On 12 October 1842, at the age of 20 years, Elizabeth Allen was found Guilty of Housebreaking at the Warwickshire, Birmingham Borough Quarter Sessions. She was sentenced to 10 years and transportation. Elizabeth had, on 6 October 1842, broken into the house of Michael Kelly in Great Hampton Street, Birmingham and stolen a shawl and other articles[1]
In deciding on this sentence of 10 years, Elizabeth’s previous offence of Larceny was taken into account.
Six months earlier, on 22 April 1842[2], Elizabeth had stolen a brooch and some earrings from Ann Rock and a shawl belonging to Ann Luckman. She had been convicted of this offence, in Birmingham, on 20 May 1842 and had been sentenced to three months hard labour.
Both events were reported in the local newspapers[3].Extract from: the Birmingham Journal, 14 May 1842, p.7, column 1 via FindMyPast [Website] |
Extract from: Aris's Birmingham Gazette, 24 October 1842, p.3 via FindMyPast [Website] |
Aboard the Margaret
Aboard the ship, the female convicts were under the charge of the Ship’s Surgeon. How he reported their behaviour aboard the ship made a difference to how they were classified on arrival. This in turn influenced what sort of work they were required to do (see below). Elizabeth’s behaviour was classified as ‘Fair’[6][7]About Elizabeth Allen
Elizabeth was baptised on 29 September 1822 at St Peter, Harborne, Birmingham, Warwickshire (then Staffordshire), England, the daughter of Isaac and Ann. Her father Isaac is listed on her baptism as a Labourer[13]. Elizabeth was probably born in 1822 not long before she was baptised. In early convict records in 1843, she is variously described as 20[14] and 19[15]; 20 being the more realistic age given her date of baptism.Convict Records - Extract from Indents CON15-1-2 Image 141 Accessed 19 March 2022 from Libraries Tasmania Online Collection |
Convict records - Extract from: Description List CON19-1-2 Image 98 Accessed 19 March 2022 from Libraries Tasmania Online Collection |
Cascades Female Factory[27]
From: Female Convict Places via Female Convicts Research Centre Inc. [Website] Accessed 23 March 2022 |
Women classified as 2nd class (the ‘Probation’ Class) were those who had been guilty of minor offences and those who had been in 3rd class and whose conduct had improved enough to enable their move up to 2nd class. They were required to spend an appropriate time in probation to prove themselves worthy of moving up a class before they could move to 1st class. Their work was less arduous than that apportioned to 3rd class convicts. They were employed in making clothes for the establishment and preparing and mending linen.
Women classified as 3rd class (the ‘Crime’ class) were considered to be the most incorrigible and least trustworthy of all the female convicts. Some were guilty of misconduct on their journey to the Colony or, after their arrival. Some were convicts who had been sentenced to 3rd class by a magistrate or by the Supreme Court. Some were women who had been transported for a second time. These women spent long hours working. Punishments could include a period on bread and water in solitary confinement or hard labour. Women in solitary confinement, did plain needlework or were required to pick oakum. Picking oakum involved working with old tarred and oiled ropes, which were cut into two foot lengths, and beaten with a mallet to remove the tar. Those sentenced to hard labour were 'sentenced to the wash tub'. They did all the heavy duty washing for the Female Factory and other institutions such as the orphan school[31], military barracks and hospital. Sometimes 3rd class women also carded and spun wool[32]. These women would be punished for the smallest of transgressions. However, if they stayed out of trouble and demonstrated good behaviour, they could move up to 2nd class after serving a portion of their sentence.
It appears that Elizabeth may initially have been assigned to 1st class. However, this did not last long. Elizabeth’s Conduct record shows that, on 7 November 1843, about 4 months after arriving, she was returned to the Female Factory by Magistrate Moses for misconduct and reassigned to 3rd class. Then, on 10 December 1843, Elizabeth was admonished by Magistrate Rice for being drunk[33].
Elizabeth and George
From this point on, it appears that Elizabeth may have settled down and eventually worked her way out of 3rd class, through 2nd class and back to 1st class. Presumably, it was while working outside the institution that she had the opportunity to meet George White. George was also a convict. Like Elizabeth, he came from Birmingham in Warwickshire. You can read more about George in my post All for Twelve Dozen Buttons.Tasmanian Archive & Heritage Office Tasmania Marriages 1803-1899 via FindMyPast [Website] |
George White 28 Bachelor Brickmaker - Elizabeth White 23 Spinster (her X mark) - Minister: Thos J. Ewing Witnesses: Henry Carpenter, Ann Carpenter.
More information about George and Elizabeth's life together, and some information about their children can be found in my post All for Twelve Dozen Buttons.
As far as I have been able to figure out, George and Elizabeth had thirteen children although one may yet be missing from my count? Six of them died young. It is proving difficult to find the birth and death registrations for some of them but some information can be pieced together from the registrations that have been found. You can read more about that in my post George and Elizabeth’s Children Unravelled?
George was 52 when Elizabeth died. Perhaps indicative of his love for her, after her death, he adopted her family name ‘Allen’ as his middle name[41]. He did not remarry.
The ’Betsey Douglas’ Mystery
There is an entry on Elizabeth’s Conduct record that is a bit of a mystery. It has led some researchers to conclude that Elizabeth used an alias ‘Betsey Douglas’. However, the timing of the event described suggests that it is likely referring to a different person and, therefore, has been added to Elizabeth’s record in error. The statement reads[42]:Convict Records - Extract from: Conduct Record CON40-1-2 Image 29 Accessed 19 March 2022 from Libraries Tasmania Online Collection |
This could not be a reference to this Elizabeth. Elizabeth had not been living in Tasmania since about 1850/1851.
The mention of 'Longford' is probably a reference to the northern Tasmanian town of Longford. There was at least one other Elizabeth Allen transported to Van Diemen’s Land during the 1800’s. She was Elizabeth Allen transported in 1836 aboard the Arab II. That Elizabeth was known to use the alias’ Brown and Carter[43]
Postscript
George White’s arrest, conviction, transportation and early life in Tasmania, including his marriage to Elizabeth Allen, was the inspiration for a fictional work Seven Seasons of Wrath written by Elizabeth’s Great Grandson, Douglas Coop[44]. Seven Seasons of Wrath (2015)[45] appears to be a revised version of Douglas Coop’s earlier fictional work The Price of Freedom (2005)[46].Related Posts
Notes
[3] Newspaper Articles:
First Offence:
- Birmingham Journal 14 May 1842, p.7, column 1 via FindMyPast [Website]. Accessed 21 March 2022.
- Aris’s Birmingham Gazette 23 May 1842, p.2 via FindMyPast [Website]. Accessed 21 March 2022.
- Birmingham Journal 28 May 1842, p.5 via FindMyPast [Website]. Accessed 21 March 2022
- Aris’ Birmingham Gazette 24 October 1842, p.3 via FindMyPast [Website]. Accessed 21 March 2022.
- Birmingham Journal 29 October 1842, p.3 via FindMyPast [Website]. Accessed 21 March 2022
[5] Convict Records - Indents CON15-1-2 - Image 139 via Libraries Tasmania [Website]. Accessed 19 March 2022.
[6] Convict Records - Indents CON15-1-2 - Image 141 via Libraries Tasmania [Website]. Accessed 19 March 2022
[7] Convict Records - Conduct Record CON40-1-2 - Image 29 via Libraries Tasmania [Website]. Accessed 19 March 2022.
[14] Convict Records - Indents CON15-1-2 Image 140 via Libraries Tasmania [Website]. Accessed 19 March 2022.
[15] Convict Records - Description List CON19-1-2 Image 98 via Libraries Tasmania [Website]. Accessed 19 March 2022
[16] Convict Records - Indents CON15-1-2 - Image 141 via Libraries Tasmania [Website]. Accessed 19 March 2022
[18] Convict Records - Description List CON19-1-2 Image 98 via Libraries Tasmania [Website]. Accessed 19 March 2022.
[19] Convict Records - Indents CON15-1-2 Image 140 via Libraries Tasmania [Website]. Accessed 19 March 2022.
[20] Convict Records - Indents CON15-1-2 Image 141 via Libraries Tasmania [Website]. Accessed 19 March 2022.
[21] Convict Records - Description List CON19-1-2 Image 98 via Libraries Tasmania [Website]. Accessed 19 March 2022.
[22] Convict Records - Indents CON15-1-2 Image 140 via Libraries Tasmania [Website]. Accessed 19 March 2022.
[23] Convict Records - Indents CON15-1-2 Image 141 via Libraries Tasmania [Website]. Accessed 19 March 2022.
[24] Convict Records - Description List CON19-1-2 Image 98 via Libraries Tasmania [Website]. Accessed 19 March 2022.
[25] Convict Records - Indents CON15-1-2 Image 140 via Libraries Tasmania [Website]. Accessed 19 March 2022.
[26] Convict Records - Description List CON19-1-2 Image 98 via Libraries Tasmania [Website] - . Accessed 19 March 2022.
[32] Convict Institution - Punishments via Female Convicts Research Centre Inc. [Website] Accessed 23 March 2022.
[33] Convict Records - Conduct Record CON40-1-2 - Image 29 via Libraries Tasmania [Website]. Accessed 19 March 2022.
[36] Convict Records - Conduct Record CON40-1-2 - Image 29 via Libraries Tasmania [Website] Accessed 16 March 2022
[37] Convict Records - CON34-1-5 – Image 497 via Libraries Tasmania [Website] Accessed 16 March 2022.
[41] See Jane Chapman, All for Twelve Dozen Buttons (posted 19 March 2022) BJNL's Genealogy [Blog] Accessed 24 March 2022.
[43] Elizabeth Allen alias Brown, Carter Arab II 1836 via Claim-a-Convict [Website]. Accessed 23 March 2022.
[44] Douglas Coop died on 18 May 2021. At the time of writing, his website continues to be accessible and is maintained by his family. It can be found at: https://douglascoop.co.nz/ Accessed 24 March 2022.
[45] Coop, Douglas (2015) Seven Seasons of Wrath AUK Authors; Standard ed. edition (January 12, 2015) Accessed 24 March 2022.
[46] Coop, Douglas [2005] The Price of Freedom Trafford Publishing (August 9, 2005) Accessed 24 March 2022.
Hi Jane, the Longford cited in Elizabeth's CON40-1-2 record, in the reference to the mysterious Betsey Douglas, is most likely the northern Tasmanian town of Longford. I interpret the year as 1882 - and I agree it couldn't possibly be your Elizabeth! Cheers, Fern
ReplyDeleteThank you Fern. Longford in Tasmania makes sense. I will make a we change to the post to reflect that.
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