Convict Stories
These stories have been submitted by members of the Female Convicts Research Centre, researchers and descendants of female convicts.
If you have a story to share for publication here, please complete a submission form.
Recent additions:
Ann Margaret Wright (Providence II 1826)
By Don Bradmore (11/12/2019). In 1825, Ann Margaret Wright was convicted in England of stealing money from her employer and transported to the colony - and she was still a prisoner there thirty four years later! In that time, she had been sentenced to death on two separate occasions, had absconded from the colony and fled to India where she had suffered terribly before being recaptured and returned to VDL, had married twice and had spent many years in gaol.
Charlotte Harris 'The Orange Woman' (Anna Maria 1852)
By Rhonda Arthur (4/12/2019). Charlotte Harris was convicted of murdering her husband at a time when there was a groundswell of people calling for the abolition of capital punishment as being cruel and immoral. Charlotte was to be hanged but the sentence was suspended until she gave birth. In the meantime, an abolitionist, Charles Gilpin, was active in organizing petitions for clemency on behalf of Charlotte and on 8 November 1849 he presented petitions with 15,000 signatories to Sir George Grey at the Home Office.
Eleanor Lyons (Blackfriar 1851)
By Don Bradmore (26/11/2019)
Catherine Adams (Sir Robert Seppings) and the Dean Poisoning Case
By Colette McAlpine (17/11/2019). Not many convicts appeared before a Royal Commission, not many were sketched as often as Catherine, and few had photographs taken due to giving evidence. This woman's story also shows how convicts kept in touch with each other, changed partners, names and identities, but also how the past caught up with some of them in the strangest ways.
Rosannah Cavanagh (Abercrombie 1841)
By Don Bradmore (16/11/2019)
Julia Mills (Providence 1826)
By Don Bradmore (16/11/2019)
Elizabeth Wicks (Brothers 1824)
By Don Bradmore (28/10/2019)
Sarah Leggatt (providence II, 1824)
By Don Bradmore (28/10/2019)
Sarah Bennett, (America 1831)
by Don Bradmore (6/10/2019)
Elizabeth Jones (Nowlan), (Siren 1835)
By Don Bradmore (6/10/2019)
Please note: The links below for conduct record, indent and description list will take you to the Archives Office of Tasmania website.
- Catherine Adams (Sir Robert Seppings) and the Dean Poisoning Case by Colette McAlpine. Not many convicts appeared before a Royal Commission, not many were sketched as often as Catherine, and few had photographs taken due to giving evidence. This woman's story also shows how convicts kept in touch with each other, changed partners, names and identities, but also how the past caught up with some of them in the strangest ways.
- Jane Arnott: The Cook and the Blacksmith
Jane Arnott, Margaret and John Dunn, Waterloo, by Jan Westerink
- Elizabeth Attwood, ship Tory 1848, author Geoffrey Court
(conduct record, indent, description list) - Cascades May 1847
"I had already come across several very interesting women. I found I could link them all to Cascades during a single month – May 1847. It would have been possible to choose another month in another year and discover other interesting lives. Serendipity" ....Maureen Mann
- Charlotte Blears, per Woodbridge 1843. Author: Kath Graham 2016
- Sarah Bennett (America 1831) By Don Bradmore
- Rosannah Cavanagh Abercrombie 1841 by Don Bradmore
- Isobel Cuthbert. Author: Ian Billing
- Ann Dawson, per William Bryan 1833, author John Peck (2016)
- Mary Dockerty ? - 1883, Hydery 1832
Destinies plan for Mary Dockerty, Written by Kay Buttfield (16/10/2017)
- Mary Donovan 1819 - 1891, Rajah 1841 Written by Erica Orsolic (16/10/2017)
- Eliza Dore, ship Duchess of Northumberland 1853, author Barry Files
(conduct record, indent, description list) - Mary Dove 1811 - 1865 William Bryan 1833
A LETTER TO MY GREAT GREAT GREAT GRANDDAUGHTER, written by Margaret Walsh (16/10/2017)
- Margaret Findlater, ship Cadet 1848, author Arthur Davidson
(conduct record, indent, description list) - Mary Ann Haldane, ship Borneo 1828, author Victor G Malham
(conduct record, description list) - Charlotte Harris 'The Orange Woman' per Anna Maria 1852, author Rhonda Arthur
- Sarah Holley 1817 - 1895, Majestic 1839 Written by Peter Brennan (16/10/2017)
- Huddersfield Four, The,
Lydia Clay (born 1809); Elizabeth Quarmby (born 1822); Mary Ann Wentworth (born 1824); and Ruth Richardson (born 1817). Author: T C Creaney – September 2015 - Jane Huntingdon, ship Atwick 1838, author Lorraine Roberts
(conduct record, description list) - Elizabeth Jones (Siren 1835) author Don Bradmore
- Sarah Leggatt, ship Providence II 1824 by Don Bradmore
- Johanna Lynch, ships Janus and Princess Charlotte 1820, author Don Bradmore
(conduct record) - Catherine Lyons, ship Nautilus 1838, author Geoffrey Court
(conduct record, description list) - Eleanor Lyons (Blackfriar 1851). Author Don Bradmore
- Jane MacCartney, ship Hindostan 1839, author Stephanie McComb
(conduct record, indent, description list) - Martha McLaren, ship Tasmania 1844, author Lyn Horton
(conduct record, indent, description list) - Julia Mills (Providence 1826) by Don Bradmore
- Harriot Neale, ship Friendship to NSW 1818, Duke of Wellington to Hobart 1818, author Fiona MacFarlane
(conduct record) - Sophia Nightingale, ships Janus to Sydney 1820, Princess Charlotte to Hobart 1820, author Geoffrey Court
(conduct record) - Ann Paget, Asia 1847
Biography of Ann Paget, Written by David Edwards (16/10/2017)
- Mary Prior 1813 - 1863 (Mary Hunt) Ship Emma Eugenia dept. 1850. Written by Diane Munro
- Elizabeth Saville, (Sir Robert Seppings, 1852), author Geoffrey Court
(conduct record, indent, description list) - Ann Tucker, (Anna Maria 1852), author Glenda Stapley
(conduct record, indent, description list) - Well-travelled Convicts, (Emma Eugenia 1842) by Margaret Jones.
- Elizabeth Wicks, (Brothers 1824), by Don Bradmore
- Maria Louisa Williams (Swinchatt), ship Mary III 1831, author Sue Swinchatt
(conduct record, description list) - Ann Margaret Wright per Providence II, 1826, by Don Bradmore.
- Rachael Wright, Stealing an infant of tender years. Author Christopher Riley, PhD
Further stories:
Edges of Empire Biographical Dictionary:
Edges of Empire is a Biographical Dictionary offering accounts of nearly 200 female convicts who were tried or born outside the British Isles. All were transported to the Australian colonies of New South Wales and Van Diemen’s Land between 1788 and 1853. Their life stories have been tracked from numerous sources around the world, sometimes in detail and sometimes with the merest trace of their existence.
Our Genealogy page also contains some interesting female convict stories researched and written by our genealogists, transcribers and researchers.
The Founders and Survivors project newsletters also contain interesting stories on convicts.
(Scroll down toNewsletter subscription and Previous issues on the left hand side of the page.)
- Euphemia McCaulfield, ship John Calvin in Chainletter August 2011
(conduct record, indent, description list)