Martha Virco – intro

This story has been created by Wendy Westgate as part of the University of Tasmania’s HAA007 Convict Ancestors unit

Martha VICO was 22 years old when she was arrested for pickpocketing. She had gone to the pub – the White Lion in Edgeware, Middlesex – with her friend Susan BURR when they had met up with a soldier who was on furlough. The soldier, William LEIGHTON, got chatting to the two women and bought them drinks; at about 11o’clock, he left the pub and spent the night with Martha, sleeping in a field. When he woke up the next morning, Martha, his purse and his watch were all gone…[1]

This act of pickpocketing changed Martha’s life completely – here is the story of what happened to her.

Martha VICO – a Convict’s Story

[1] Old Bailey Proceedings Online (www.oldbaileyonline.org, version 7.2, 13 June 2016), December 1838, trial of MARTHA VICO (t18381231-457).

My other convicts

During the convict ancestors course, I offered some of my other convicts for people to research. Two students took up the offer and they have agreed to have their research published on my blog.

Peter Gray researched John Boyd and Wendy Westgate researched his wife Martha Virco. Here are their stories.

John Boyd – intro, main story, breakout 1, breakout 2

Martha Virco – intro, main story, breakoutstrial record

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.