Barbara (Adams) Reece (abt. 1822 - aft. 1883)

Born about 1822 in County Galway, Ireland

Wife of Joseph Reece — married 13 Feb 1851 in Launceston, Tasmania

Died after 1883 after about age 61 in Tasmania

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Biography

Barbara (Adams) Reece was a convict after the Third Fleet transported to Van Diemen's Land

Notes from the National Archives of Ireland, Irish Convicts to Australia Transportation Database:^[1]

Barbara was tried in Galway on 4 January 1848 and convicted of two counts of larceny (theft of a gown and assault)^[2]. She was sentenced to seven years transportation and was sent to Grangegorman Female Prison in Dublin^[3] before being sent to Tasmania^[4]. Her conduct in gaol was said to be good. Barbara's trade prior to conviction was "laundress". She was five feet four, aged about 30, with a fresh complexion, brown hair, round face, hazel grey eyes^[2][5]. Barbara was a Roman Catholic, could not read or write, and was single at the time of conviction^[6].

Barbara arrived in Tasmania on 7 October 1848^[7] on board the ship Kinnear. It was an all female transport ^[8].

Barbara was put on a gang on first arrival. She absconded in December 1849. She also produced forged papers and was jailed for two months for two months hard labour for being absent without permission. In March 1850 Barbara "asserted herself as pregnant for the purpose of getting away from her service" and received one month's hard labour^[2].

In August 1850 Barbara was given permission to marry Evan Rees, a convict who had travelled to Tasmania on board the Sea Horse^[9]. However, Barbara did not appear to marry him as in November 1850, she received permission to marry a free settler called Joseph Reece^[10]. Evan and Joseph do not appear to be the same person (Evan is clearly a convict while Joseph is clearly free (based on the database records)) but they might have been related.

On 13 February 1851 Barbara married^[11] Joseph in Launceston, Tasmania^[12]. Barbara was said to be 22 at the time of marriage (a clear discrepancy with her age at the time of conviction) and Joseph 50 years old.

There is a suggestion in Barbara's conduct record that she gave birth to an illegitimate child in November 1850^[2]. This may have been the reason for her marriage to Joseph Reece (or possibly to Evan). Barbara was certified free in Launceston in January 1853. The birth of this child is supported by the record entries for the birth of Thomas Adams^[13].

Barbara is recorded under her maiden name in Tasmanian court and convict records in 1855^[14].

The conduct records from the Tasmanian Archives also state that Barbara (this time as "Reece") committed some larceny offences in 1883 in the area of Launceston and was incarcerated in prison^[2].

Sources

1. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20190123233941/http://www.nationalarchives.ie/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Ireland-Australia-transportation.pdf National Archives of Ireland, Irish Transportation Database], PDF compilation database of records contained in the National Archives of Ireland; entry for Barbara Adams, page 9. Record reference code: TR 7 p.216
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4} Tasmanian Archives, Barbara Adams's conduct record as a convict.
3. ↑ "Ireland Prison Registers, 1790-1924," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KMSR-XFG : accessed 25 January 2016), Barbara Adams, 1848; from "Irish Prison Registers 1790-1924," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing Grangegorman Female Prison, Dublin, Ireland, Grangegorman Female Prison Prison, item 3, book 1/9/7, images provided by FamilySearch International; FHL microfilm 2,356,625.
4. ↑ Home Office: Settlers and Convicts, New South Wales and Tasmania; (The National Archives Microfilm Publication HO10, Pieces 5, 19-20, 32-51); The National Archives of the UK (TNA), Kew, Surrey, England. Convict Musters, entry for Barbara Adams].
5. ↑ Tasmanian Archives, original description list for Barbara Adams
6. ↑ Tasmanian Archives, copy of original convict indent record for Barbara Adams
7. ↑ Tasmanian Names Index, entry for Barbara Adams (convict).
8. ↑ Convict Ships to Tasmania, entry for the 1848 voyage of the Kinnear
9. ↑ Tasmanian Names Index, entry for permission for Evan Rees to marry Barbara Adams
10. ↑ Tasmanian Name Index, permission to marry for Barbara Adams and Joseph Reece dated November 1850
11. ↑ Tasmanian Name Index, marriage entry for Barbara Adams and Joseph Reece
12. ↑ Australia, Marriage Index, 1788-1950 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
13. ↑ Tasmanian Names Index, birth entry for Thomas Adams
14. ↑ Tasmanian Colonial Convict, Passenger and Land Records. Various collections (30 series). Tasmanian Archive and Heritage Office, Hobart, Tasmania.