Mary Sullivan

53

Beth Taylor on 22nd September 2019

SULLIVAN, Mary (or Margaret) (c1793-1845) Tried - 13 May 1812 London (Old Bailey) Mary (sometimes named as Margaret) was indicted before the Old Bailey charged with stealing 18 yards of ribbon, from Charles Bluck’s haberdasher shop at 32 Bishopsgate St., Without in London. Mary was aged 18 and was in company with two other women, when another customer alleged that Mary had stolen something. After being searched by the Police, the ribbon was found in her apron but Mary’s defence was that “by some accident it had fallen into her apron”. 18 year-old Mary, a needleworker by trade, was found guilty by the Judge, who gave her a 7 year term for stealing the ribbon, with a value of six shillings (60c!). On the same day, at the same Court, Susannah Sullivan was also tried of a crime, and it is possible the two women were related. Mary Sullivan was first sent to the Colony in 1812 on the Emu and finally reached Sydney in 1814 on the Broxbornebury. BC: 1793 (indent) or 1801 (death) Sentenced: 13/05/1812 Middlesex [see trial record below] to 7 years transportation Crime: Larceny 1812 – MARY SULLIVAN, Theft > grand larceny, 13th May 1812. 143. MARY SULLIVAN was indicted for feloniously stealing, on the 21st of April, eighteen yards of ribbon, value 6 s. the property of Charles Bluck. CHARLES BLUCK. I am an haberdasher, 32, Bishopsgate Street Without. On Tuesday the 21st of April, the prisoner, with another person, came into the shop and asked for some ribbon, and while she was looking at them another woman came in, wished to see some thread, and was very impatient, so much so that I suspected the three were companions together. The other woman said she was in an hurry, I said she should be served in her turn, I turned round quick suspecting the prisoner, I saw the prisoner very much confused; at the same time a person in the shop said that she had stolen something, I laid hold of her apron and found that she had half a piece of ribbon; the woman that was so impatient ran away. I stopped the prisoner and another woman and sent for Sapwell, who found the ribbon on her, she said by some accident it had fallen into her apron. Q. Was that possible - A. Oh no, impossible. THOMAS SAPWELL. I searched the prisoner, I found the ribbon mentioned in the indictment in her apron, I asked Mr. Bluck if that was his property, he said yes; since that I have dropped the ribbon out of my pocket, through some misfortune I have not got it to produce. Q. Was there a private mark upon it - A. Yes, it was sworn to the next day before the Lord Mayor by Mr. Bluck. Q. (to Mr. Bluck) Are you sure that the ribbon that Sapwell shewed you had your private mark upon it - A. Yes, I do swear that it had my private mark, and it was my property. Prisoner. When I went into this gentleman's shop I asked to look at a bit of ribbon, I had some muslin in my apron, I looked at two piece of ribbons, I asked him to cut me a couple of yards off; a person that was there did shove against me and that ribbon fell into my lap, and before I could have time to take it out of my apron that gentleman took hold of me, he asked me what I wanted with the ribbon, he rolled it up in my apron and kept it there. I wish to see what is the property against me. Prosecutor. A neighbour had watched her, and came to tell me they were suspicious characters. Sapwell. When I lost the property I made it known to the Lord Mayor's clerk, and to Mr. Newman the solicitor; I called the several watchmen together in the parish, I told them I would give them a guinea if they could find the property or any body that did, and since then one of the watchmen went down to the Compter and let the prisoner know that I had lost the property. There was a fire at Mr. Mott's the soap boiler, I lost it out of my pocket; whether the hole in my pocket was cut or no I cannot say. GUILTY, aged 18. Transported for Seven Years. London jury, before Mr Recorder. (Source: Old Bailey on-line www.oldbaileyonline.org Previous Occupation: Needleworker Age on Convict Indent: 21 ALSO ON SHIP EMU IN 1812 Certificate of Freedom 2231 (indent) 1814 Muster: Margaret Sullivan; Arrived per Broxbornebury, Status: C (Convict); Occupation/Residence &c, Mustered at Sydney, [Assigned] to Jesse Hudson; Victualling: Off Stores #7056 [Jesse Hudson; Arrived per Barwell, Status: C TL (Convict; Ticket of Leave); Occupation/Residence &c: Shoemaker, Mustered at Sydney; Victualling: Off Stores] [1819-20 - James Summers was on lists of convicts maintained by William Cox free of expense to the Crown; in 1819 and 1820 (Source: SRNSW Col Sec Papers, Reel 6050, 4/1746 p.141; Reel 6058, 4/1769 p.86a) Future spouse of Mary] [Notes re Cox family: “Winbourne is associated with the family of William Cox, who supervised the Irish convicts who built the road over the Blue Mountains, in 1815. William was rewarded with land grants in the Mulgoa Valley and three of his sons built houses in the valley. Henry Cox built Glenmore (the present golf club), Edward built Fernhill (now largely restored) and George built Winbourne, starting in 1824 or so. William himself lived at ‘The Cottage’, near the present site of St Thomas’ Church, until he moved to Clarendon at Richmond.” Source: http://www.winbourne.org/pagesW/IndigenousHistory.html ) 1822 Muster: Margaret (sic) SULLIVAN, FBS, Broxbornebury, govt servant (?) to T. Newton, Windsor (A20380) [Note: Thomas Newton, convict per ship Fanny, Town Constable at Windsor] [James SUMMERS, con, Glory, life, govt servant to Nowland, Windsor (A20425) [Note: James Nowland was a GS for William Cox at Windsor. Summers was a future spouse of Mary] 1823, 1 May 1823 - Margaret (sic) Sullivan explained her loss of Certificate of Freedom & said it had blown out of her hand when travelling on a passage boat to Parramatta. (SRNSW Col Sec Papers, Special Bundle: Reel 6028; 4/1690 p34) 1823, 8 May – Mary SULLIVAN, per Broxbornebury received her duplicate Certificate of Freedom. (Source: Sydney Gazette, 08/05/1823, p1) 1823 to 1825 Muster: Mary SULLIVAN, FS, Broxbornebury, 7 years, housekeeper of Charles Williams, Bathurst (42106) & spouse-to-be - James SUMMERS, con, Glory 1818, life, govt servant to Mr William Cox, Windsor (42152) 1825, 30 Dec. – Margaret asked permission to wed James Summers, convict per Prince of Orange (?), at St Johns Parramatta. (SRNSW Col Sec Papers, Letters Received, Reel 6064; 4/1789 p73) 1826, 6 Jan. – James Summers per ship Glory, life term, now bond, aged 26, applied to marry Margaret Sullivan per ship Broxbornebury, 7 year term, now bond, aged 35. Rev Cross of Windsor made the application. (Source: SRNSW Convicts Application to Marry, Fiche 780, 4/4508) 1828, 25 Jan. – James Summers per ship Glory, life term, now bond, aged 27, applied to marry Mary Sullivan per ship Broxbornebury, now free, aged 38. Rev Marsden of Parramatta made the application. (Source: SRNSW Convicts Application to Marry, Fiche 780, 4/4508) 1828, 21 April - Margaret Sullivan finally wed James Summers on 21 April 1828 at St Johns Parramatta. (James Summers, aged 28, Bond, arrived per Glory 1, Abode: Windsor, Signed; & Margaret Sullivan, aged 29, Free, Abode: Windsor, Signed X; married 21 Apr 1828, registered St Johns Church of England Parramatta by Banns, with consent of Governor by Samuel Marsden; Witness: Jesse Hudson, of Parramatta, Signed X; Witness: Esther Parks, of Parramatta, Signed X. Source: St John's Church of England, Parramatta NSW: Church Register - Marriages; ML ref: Reel SAG 55-56 & V1828-4282-3B) (No record of any children born to the couple) 1828 Census: Margaret (?) SUMMERS or SULLIVAN, aged 28 (?), FBS, Broxbornebury, cath, wife to James Summers; Householder: George Cox; Residence: Winbourn, Mulgoa; Household Return district: Evan (S2903) wife to - James SUMMERS, aged 28, GS, Glory 1818, life, cath, blacksmith to Geo. Cox [George Cox, CF 1800, landholder, 7,650 acres, 2,000 sheep, 621 cattle & 34 horses], Winbourne, Mulgoa, Evan (S2988) 1830 – WINDSOR – “Margaret Summers was indicted for stealing in the dwelling-house of John Donovan at Windsor, on the 10th of March last, several silver coins considerably above the value of £5 the property of John Donovan. It appeared that while the prosecutor was preparing to go to Sydney very early on the morning of the 18th of March, the prisoner came to his house and asked for a drink of water. After she was gone the prosecutor missed his money which was laying on the counter in a bag when the prisoner came in. The prosecutor, followed her when he came up with her, she immediately sat down on some grass ; and upon her rising, the bag was found containing the money upon the exact spot where she bad been sitting. The prisoner was found guilty and judgment of death recorded against her.” (Source: Sydney Gazette, 14/08/1830, p3) [Note: This was definitely the correct Mary/Margaret…see May 1839] 1830, 16 October – Margaret (as Summers) was sent from Sydney Gaol to Moreton Bay (Qld.) as a prisoner per ship Isabella (Source: CD-ROM Colonial Convict Movements 1827-1853, Location 4/3596, Reel 1062, p462) 1831, Dec. – James Summers per ship Glory had his TOL cancelled for “stolen property in his possession.” (Source: Sydney Gazette, 20/12/1831, p1) 1837 Convict Muster – James Sumney (sic), Age: 35; Arrived per Glory 1818; Occupation/Residence &c, Parramatta, [Assigned to] John McManis #24872 1839, May – Mary Sullivan alias Summers per ship Broxbornebury, was admitted into Sydney Gaol on 22/05/1839, from Moreton Bay on the ship Sophia Jane. Also admitted was Sarah West or Denton, also arr per Broxbornebury. Mary was transferred to the FF & Sarah transferred to Hyde Park Barracks on 23 May. (Source: www.ancestry.com.au SRNSW Gaol Description and Entrance Books, 1818-1930; Series: 2514; Item: 4/6438 Roll: 853 & Series: 2515; Item: X843; Roll: 1864) 1845 - Margaret Summers, aged 44, blacksmith's wife of Parramatta, died on 30 August 1845 & was buried on 1 Sept., service at St John’s Parramatta. (V1845-498-30B) 1849 – James Summers per ship Glory had received a CP on 15/11/1848. (Source: SMH, 10/01/1849, p2) No record of death found for James Summers. "Mary Sullivan, "Broxbornebury" went into a haberdasher's shop with two women & behaved "very impatient" - the owner suspected the three were companions & turned around & "saw the prisoner looking very confused": she laid hold of her apron & found a piece of ribbon - Mary Sullivan said it must have fallen in by accident, but a neighbour testified "they were very suspicious characters" – she was 18 years-old." (Source The Women of Botany Bay, by Portia Robinson, p 330) From the book “Journey to a New Life…” the story of the ships Emu & Broxbornebury by Elizabeth Hook (3rd ed. 2014). I am the author & can be contacted on hookey5609@yahoo.com.au for further info

17

Jeanette Hoy on 5th June 2014

Margaret/Mary Sullivan was one of the original female convicts on the ship 'Emu' which was hijacked in 1812, after arriving back in England, she and the female convicts (35 or the original 40) were held aboard for 4 months before they were sent to Australia on board the 'Broxbornebury' in 1814.

17

Jeanette Hoy on 19th May 2014

Margaret Sullivan married James Summers per Glory in 1828.no children. Found in possession of stolen property Margaret sent to Moreton Bay and James sent to Norfok Island 1832.Margaret died 1845. Buried at St. John's C of E Parramatta.