| Mary Wade | |
|---|---|
| Born | 5th October, 1777 Southwark, London, United Kingdom |
| Died | 17th December, 1859 Fairy Meadow, New South Wales, Australia |
| Charge(s) | Highway robbery, Theft with violence |
| Penalty | Death by Hanging, Commuted to Penal transportation to Australia |
| Status | Deceased |
| Spouse | Jonathan Brooker |
Mary Wade was only 11 years old when transported to Australia as the youngest convict aboard the Lady Juliana as part of the Second Fleet. She is credited with being the matriarch of one of the largest families in the world, which grew to include five generations and over 300 descendants in her own lifetime [1]. Born 5th October, 1777 Southwark, London and christened on 21st December, 1777 at St Olaves, Bermondsey, she died on 17th December, 1859 at age 82, at Fairy Meadow, New South Wales and is buried at St Pauls Church of England Cemetery, Wollongong, New South Wales.
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Early Years in London
Mary spent her days sweeping the streets of London as a means of begging being one of a large family of a single mother living in poverty. On 5th of October, 1788, Mary with another child, Jane Whiting, 14 years old, stole the clothes (one cotton frock, one linen tippet, one linen cap) from Mary Phillips, 8 years old, who at the time was collecting water in a bottle at a privy. They then sold the frock to a Pawnbroker. Mary was reported by another child to a Officer of the Law who found the tippet in Mary's room and she was arrested and then placed in Bridewell. Her trial was on 14th January 1789 at the Old Bailey, where she found guilty and was sentenced to death by hanging. Mary was 11 at the time.[2]
Penal Transportation
On March 11, 1789, King George III was proclaimed cured of an unnamed madness, it is assumed that he suffered from porphyria, a degenerative mental disease. Five days later, in the spirit of celebration, all the women on death row, including Mary Wade, had their sentences commuted to penal transportation to Australia[3]. She spent 93 days in the Newgate Prison before being transported on the Lady Juliana to Australia, which was the first convict ship to hold a cargo made up entirely of women and children. The 11 month voyage across the ocean to Sydney, arrived on 3rd June 1790 and she was then sent on to Norfolk Island aboard the Surprize, arriving on 7th August 1790.
Life in Australia
She had two children on Norfolk Island, Sarah to Teague (Edward) Harrigan in 1793 [4] and William in 1795 who is believed to be Jonathan Brooker's son. When they arrived back in Sydney, Mary lived with the emancipated Irish transportee, Teague Harrigan, whom she had a son, Edward, in their tent on the banks of the Tank Stream in Sydney in 1803. Teague left to go on a whaling expedition in 1806 and never returned[5].
Marriage and Family
Mary later married Jonathan Brooker and and they lived near the Hawkesbury River (1809). It was here that Mary raised her family which numbered 21 children, seven of which lived to have their own children. They were given their Certificates of Emancipation in 1811 and 1812 and eventually settled in Airds in Campbelltown, New South Wales with their family [6]. Mary and her husband owned 30 acres (1822) until bushfires destroyed their property (1823) whilst Jon's livelihood as a Chair-maker by trade ended as his tools were all destroyed. The family became destitute and pleaded to the Governor of the time, Governor Thomas Brisbane, for aid. They recovered with Mary and Jon going on to own 62 acres in Illawarra (1828). Here Mary lived till Jon's death (1833), and then her own death (1859). Mary's funeral service was the very first to be held in St Paul's Church of England, Fairy Meadow, New South Wales with her son donating the land on which the church was built. [7] At the time of her death, Mary had over 300 living descendants and is considered as one of the founding mothers of white Australia. [8].
| Part of the series on Australian criminals |
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Bank robbers |
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| International | |
References
'Mary Wade to Us, 1778-1986 : a family history' available at the National Library of Australia. ISBN: 186252078X
