Did Great-Great-Great-Grandma Know? Convicts assigned to Isabella Johnston

By Rosemary Davidson

Great-great-great-grandma, Isabella Johnston, [1] arrived in Van Diemen's Land with four children in November 1841 on the Derwent. She was aged forty-four, and the children between seventeen and ten years of age. Her younger brother, William Hiddlestone, accompanied them. All were brought out on the application of their eldest brother, John Hiddlestone, who arrived in 1823. Also on board was Frederick Henry Piesse, aged twenty, who, within a few years, would marry the eldest daughter, Jean Pirie Johnston.

On arrival, Isabella was described as a housekeeper and laundress, and the daughters as nursemaids. It is difficult to uncover their early years in the colony, as there could well have been two Isabella Johnstons. In most records, the name appears as Johnson. The earliest address is from the 1843 census when an Isabella Johnson was the sole occupant of a brick house owned by Mr Overall in Patrick Street, Hobart. In 1847, a Mrs Johnson occupied a house in Market Place. In 1848, Isabella Johnson/Johnston was in Davey Street, in 1850 and 1851, in Macquarie Street at the Macquarie Hotel , and by 1852, at Brisbane Street in a house belonging to her brother John Hiddlestone.

On 11 December 1847, her eldest daughter married Frederick Henry Piesse and Isabella's first grandchild, Frederick William Piesse, was born a year later. The second grandchild was Charles Augustus James Piesse, born on 28 July 1850 at the Macquarie Hotel. Her other daughter, Elizabeth, married Allen Christey on 4 September 1850 at her home in Macquarie Street. From these events, and after searching the conduct records of convicts assigned to 'Isabella Johnson of Davey Street' during this period, Isabella must have been the housekeeper of the Macquarie Hotel, then a boarding house. At the time, she would have been in her early fifties.

Now at 151 Macquarie Street, the building which housed the Macquarie Hotel was the first three-story house in the colony and was built in 1815, the year of the Battle of Waterloo, by Thomas William Birch. In fact, at the Bigge Commission, Birch said it was the first brick house built in the settlement. Surgeon, merchant and ship-owner, Birch arrived in Hobart Town in 1808 as medical officer on the whaler Dubac.

The building was originally:

a tall, flat-faced house, of a domestic architecture common in England about the beginning of the century. For many years it was the principal hotel in Hobart. [It] had a flat roof, surrounded by a battlement, on which an imposing array of cannon grinned defiance at would-be invaders. ... It is thought that the fortifications were intended as protection against the attacks of the blacks, though in the lawless days of Davey's rule it was probably more with a view to defence against the convicts, who were then, even, without a gaol.

Isabella Johnson, Davey Street[2]

Assigned Convicts 1848-1852 [3]

Over the period from May 1848 to November 1852, Isabella had at least thirty-four convicts assigned to her. Sixteen were female and eighteen male. Terms of assignment ranged from one month for three of the females to thirty-six months in the case of George Smith; the median was twelve months. The vast majority were assigned during Isabella's time at the Macquarie Hotel but their records do not reveal the type of work they did. For example, did Maria Parry, described as a cook on her convict records, work as a cook in the hotel? The following notes extracted from their convict records, give a very limited picture of them.

David Dall

Assigned for three periods from 1848 to 1850, he was tried at Perth, Scotland on 12 October 1842, and was sentenced to fifteen years transportation for assault. He arrived in Hobart on 12 October 1843. A canvas weaver and labourer by trade, he was from Pitlessie in Fifeshire. He was with Isabella Johnston from 18 May 1848 to 4 January 1849 and 6 August 1849 to 27 September 1849 at Davey Street, and 30 July 1850 at Macquarie Street. No offences were recorded against him while he was with her.[4]

Mary Ann Baker

Tried at Stafford in 1846 for stealing a silk handkerchief, Mary Ann was sentenced to seven years transportation. From Tamworth, north east of Birmingham, she was aged eighteen on arrival in 1848, and was a housemaid who could wash and iron. No offence was recorded against her while she was with Isabella Johnston.[5]

Agnes Sutherland

From Edinburgh, sentenced to transportation for seven years for theft in 1844, Agnes was aged twenty-eight and a housemaid. On 25 April 1849, Isabella Johnson having reported her for being absent without leave, she was given three months hard labour and ordered to be sent to the interior.[6]

Jane Garside

Tried at Knightsford in 1847, Jane was from Wigan in Lancashire. She was forty-three in 1847, and was a housemaid. She was married with five children, and was deaf. On 2 May 1849, while with Isabella, she was found out after hours and drunk. For this, she spent ten days in the cells. Two months later, on 2 July 1849, she was sentenced to four months hard labour for being absent without leave.[7]

Mary Boyne

Tried in Dublin for stealing wearing apparel, Mary was from Westmeath, aged twenty-five on arrival in 1847, and was a housemaid, cook and laundress. No offence was recorded against her while she was with Isabella Johnston.[8]

Margaret Findlater

From Perth, Scotland, Margaret was sentenced to seven years for theft of a watch. She was aged thirty-one in 1848, and was a housemaid and laundress. No offence was recorded against her while she was with Isabella Johnston.[9]

Ann Cony

Sentenced to seven years in County Down for larceny, Ann was only twenty on arrival in 1848, and was a laundress and dressmaker. No offence was recorded against her while she was with Isabella Johnston.[10]

Mary Thomson

Twenty-three years of age when she arrived in December 1844, Mary was from Greenock near Glasgow, and was a housemaid, who had been sentenced for assault and robbery. No offence was recorded against her while she was with Isabella Johnston. [11]

Susan Murphy

Susan, a housemaid, was from Dublin, where she was tried for stealing ribbon. She had no offences recorded.[12]

Maria Parry

Tried and sentenced to ten years for stealing a purse in Liverpool, Maria was a native of Armagh, Ireland. Aged forty-five on her arrival in 1846, her trade was that of cook. No offence was recorded against her while she was with Isabella Johnston. [13]

Felix Booth

For writing a threatening letter to Sir F. Booth charging him with committing an unnatural crime with a soldier, Felix was sentenced at York to twenty years. He stated, 'I was in his employ for 7 years as Bailiff.' A native of Caistor in Lincolnshire, he was a druggist and farm labourer aged forty-one, with a wife, Rebecca, at Grimsby. He arrived in Van Diemen's Land in 1846 after being on Norfolk Island for two years. Assigned to Mrs Johnston at the Macquarie Hotel from 13 November 1850, he was charged, on 14 February 1851, with being absent without leave and misconduct in being under the influence of liquor. He was sentenced to two months imprisonment with hard labour. [14]

A Sir Felix Booth was head of Booth & Co. Distillers, and he was well known for encouraging Arctic exploration.

John B. Facey

John Benjamin Facey was tried at the Central Criminal Court, London for manslaughter, and was sentenced to seven years transportation in 1843. He had pushed a lady off her chair while she was in a 'delicate condition'-both being drunk at the time. John arrived in 1844 at the age of twenty-four, and was a type-founder by trade. He was assigned to Mrs Johnston of Macquarie Street from 4 December to 31 December 1850 and did not commit an offence during that month.[15]

Patrick Keenan

Patrick Keenan had arrived in New South Wales in 1833 on the Royal Admiral , sentenced to transportation for life. After committing a further offence in 1845, he was sent to Norfolk Island and then Van Diemen's Land on the Wanderer. He was a farm labourer from Limerick, aged thirty-three in 1845.[16]

Peter Byron

Byron had been a soldier with the 23 ^rd Regiment, but was tried in Montreal for desertion, and was sentenced to transportation for fourteen years in 1841. A native of Roscommon, he was twenty-four on arrival in 1843. In the same year, he was committed for larceny in a dwelling-house, and was sentenced to Norfolk Island for four years. Although his record showed many offences, none occurred while he was with Isabella in Macquarie Street.[17]

William Lewis

On 29 January 1851, Lewis was assigned, from the Prison Barracks, to Isabella Johnston, Macquarie Hotel. He was a steward and seaman, aged thirty, and a Londoner. In April, he was charged with larceny and discharged from Isabella's service, and it was recommended that he be hired in the interior, having 'formed bad connexions' in Hobart Town. His original sentence was fifteen years, for cutting and wounding with intent.[18]

James Braid

Braid was sentenced in Lewes, Sussex to ten years for stealing pistols and plate from his master, General Bowen, in Brighton. A gentleman's servant, Braid was married with two children and gave his native place as Worthing, although his family were all in Brighton. He arrived in Hobart in 1845.[19]

James Cavenaugh

Cavenaugh, originally from Gibraltar, was tried at Lincoln for stealing a piece of silk in 1844. A labourer, he was aged twenty-four. He was assigned to Isabella from 5 April 1851, but, two days later, he was charged with misconduct in not proceeding in accordance with his pass, and received a month's imprisonment and hard labour.[20]

Andrew Murphy

Assigned to Macquarie Street from 8 April to 16 April 1852, Murphy was a native of Dublin. Aged twenty-eight, a labourer, he was sentenced to life in 1834, and was sent to Norfolk Island in 1840. He arrived in Hobart by the Royal Admiral, primarily a female convict ship.[21]

William Sinclair

A miner and shepherd, Sinclair was a native of Fifeshire, who was tried at Stirling for housebreaking. Sent to Van Diemen's Land in 1847 for ten years, he was twenty-four years of age. He was assigned to Mrs Johnston from 16 April to 2 May 1851. No offence was recorded against him during this time.[22]

Elizabeth Warren

From Camberwell, Elizabeth was tried at Newington and received a sentence of ten years for felony. She had previous convictions of being on the town and stealing money and clothes. Aged eighteen, she was a housemaid and assigned to Isabella Johnston in Macquarie Street, where no offence was recorded.[23]

Mary Lee

Aged twenty-three and a country servant, Mary Lee had been sentenced to life for arson at Carlow. There is no notation on her conduct record that she was assigned to Isabella Johnston.[24]

John Merry

For stealing silver spoons, John Merry was sentenced at Middlesex and Clerkenwell. A native of Ely, he was aged thirty-one and was a gardener. John was assigned to Mrs Johnston from 28 June to 22 September 1851.[25]

George Stokes

A native of Deal, Stokes was tried in Kent for committing buggery with a donkey, and was sentenced to transportation for life. He arrived in 1847 on the Pestonjee Bomanjee, but there is no notation on his conduct record of him being assigned to Isabella Johnston.[26]

James McGowan

McGowan was a boatman from Glasgow sentenced to fourteen years for housebreaking. No offence was recorded against him from 26 to 29 June 1851 while he was at Macquarie Street.[27]

Mary Shannon

With a sentence of seven years for felony, Mary had also been charged with highway robbery. Mary was from Lancaster in Lancashire, aged twenty-five on her arrival in 1850, and a plain laundress. No offence was recorded against her while she was with Isabella Johnston.[28]

George Bradley

A George Bradley arrived on the Equestrian(1) in 1844, but his record contains no mention of Mrs Johnston. [29]

Michael McGuire

A native of Roscommon in Ireland, Michael McGuire was tried in Auckland in 1847 for stealing from a dwelling house. Formerly of the 58 ^th Regiment, his trade was given as labourer when he arrived on the Timbo in November 1847. Assigned to Isabella from 6 September to 7 October 1851, no offence was recorded against him while he was at Macquarie Street.[30]

George Smith

Sentenced at the Central Criminal Court, London to ten years for larceny, George Smith arrived in 1839, and committed a further felony while in the colony in 1845. There is no mention of Mrs Johnston on his conduct record. [31]

Henry Turner

After being convicted for the third time, Henry was sentenced in Liverpool to twenty years for burglary. He was a native of Manchester, a labourer, and twenty-four years of age on his arrival in 1846. His conduct record listed him being assigned to Mrs Johnston of Liverpool [sic] Street from 8 October to 17 November 1851.[32]

John Hughes

Originally from Co. Westmeath, Hughes, having served four years and eight months with the 86 ^th Regiment, [33] underwent a court martial at Kurrachee, or Karachi, on 7 October 1845 where he received a sentence of fourteen years. He was charged by a Parsee [34] with receiving a woman's wearing apparel to the value of eighty rupees and had a previous conviction for assault. At the age of twenty-five, Hughes arrived in Hobart on the Garland Grove, primarily a female convict ship, on 22 December 1846. His conduct record is full of offences [35] and in 1874 he was again charged, this time with robbery, and sentenced to Port Arthur. [36] Hughes, a labourer, was assigned to Isabella on 3 November 1851 but appears to have left after a few days.

Mary Sutton

Tried at Wexford in 1849 and sentenced to seven years for larceny from a shop, Mary was a country servant, aged twenty-eight. She had been convicted before. On 22 March 1852, while with Isabella, she was reported for insolence but the charge was dismissed.[37]

Mary A. Thomas

A nineteen-year-old housemaid, Mary arrived in January 1852. She was charged on 3 May 1852 with being absent without leave from Mrs Johnston of Macquarie Street, and was sentenced to a period of hard labour. Her original sentence in Manchester was seven years for felony. [38]

The last two on the list were assigned after Isabella had left the Macquarie Hotel .

Mary Collins

From near Bristol, Mary Collins was tried at Wells in 1851 and was given seven years transportation for housebreaking. Described as having a squint, she was a country servant and plain laundress, who was aged twenty-three in 1852. On 9 September 1852, she was assigned to Mrs Johnston in Brisbane Street; no offence was recorded against her.[39]

Ann Smith

A Londoner, aged twenty-four in 1848, Ann Smith was sentenced for stealing a cash box containing money. She was assigned, while on probation, to Mrs Johnston in Brisbane Street on 10 November 1852. No offence was recorded. On 21 February 1853, she was assigned to Mrs Johnson of Campbell Street. [40]

Isabella Johnston, widow, died at the age of eighty-seven on Tuesday, 26 June 1883 at 6 Brisbane Street, the home of her son-in-law, F.H. Piesse. The cause of death was recorded as 'Fatty Heart and Congestion of Lungs'. Isabella outlived her two daughters, but the fate of her two sons, James Robert and George, remains hidden behind one of those solid brick walls.

Did great-great-great-grandma know what crimes her assigned convicts were transported for?

This story was originally published in 2004 by the Writers Group of the Hobart Branch of the TFHS Inc. in the publication PROS and Cons of Transportation A collection of convict stories.

Not only does this publication celebrate the cessation of transportation of convicts to Van Diemens Land, it also celebrates the work of the Family History Writers Group. This group was formed in 2003 to assist members who wanted to write their family histories. The monthly meetings stimulated great interest and enthusiasm.

The original introduction may be found here.