Sarah Startin

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iain Frazier on 9th January 2026

Family connections for Sarah (Startin) are: STARTIN Sarah (???/Startin) was born about 1759. She married John (Startin & produced 8children). She was tried w/3others for issuing forged notes at Warwick Easter Assizes Warwickshire on 29 3 1813, sentenced to 14years & arrived in NSW as a convict with 2of her accomplices on 9 1 1814 after a voyage of5months on WANSTEAD; she described herself as a housekeeper & was sent to Parramatta. She was recorded in 1814 off stores at Parramatta with her husband. She was convicted of an offence & was transported to Newcastle in January 1821. She became ill & was returned to Parramatta in June 1822-to the Female Factory, where she was recorded in September 1822. She was recorded as resident at Parramatta in 1825. She died on 11 7 1827 age67 at Sydney Benevolent Asylum, althogh age given as 87, & was buried, as (Starton), at St Joames CofE Sydney. [Some details taken from this Website] John (Startin) was born in 1755 & became a publican. He was tried in April 1806 for uttering forged notes at Birmingham Court Warwickshire & sentenced to Life. He escaped from custody, but was captured in March 1808 committing a burglary, held at York Castle & seemingly tried at York Assizes Yorkshire. He arrived in NSW as a convict on 27 2 1810 after a voyage of 7months on ANN/E. He was recorded in 1814 as labourer on stores at Parramatta with his wife. He died as John (Startin/Martin) on 30 10 1819 age64 & was buried at St Johns CofE Parramatta. [Some details taken from this Website] Reference: 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.

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Robin Sharkey on 27th August 2021

PETITION TO BANK OF ENGLAND BEFORE LEAVING THE U.K. Where the Bank of England had successfully prosecuted for forging or uttering, it would provide a small amount of assistance to prisoners who petitioned them - but the vast majority of payments were only made to women offenders. Because women remained in the local gaol often for a long time until they were transported, they would face very hard times with no means of support. Letters on behalf of Sara Startin, Sarah Ashwell and Martha Pedley were not written until they were already on board the "Wanstead". They might not have heard about the Bank's payments until they were mingling with the London-convicted women. Martha Pedley's first letter mentioned her associates, the two Sarahs - Ashwell and Startin - as being very much distressed. Then they were all three part of a second letter from eight women seeking "a little more". [F/25/11/17] 4 July 1813, from Deptford "Mr Kay, Sir, I hope you will Pardon the Leberty I have takein in writen to you But it is nessety for I have Been taken up Ever sence the 30th of October and A small famley and have Been fost to sell all my things to Live on and I am very much Distrest and if you will have The Goodness as to give me A trifle it will be very thankfully Received By me martha Pedley as I have A Child with me and I have no money to Purcehs any thing But the alounce and there is 2 moor women that was Convected at Warwick the same time as my Salfe and very much Disstrest in Deed the Be Honnerd Sir I hope you will atend to the Above and your humble Pektichners is in Duty Bound and will for Ever Pray for you, Martha Pedley, Sarah Aswell, Sarah Startin" Petition from eight women jointly: [F25/11/25] 23 July 1813, from Spithead "Honerd Gentlemen Wee humble thank you for the favour wee have Recevid from your hands and as wee are Likeley to have a Long Voyege and most of us as Childrin and wat you have Been so Good as to give us all moust Expinded with By in a few things as we wanted very Bad and if you Goodness will Remit us a trifle moar it will Be thankfully Receveid By your humble Pertichner and wee shall Be in Duty Bound and will for Ever Pray Sarah Startin, Sarah Ashwell, Martha Pedley, Elizabeth Chedlow, Elizabeth Jones, Catherine Watson, Mary Best, Jane Smith" 637. [F25/11/26] Martha Pedley, Wanstead transport ship, Spithead, 4 August 1813

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Robin Sharkey on 27th August 2021

She arrived in NSW in January 1814. She described herself as a housekeeper. On arrival, she was sent up to Parramatta. The other two women, both younger than her (Ashwell aged 42 and Pedley aged 39) remained in Sydney. Sarah may well have been sent to Parramatta because her husband John was there, even though he remained a convict. In the 1814 Muster later that year in October, she was listed as a convict, as John's wife, both at Parramatta, and off stores. John was a convict labourer, on stores. John died at Parramatta in October 1819, aged 64, and was buried from St John's Anglican church. This mat have thrown Sarah into economic distress again as she was then 60 years old. By January 1821 she was being transported to Newcastle as a prisoner, for the commission of a secondary offence in NSW. In May 1822 she petitioned for mitigatin of her sentence. By June 1822 she was in an ill enough state of health to be taken back to the Factory at Parramatta. SHe ws recorded as living there in the Sept. 1822 Muster. Sarah was still alive in 1825 (then being 66) being recorded in the September 1825 Muster as resident at Parramatta. She was still a convict, her sentence not expiring until 1827. She is likely to have been the woman who died in 1827, recorded in the NSW BDM register (296/1827 V1827296 11) as "SARAH STARTON" aged 87. The age stated could be a transcription error as Sarah would have been 67 or 68 that year.

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Robin Sharkey on 27th August 2021

Seven years after her husband, John Startin, was found guilty at the Warwick Assizes of uttering forged notes, and sentenced to Life Transportation, SARAH STARTIN was sentenced at the Warwick Assizes for passing forged notes. She was tried on 29 March 1813 (the Warwick Easter Assizes) and sentenced to 14 years' transportation. Sarah was about 55 years old. In 1813 her husband, convict in NSW, was about 58 years old. Sarah appeared to be part of a small gang that passed forged notes: Northampton Mercury, 3 April 1813, p.3 "At Warwick assizes, which commenced the same day, Martha Pedley, Sarah Ashwell, Sarah Startin, and Thomas Powell, charged with passing forged notes, were all found guilty, and sentenced to transportation for fourteen years". The three women arrived in NSW on "Wanstead". Thomas Powell appears not to have arrived. The other two women had prior records for offences relating to forged money. • Martha Pedley had been sent to Warwick Gaol in November 1812 for putting off forged bank of England notes, Bank of England tokens, and counterfeit coin. • Sarah Ashwell had been committed to Warwick Gaol in February 1811 for tendering a large number of counterfeit shillings (300) and counterfeit sixpences in Birmingham. Sarah Startin may also have had a history, especially given she had children and presumably no means of support once John was transported. But she hadn't been caught before. _______________________________________