Summary
Personal Information
Crime
Transportation
Mary Wyatt was transported on the Duchess Of Northumberland, departing 25th Nov 1852 and arriving 21st Apr 1853 with 220 passengers.
Duchess Of Northumberland (generic)References
| Primary Source | Australian Joint Copying Project. Microfilm Roll 92, Class and Piece Number HO11/17, Page Number 599 (302) |
| Source Description | This record is one of the entries in the British convict transportation registers 1787-1867 database compiled by State Library of Queensland from British Home Office (HO) records which are available on microfilm as part of the Australian Joint Copying Pro |
| Original Source | Great Britain. Home Office |
| Compiled By | State Library of Queensland |
| Database Source | British convict transportation registers 1787-1867 database |
Claims
"2x Great Grandmother"
Photos
No photos have been added for Mary Wyatt.
Convict Notes
Mary Wyatt: From Convict to Matriarch – A Tale of Resilience Mary Wyatt’s story is one of hardship, survival, and transformation. Born around 1829 in Whitestaunton, Somerset, England, she was the daughter of Samuel and Martha Wyatt. Her early life was marked by poverty, leading to minor crimes, including theft of food. After multiple run-ins with the law, she was convicted in 1852 for receiving stolen pigs and sentenced to seven years of transportation to Australia. Mary arrived in Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania) in 1853 aboard the Duchess of Northumberland, the last ship to transport female convicts from England. As a skilled cook and dairymaid, she was assigned to work in domestic service but soon faced further punishment—nine months of hard labor—after being caught in bed with a lodger on her master’s premises. Despite this, she gained her Ticket of Leave in 1854 and, in 1855, married fellow convict James Carley at St. George’s Church, Battery Point. Mary and James built a life together, eventually moving to Sydney, where they raised six children. Despite their convict pasts, they established roots in New South Wales, with their family becoming part of Australia’s growing free society. Mary lived through immense adversity but ultimately found stability and purpose as a wife, mother, and later, grandmother. She passed away in 1904 in Annandale, Sydney, and was laid to rest in Rookwood Cemetery alongside her husband and daughter. Her life, though shaped by a system designed to punish, exemplifies the resilience of many transported women who overcame their circumstances to create a new legacy. Mary Wyatt’s story is a testament to the struggles and strength of the convict women who helped shape Australia.
1855 Married James Carley.(Blundell 1844)