Isabella Watkins

Intro to Isabella Watkins

Miss W. Convict Ancestors course, Watkins

Was my great, great, great grandmother truly Isabella Watkins or was she Mary Johnson from Surrey, England?

Was she from Hull as mentioned on her convict description list or maybe it was a mispronunciation and her native place was Hale in Surrey, the county from which she was tried and then transported?[1]

Description list for Isabella Watkins, CON19/1/3, p 45 TAHO

Description list for Isabella Watkins, CON19/1/3, p 45 TAHO

 

Let us follow her journey by looking at her paper trail from England as a convict, overseas on the transport ship, her freedom from convict life and finally to her resting place nearly 50 years later in Evandale, Tasmania.

 

Reference

[1] TAHO, CON19/1/3, p 45 Description list Isabella Watkins

Readers: How did you decide to write your story? I created a timeline then thought why not follow like a paper trail.

PS I still need to insert the images correctly with captions but this is how they copy and pasted across direct from Our Family Past.

Colgraves near Evandale

Miss W. Colgrave , , , , , ,

Francis Colgreave appears in the 1858 Assessment Roll for Morven as the owner of a house at Evandale.  He is also listed in the 1867 Directory of Tasmania as a farmer at Evandale.  From 1871 until 1890 Francis Colgrave Senior is listed as the owner of 12 acres and house at Evandale.

In 1881, Francis Colgrave Junior owned 90 acres at Blessington.  In 1891 Francis senior disappears from the rolls due to his death and the names of Samuel, William and Henry Colgrave appear together with Francis Junior.

The 1899-1900 polling list for Evandale also has the names of:

  • Francis J. Colgrave – owner of land at Blessington
  • Samuel Colgrave of Evandale – owns land at Blessington
  • Henry of Evandale – owns a house in Evandale
  • Francis Junior of Blessington – owns land at Kings Meadows
  • James of Evandale was an employee of C. Harvey.

Francis Colgrave’s death was noticed in the Examiner 27 October 1890 – he died on the 25 at his residence, Evandale aged 85.  His widow Isabella died on 3 November 1890 aged 67 Examiner 4 November 1890.

Trials of Isabella

Miss W. Watkins

ASSI 94/2329

Isabella Watkins of the parish of St Mary Lambeth was charged on 15 March in 4th year of Queen Victoria of stealing 2 shawls valued one pound from Isaac Atkinson and Thomas Coates. Also at St Mary Newington in Surrey on Monday 7 December in 4th year of Queen Victoria was convicted of felony using the name Mary Johnson.

HO 27/65

According to the Home Office, she had no degree of instruction, was aged 18, was tried at Surrey County Assizes on 29 March 1841on larceny before convicted of felony and given 7 years transportation.