Update on Martha

So what have we learnt about Martha from using just four documents?

Permission to marry

Her husband to be was John Boyd who was free. They applied for permission about June 1842 and permission was given by the Secretary after August 1842. Martha had arrived on the ship Hindostan and was given a police number of 18.

Source: TAHO, CON52/1/2 p16 marriage permission Martha Virco

Marriage certificate

John and Martha married on 6 September 1842 at St John’s Church in Ross (District of Avoca), Tasmania by the rites of the United Church of England and Ireland. The minister was William Bedford Junior.  John was aged 28 and Martha 24. He was a bachelor and carpenter by trade while she was a spinster. The witnesses to the marriage were William Stolley and Mary Ann Brown.

Source: TAHO,  RGD37/1/2 no 1739/1842 District of Avoca, marriage Boyd, Vircoe

Description list

Some basic information was available first such as she left London, England on 9 May 1839 and arrived in Hobart on 12 September 1839. It was the first voyage of the ship Hindostan.

Martha was described as being a house maid, aged 23 and 5″1′ without shoes. She had a ruddy complexion, a round head and brown hair. Her visage was oval in shape with a high forehead. She had black eyebrows and hazel eyes. Her nose and mouth were small but her chin was long. She had no scars or tattoos.

Source: TAHO, CON19/1/13 p301 description list Martha Vircoe

Indent

Police number 18 Martha Vico – 5″1′ age 23 – a house maid also work with needle – tried at the Central Criminal Court (Old Bailey) on 31 December 1838 – sentenced to 10 years – native place Edgeware – married but no children – was Protestant and could read – her husband William a blacksmith at Native place – 2 brothers Thomas and Henry one sister Elizabeth at St Albans – 12 months on the town – stealing a watch from a person – prosecutor at ? at Canterbury

Source: TAHO, CON15/1/9, indent list for Martha Vico

WOW! We now have information that can lead us back to her trial at the Old Bailey  and to her husband and family back in England. But that is for later. My next question is –

Did she commit any offences while a convict here in VDL?

To find out the answer to this I will need to look at her conduct record.

 

6 thoughts on “Update on Martha

  1. Hello Sue…….This is a bit off the topic of Martha, but I am using the M as my topic for Maritime……..Maritime as in the name of a ship named “Edwin Fox”…In my genealogy group which meets each month, we have commenced a Show and Tell element where one member tells the story behind the story…….It is my turn next month, and I am telling the story of the “Edwin Fox”, which is being preserved as a tourist attraction at Picton in the Marlborough Sounds South Island New Zealand…The ship had a very checkered history..Three of my wife’s direct female ancestors emigrated from the Channel Islands to New Zealand on this ship arriving there 1875….This line has now extended to eight direct line females….
    Cheers…..

    • Hi Sue speaking of Maritime:
      I borrowed Margo Beasleys; Wharfies The History of the Waterside Workers Federation. Book from State Library. Very interesting.
      Would really like to read more personal experiences of Wharfies in Brisbane/ Sydney ports 1960-80 or find port info or tugboat stories. If any hints- please? Regards Marg

  2. Hi Sue
    It seems Martha was already married in England to William prior to being transported to Tasmania. Is that correct or am I misreading the Old Bailey info?
    Regards
    Lorraine

    • Hi Lorraine,
      Yes she was already married in England, but because convicts were transported for minimum of seven years, the government of the day decided most would not return to England so they should marry again in the new colonies of Australia.

  3. Hi Sue welcome back. You guys must be busy with your course. It must have been hard to be TOLD to leave a husband behind. Eager to hear the rest of Martha’s story.

    Used the hint from Towns in England starting with A-Z and googled parishes in Cornwell starting with T.
    Brick Wall fell over – Towergreath on GG marriage Cert is Tywardreath Parish and Village Cornwell.

    Interestingly to the North of Tywardreath found The Tamar river and Launceston Valley!!

    GG Grandfather got married in Australia with a wife back home too. Then his son had 2 wives who subsequently died here. Had a housekeeper called Mrs Tindale as well who was the mother of some of his children.

  4. Hello Sue………I dare say I have a few distant rellies still in the Old Dart as my ggrandfather left a wife and son in England when he was transported in 1831/32….He remarried in Aust 1851…..He also had a brother named Christopher in England who MAY have assisted him in his crime, but he remained in England………Have tried to find ggrandads birth in UK c1805 without success………

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