Ann Thornley

74

iain Frazier on 17th April 2026

Family connections for Ann (Thornley) are: THORNLEY Ann (Thornley nee ???) was born in 1791. She had a first relationship/marriage (1of4) with ??? (Thornley?).>>> [Some details taken from this Website] [Ann (Thornley nee ???) & ??? (Thornley?) produced maybe 1child: 1.Margaret (Thornley) was born on 13 1 1813 in England. She arrived in NSW? with her mother on 7 9 1818 after a voyage of 4months on MARIA; she sufferred bowel pain on board. She was sent to Parramatta factory with her mother. In 1819 she was placed in Parramatta Orphan School & is known to be still there in 1822. She may rejoined her mother at Thomas (Lisson)s farm at Windsor. She married at age14 William (Jasper) emancipist employee of Thomas (Lisson) at Windsor on 18 6 1827 with consent of the Governor at St Johns CofE Wilberforce & produced 8children. She died in 1853 age40/45 & was buried at St Johns CofE Wilberforce. ..William (Jasper) was born about 1798 & became a watchcase maker. He was tried w/8others for possession of forged notes at Old Bailey on 28 10 1818, sentenced to 14years, held at Middlesex Gaol Delivery & arrived in NSW as a convict on 21 10 1819 after a voyage of 6months on GRENADA. He was recorded in 1825 employed by Thomas (Leeson) at Wilberforce Hawkesbury. He was recorded in 1829 as a farmer. He died on 21 9 1873 age75 & was buried at St Johns CofE Windsor. ..[Some details taken from this Website] .. >>>Ann (Thornley/Thornelly nee ???) was living at Mamchester & seemed to be exhibiting symptoms of derangement when she was tried w/1other for stealing linen cloth of Ralph (Pollitt) at Lancaster Quarter Sessions on 21 10 1817, sentenced to 7years, held at Lancaster Castle & arrived in NSW? with her daughter on 7 9 1818 after a voyage of 4months on MARIA; she sufferred bowel pain on board. She was sent to Parramatta factory with her child. She married secondly (2of4) Abel (Simpson) emancipist on 13 12 1819 (age69 in Smees records) at St Johns CofE Parramatta & produced 3children. She was working/living? for Thomas (Lisson/Leeson) at Windsor in 1824.>>> Abel (Simpson) was born in 1765. While a labourer at Market Weighton East Riding Yorkshire he was tried for horse stealing, on 12 3 1805, of Thomas (Robson) of Long Acres Durham & William (Ridley) at York Assizes on 27 7 1805, sentenced to Life, held at York Castle & arrived in NSW as a convict on 27 7 1807 after a voyage of 6months on DUKE OF PORTLAND. He was Free by Servitude by 1822. He was old & deaf when tried for horse stealing at Parramatta in 1824 & sent to Port Macquarie Penal Settlement. He was recorded in 1828 at Macquarie. He probably died at Port Macquarie about 1826 age61. [Some details taken from this Website] ..2of the (Simpson) children resemble 2children shown fathered by Thommas (Lisson) & may have been extrapolated from death records, now being with their new family .. >>>Ann (Thornley nee ???) was Free by Servitude by 1828 & had a fourth relationship with Robert (Gee) & produced 2children. She was recorded in 1828 with her family at North Richmond. She died in 1860 age69 mother of 6children within 4days of Robert (Gee) & was buried together with him at Sackville Reach Cemetery (St Thomas CofE?). Robert (Gee) was born in 1781. He was tried at Denbigh Wales Great Session on 15 8 1817, sentenced to 7years & arrived in NSW as a convict on 21 10 1819 after a voyage of 6months on GRENADA. He was Free by Servitude by 1828. He was recorded in 1828 with his family on his farm at North Richmond. He died in 1860 at Portland Head age about79 & was buried together with Ann (Thornley) at Sackville Reach Cemetery (St Thomas CofE?).] [Some information 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.

47

Naomi Parsons on 9th March 2026

Ann was a single woman of Manchester who had stolen 20 yards of linen cloth belonging to Ralph Pollitt which she then bleached to try and obscure its origins. Whilst at Lancaster Castle, she was believed to be 'exhibiting symptoms of derangement' and had been noted as experiencing this before. Nonetheless, Ann was sent south and put on board ship on the 18th March 1818 accompanied by her seven year old daughter Margaret (born at Bolton). Ann suffered bowel pain on board- she was given opium and calomel, which afterwards, caused a sore mouth. Her daughter Margaret also suffered from pain in bowels though (thankfully) was given a much gentler rhubarb tincture. Ann and Margaret were sent to the female factory on arrival. The following year, having put her daughter into the Parramatta orphan school, in December 1819, Ann married Abel Simpson (ship- Duke of Portland) who was around 30 years her senior. They had a daughter, Elizabeth in 1822 and had a convict assigned to them, whilst living at Prospect and at this stage her eldest daughter, Margaret can still be found in the Parramatta orphan school. The marriage may have broken down around 1824 as Ann was working for Thomas Lisson/Leeson at Windsor at this time rather than her husband. The same year, 1824 Ann's 'very old and deaf' husband Abel was found guilty of horse stealing- he had borrowed a horse and cart from a prospective employer then sold it, so was sent away to Port Macquarie penal colony where he probably died sometime after the the 1828 census where he was last recorded. Ann then had a relationship and two further children (Hannah and Maria) in 1824 and 1825 with Thomas Lisson, her employer (an ex-husband of Ann Bradwell, who had returned from a 14 year penal sentence, ship- Royal Admiral) which ended upon his death in 1827. Ann had a final relationship and two more children (Robert and William in 1828 and 1830) with Robert Gee (ship- Grenada). Ann, Robert, Hannah, Maria and Robert Jr can be seen on the 1828 census at Robert's farm at North Richmond. In 1829, Ann's daughter Margaret who had married another of Thomas Lisson's employees (which suggests the family were probably reunited at this time), started her own family and Ann became a grandmother. Throughout the next few decades, they farmed at Wilberforce until June 1860 when Robert died. Ann died just four days later, aged around 67 and they were buried together at Sackville Reach Cemetery under a memorial stone.

48

jennifer burgess on 12th August 2022

Ann Thornley is on 1828 census age 43 F/S living at North Richmond, other surnames Gee.

54

Phil Hands on 24th September 2017

Tried and convicted at Lancaster on 21st October 1817 for the theft of twenty yards of linen cloth and then bleaching and whitening the same cloth, she was sentenced to transportation for 7 years. Left England on 15th May 1818. Ship:- the 'Maria I' sailed with 126 female convicts on board of which 2 died during the voyage, Ann's 6 year old daughter Margaret accompanied her mother. Arrived on 17th September 1818. On arrival she was forwarded to the Factory at Parramatta. Ann married convict Abel Simpson ('Duke of Portland' 1807) on 13th December 1819 at Parramatta, they had 1 child, Elizabeth b1822. Citation No 685 p. 201 year 1819 Abel Simpson, free, of the parish of Parramatta and Ann Thornelly, prisoner, age 28 per Maria of the parish of Parramatta were married in this church by banns this 13th day of Dec 1819 by me John Cross officiating minister. Abel and Ann both made their X marks in the presence of John Mathews who signed the register and Margaret Matthews who made her X mark. Abel was tried and found guilty of horse stealing at Parramatta in 1824, and was sent to the penal Settlement at Port Macquarie. Even though aged only 37 he may have died at Port Macquarie, but, to date no record has been found of his death. Ann then had a defacto relationship with convict Thomas Lisson ('Royal Admiral' 1792) that produced 2 children, Hannah b1824 & Maria b1826. Another defacto relationship was entered into with another convict, Robert Gee ('Grenada' 1819) that union also produced 2 children, Robert b18285 & William b1830.