Mary Nash

75

iain Frazier on 11th November 2025

Family connections for Mary (Nash) are: NASH Mary/Maria (Nash) was born in 1748 or 1752. She was tried for housebreaking, on 26 4 1787, & stealing clothes etc of Evan (Pearce) at Old Bailey on 23 5 1787, sentenced to 7years, held at Middlesex Gaol Delivery & arrived in NSW as a convict on 3 6 1790 after a voyage of 12months on LADY JULIANA-a ship with 228females who easily entertained the whole crew & also sailors at Teneriffe stopover; she was sent to Norfolk Island in August 1790 arriving on 7 8 1790. On 1 1 1791 she was suspected for theft & ordered to wear legirons; she was pregnant. She had a relationship with Stephen (Smith) (Smees records show their marriage in November 1791 in group ceremony on Norfolk Island-suggesting his birth about 1759-although he does not show them married at the birth of their children); they produced 4children. She followed Stephen (Smith) to Sydney with 1child in November 1794 arriving on 6 11 1794. She is recorded in 1806 with Stephen (Smith) with 1male & 1female child at Evan. She died in 1783 age81/5 & was buried at Castlereagh. [Some details taken from this Website] Stephen (Smith) was born on 17 5 1759 or 25 7 1765 at Snenton Nottinghamshire & became a ploughman/farm labourer. He was a drummer when tried for highway robbery & stealing a felt hat at Nottingham Town Assizes on 13 3 1788, sentenced to death reprieved to 7years, held from September 1788 on hulk STANISLAUS on Thames & arrived in NSW as a convict on 26 6 1790 after a voyage of 6months on Fleet ship SURPRISE; a voyage noted for extreme brutality of prisoners with a high death rate. He was sent to Norfolk Island arriving in August 1791. On 12 7 1794 he enlisted in NSW Corps as a private & was sent to Sydney on 26 7 1794 with his wife & child. In 1795 he was granted 25acres at Mulgrave Place Hawkesbury which he quickly sold. In 1798 he was detached to (Abbott)s company. In 1802 he was granted 100acres at Evan near the Nepean River. He was discharged on 25 3 1803. He is recorded in 1806 with his family at Evan, the year in which he sufffered great losses in the floods. He was brutally murdered on 24 7 1811 age46/52 at Castlereagh by James (Hunt who was only imprisoned 12months) at Evan & buried at St Matthews CofE Windsor. [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' Pamela Statham 'A Colonial Regiment-New Sources Relating to the New South Wales Corps-1789-1810'

135

C H on 22nd February 2024

Old Bailey Online MARY NASH. Theft; housebreaking. 23rd May 1787 Text type Trial account Defendants MARY NASH Offences Theft > Housebreaking Session Date 23rd May 1787 Reference Number t17870523-61 Verdicts Guilty > Lesser offence Punishments Transportation 510. MARY NASH was indicted for feloniously breaking and entering the dwelling-house of Owen Pearce , about the hour of nine in the forenoon, on the 26th day of April last, no person being therein, and feloniously stealing therein, a cotton bed quilt, value 20 s. three shirts, value 10 s. four pair of cotton stockings, value 2 s. one pair of callimanco slippers, value 3 s. a cloth cloak, value 2 s. and an iron key, value 1 d. his property . ELIZABETH PEARCE sworn. I am wife to Owen Pearce ; my husband was gone upon guard; my house was broke open about nine in the morning, on the 26th of April; there were people below stairs; the house belongs to John Lee , who lives in it; and we have lodgings in it; no person was in my lodging; I locked the door and had the key with me; when I returned, I found the door locked, but missed the things in the indictment; they are worth 2 l. when I returned, I met the prisoner on the two pair of stairs with a bundle in her apron; she asked me for some name, I told her to ask below stairs; I was a stranger in the house; I afterwards found two shirts at Mr. Lane's, a pawnbroker's in Drury-lane; they were my husband's. ELIZABETH JEFFERIES sworn. I live in the same house with the prisoner; she brought some things to me and said, her husband and she had had some words and desired them to be with me a little; and I gave her leave, and in about an hour afterwards, I heard the officer at the door and I gave them to him; that was the 25th of April. GEORGE MEECHAM sworn. Produced the things which were deposed to, which were some of them delivered to him by the prosecutrix and some of them he found at the prisoners lodgings. The pawn-broker produced two shirts that were pledged by the prisoner. EDWARD TREADWAY sworn. I tried this key in the door of Mrs. Pearce's, and it both locked and unlocked it; in the prisoner's apartments, I found a parcel of duplicates and a dozen more keys. PRISONER's DEFENCE. A woman asked me to pawn the shirts; I am innocent. GUILTY. But not of the burglary . Transported for seven years . Tried by the second Middlesex Jury before Mr. Justice ASHURST.

221

D Wong on 25th March 2014

Mary Nash, sometimes referred to as Maria Nash, however, I think this confusion comes from a Maria Haynes who married William Nash on Norfolk Island - they were there at the same time. NASH, Mary - 1748-1833 - buried Castlereagh. Convicted at the Old Bailey in 1787 of stealing clothing. Cohabited with Stephen Smith, a convict on the Surprise. August 1790 - Sent to Norfolk Island 1 January 1791 - Ordered to wear leg irons for suspected theft. She was in an advanced state of pregnancy at the time and this is why she did not receive a flogging. This was her first child, named John when he was born the following month. He was not the son of Stephen Smith as this man did not arrive on Norfolk Island until August 1791. John's paternity has not been determined. November 1794 - Returned to Port Jackson with her children. They reunited with Stephen SMITH there 1806 - Mustered as having one male and one female child. Maria was still with Smith on a farm in the Evan district. Children of Mary Nash: John Nash born 1791- Stephen Smith born 1793- Mary Smith born 1794-1794 Mary Smith - NSW Birth index V1796403 4/1796 SMITH MARY father STEPHEN mother MARY Death index for Mary Nash V1833388 17/1833 NASH MARY AGE 65 From the book and documentary "The Floating Brothel" there is visual evidence in the manifest of the Lady Juliana that Mary was 38 years of age upon departure from the UK which would make her DOB as 1752.