Mary Spence

338

Penny-Lyn Beale on 22nd February 2025

Australia, Births and Baptisms Name Mary Spencer Gender Female Birth Place at sea aboard HMS Prince of Wales Baptism Place Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Residence Place New South Wales, Australia Mother Mary Spencer FHL Film Number 993949 Australia, Death Index Name Mary Spencer Death Date 1788 Death Place Sydney, New South Wales Registration Date 1788 Registration Place Sydney, Australia Volume Number V178860 2a © 1997-2025 Ancestry

75

iain Frazier on 18th October 2024

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Family connections for Mary (Spence) are: SPENCER Mary (Spence/r) was born about 1767 at Formby Lancashire. She had a first (1of3) relationship. She was tried for stealing petticoats etc of Charles (Fenton) of Crosby at Wigan Quarter Sessions Lancashire Assizes on 9 10 1786, sentenced to 5/7years apparantly & arrived in NSW as a convict with a child on 22 1 1788 after a voyage of 9months on First Fleet ship PRINCE OF WALES.>>> [Some details taken from this Website] 1.Mary (Spencer) was born on 1 7 1787 & baptised on 19 8 1787 at sea on PRINCE OF WALES-recorded at St Phillips CofE Sydney. She died on 5 4 1788 age9m & was buried at St Phillips CofE Sydney. .. >>>Mary (Spencer) was sent to Norfolk Island, arriving on 3 12 1789. She had a second (2of3) relationship with James (Squire) his second (2of4) relationship) & produced 1child. She left Norfolk Island on 21 9 1792.>>> James (Squire) was born in 1754. He was first tried for highway robbery about 1774, sentenced to 7years transportation to Americas, reprieved to service in Army from which he was released after 4years. He married firstly (1of4) Martha (Quinton) [or was it Martha (Sutton) in 1777-or both] & produced 3children. He was tried secondly for stealing fowls etc of John (Stacey) at Kingston upon Thames Lent Assizes Surrey on 11 4 1785, sentenced to 7years & arrived in NSW as a convict on 22 1 1788 after a voyage of 8months on First Fleet ship CHARLOTTE. He apparantly served on Norfolk Island. He had several liaisons on Norfolk Island. He enrolled his son in British Army late in 1791. In 1792 he was granted 30acres at Kissing Point on which he eventually built a brewery & tavern & brewed for the colonys Governors. On 19 9 1798 he was issued liquor licence for 'Malting Shovel' Tavern Parramatta River Eastern Farms Kissing Point. He had increased his landholding to 986acres by 1806. In 1808 he became a baker in Kent St, operated by his son Francis. He had a third (3of4) relationship with Elizabeth (Mason her second relationship). He was Free by Servitude by 1797. He had a fourth relationship with Lucy (Harding). He moved into residence in Castlereagh St in 1816. He was making yeast hops & bread & was meat supplier in 1821; & constable & acting as beneficial banker & philanthropist. He was living on 'Pollards Farm' 25acres when he died on 16 5 1822 age68 father of 11known children at Ryde Sydney & was buried at Devonshire St cemetery St Phillips CofE Sydney; his Will disposed of all his property to family. [Some details taken from this Website] .. >>>Mary (Spencer) had a third relationship with John (Palmer) soldier, whom she married on 10 8 1797 at St Phillips CofE Sydney & produced 2children. She produced 4 known children in her lifetime. John (Palmer) was born about 1764 in Gloucester & became a glover. He was tried for stealing iron from Edward (Bridger) of Millbrook at Winchester Quarter Sesions of the Peace Hampshire on 5 4 1789? & sentenced to 7years. He enlisted in NSW Corps in UK as a corporal on 20 10 1789. He arrived in NSW as a convict/soldier on 26 6 1790 after a voyage of 7months on Fleet ship NEPTUNE; a voyage noted for extreme brutality of prisoners with a high death rate; he was 5.83' in height. He became sergeant in 1791. In 1792 he was granted 100acres at Garden Island cove & 70acres at Surry Hills Field of Mars, In 1798 he was detached to (Paterson)s company, still in Sydney. He was Free by Servitude by 1799. In 1800 he was detached to (Townson)s company & leased 3acres 32rods at Warwick Farm. On 5 5 1801 he was reduced to private & detached to (Grose)s company. In 1804 he was granted 125acres at Mulgrave Place Hawkesbury. He was still in Sydney when detached to (Kemp)s company in 1808. In 1809 he was detached to 2company & transferred to Veterans Company on 24 4 1810. 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'

343

Maureen Withey on 26th April 2020

Mary Spencer. Mary became a mistress of fellow convict James Squire, convict on the First Fleet, who became a successful brewer and landowner. “When James was convicted and transported to Australia as a convict, it was very rare for convicts or their family to attain permission, or even afford to join them in their exile, so Martha (his first wife) and his children were left in England to fend for themselves. While Squire was separated from his wife and family he met Mary Spencer. Mary was born in 1768 in the town of Formby. She was tried in Wigan on 9 October 1786 for with theft at Crosby of one cotton and one black silk handkerchief, a green quilted tammy (glazed material partly wool) petticoat and a black silk cloak, of unknown value. She was sentenced to transportation for 5 years [and left England on the Prince of Wales aged about 19 at that time (May 1787). She had no occupation recorded. Mary gave birth to a son, who was named Francis (born and baptised on 1 August 1790 on Norfolk Island. He died on 20 September 1851 in Melbourne. Unable to care for Francis, James enrolled him in the British Army at just 15 months of age. Francis was enlisted into the NSW Corps as a drummer, starting on the payroll on his 7th birthday.” Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Squire

105

Denis Pember on 7th January 2016

In the colony, Mary carried on a relationship with James Squire (First Fleet Convict, Charlotte, 1788), they had one child, Francis, born 1790. She subsequently married John Palmer (Corporal NSW Corps, Neptune 1790) and they had 2 daughters, Ann 1796 and Elizabeth 1799.

105

Denis Pember on 7th January 2016

Mary was tried at the Quarter Sessions at Wigan in Oct 1786. "Mary Spencer of Formby, stole handkerchiefs, petticoat, black silk coat, property of Charles Felton. She was sentenced to five years transportation and arrived in the colony aboard the ship 'Prince of Wales'.