Mary Morgan alias Pearce, was tried on a charge of stealing the 6th of June, sundry articles of ladies wearing apparel, a brooch, &c  the property of Major Price of Brecon. Mr. J. Evans stated the case. The The prisoner had been in the service of Major Price from 24th April last to the 6th June on which day she was discharged from his service in consequence of a disagreement with her mistress. Shortly afterwards, Major and  Mrs. Price went out, and on returning home about half-past 10 o'clock at night they, found that the prisoner had gone and articles mentioned had been stolen. The prisoner was afterwards found in Crickhowell with a box and a bundle in which some of the stolen articles were, but which she denied to be hers. Afterwards when she was committed to jail she was examined and other parts of the stolen property found upon her. The evidence fully proved that,the prisoner had directed two boys to carry the bundle and the box to the waggon in which she went to Crickhowell on the night of the 6th of June, and several of the articles mentioned were found rolled up in a cap in her pocket. The defence that she made was, that she was anxious to leave Major Price's house and go to Crickhowell and could  not stay till the next morning when Mrs. Price desired her to call and receive her wages that she never put the stolen things into her trunk and the bundle and did not know who did; that the things found in her cap must have been put there by a charwoman who was working in the house, who gave the cap into her bands and said the things in it would not be missed as Major Price was so rich. This statement the charwoman denied. Guilty. The learned judge asked Mrs. Price some questions as to the character of the prisoner, when it transpired that she that she had come into Major Price's service upon a forged character. The prisoner here stated that she had been in several respectable services,  but that at Chepstow she had listened to proposals of marriage from a gentleman who had a wife living. The consequence of this was, the birth of a child had so irritated her father and mother that she could not be received by them, and her only resource against prostitution was to go into service upon the fictitious character which the man who had seduced her wrote. The judge passed sentence of seven years' transportation.  Cardiff and Merthyr Guardian, 2 Aug 1834.

108

Nell Murphy on 7th June 2018

N.B. There are two Mary Morgan's on this sailing of the New Grove 1834/35. Mary Morgan (also k/a Pearce) was convicted at Brecon, Wales on 26 July 1834 for stealing apparel from her Mistress. 7 yr Transportation sentence. Single woman, 1 child. Stated her real name was "Pearce". Aged 25 yrs; cook/housemaid. Native place of birth: Llandinam, Wales. Sent to Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) per the ship 'New Grove' arriving 27 March 1835. Clear Conduct Record. 1835: was at Campbell Town, VDL. Conditional Pardon approved. 15 July 1836: Application for permission to marry (As there were 2 Mary Morgan's from the 'New Grove', it would need to be researched further if this is the correct person, but would appear to be so as it also gives her names as Pearce on the Marriage Cert.) to Thomas Beams. 5 Oct 1836: Marriage. Mary Morgan/Pearce to Thomas Beams at Launceston. (ref. 36/1/3 no. 3444)