Martha (Shaw) Wells (1808)

Born 22 May 1808 in Bristol, England, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Wife of Thomas Wells — married 1826 in Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia

Descendants

Died [date unknown] in New South Wales, Australia

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Helen Gardner [send private message] and Lorna Driscoll [send private message]

Biography

Martha was born in 1808 in Gloucestershire England. ^[1]

Martha Shaw arrived as a convict in 1824 on the "BROTHERS". Martha was charged along with Ann POWELL for Theft Pick Pockets; trial 25 June 1823. [both aged 15] [see below] ^[2]

Phil Hands on 6th August, 2017 wrote:

1. Martha was tried and convicted along with Ann Powell at the Old Bailey on 25th June 1823 for stealing a hat, they were both sentenced to transportation for 14 years, both were 15 years old, they both spent over 5 months in the ‘notorious’ Newgate Gaol.

Left England on 6th December 1823. Ship:- the ‘Brothers’ sailed with 89 female convicts on board, there were no reported deaths during the voyage. Arrived on 7th May 1824, 39 females being disembarked NSW and the remaining 50 including Ann Powell went on to Hobart. On the Shipping Indent Martha was described as Height, 4’8-1/2” - Complexion, Fresh/Freckled - Hair, Dark Brown - Eyes, Grey - Calling, Housemaid. Upon arrival, Martha was assigned as a servant to William Nicholls. She absconded from his employ in September 1824 and was recaptured and sent to the Female Factory. She was recorded as being at the Female Factory in 1825. Convict Thomas Wells (‘Baring’ 1815) addressed a letter on 10th July 1826 to the Superintendent of the Female Factory at Parramatta as follows: ‘I reside at Lower Portland Head, and hold 20 acres of land, which I cultivate for my own support, I am a bachelor, I enjoy the indulgence of a Ticket of Leave and I am in for a wife and pray the indulgence to be allowed to select one from the Factory at Parramatta. I will adieu. Your most obedient, very humble servant, Thomas (his X mark) Wells’ The letter was accompanied by two supporting letters written by Archibald Bell who was a military officer and magistrate and the other was from John Grono who was a mariner and ship owner who also had substantial land holdings in the Hawkesbury region. Martha was chosen, and Thomas was given permission to marry on 15th July 1826 at Parramatta. Rev. Samuel Marsden officiated with witnesses - James Buckley & Margaret Kelley who were both of Parramatta, they had 7 children between 1828-1842. Martha later separated from her family at Wollombi and took up with a James Crawley. They had a son James, born 1845, died 1849, at Wollombi. This is offered as the reason why she is almost never mentioned in later family records. On all her children’s Death Certificates, except for Hannah, the mother’s name is not stated. No record has been found of Martha’s death. Family oral history relates a story that Martha was killed by aborigines in 1850. “Martha left the house to get more wood for the fire, when she was captured at the wood heap and taken away and killed”. Phil Hands on 6th August, 2017 wrote: Old Bailey Trial Transcription. Reference Number: t18230625-41 895. MARTHA SHAW and ANN POWELL were indicted for stealing, on the 22d of May , a hat, value 10 shillings, the goods of George Davis , from the person of Elizabeth Davis . ELIZABETH DAVIS. I am seven years old, (the witness being questioned, appeared perfectly to understand the nature of an oath) and live with my parents, in Tarling-street. One day in May, between eleven and twelve o’clock, in the morning, I had leave to go to Stepney-fair with my brother and sister, who are five and six years old - these two girls followed me and asked me to go into a swing; I said I had no money, they said they would treat me. I would not go, they followed me round the fair. I was coming home - but walked about thinking to miss them, but they followed me, and at last, Shaw took hold of the top of my hat, took it off, and both ran away with it together. Shaw said a wicked word to Powell, and told her to run - they had bonnets on. I saw their faces, and am sure of them. I saw Shaw at the watch-house two or three hours after, and am sure of her. I should have known her if I had met her. It was an old seal skin hat. MARY ANN DAVIS . I am this child’s mother - she went to the fair the day after it was over, and about twelve o’clock, two boys brought her home without her hat - she described the girls to me and the officer, and said one was lusty, and had a black bonnet, and the other had a black bonnet, very much torn, with blue or red ribbons; I do not know which. The officers took her to the watch-house, where Shaw was, about three o’clock that day - she said directly, that that was the girl who took her hat, and that the other was a thin girl. Powell was taken on the Monday following - she knew them both the moment she saw them. ROBERT CHRISTIAN . I am an officer, and found Shaw at the watch-house, the girl described her correctly before she saw her, and from her description we took Powell. I asked Shaw how she could rob a child like that - she said she did it, and gave the hat to Powell. JAMES LEE . I am an officer. I took Powell in Cow-cross, and asked if she knew Shaw, she said “I know what you want me for, it is about the hat; I did not take it, but Shaw did, and threw it down in a passage,” that Shaw asked her to take it off the child’s head, but she would have nothing to do with it. I afterwards found the hat on Saffron-hill. (Property produced and sworn to.) ELIZA FISHER . I bought this hat of a girl in the week of the fair, but cannot say who she was. SHAW - GUILTY . Aged 15. POWELL - GUILTY . Aged 15. Transported for Fourteen Years . Before Mr. Justice Burrough. Convict Changes History Phil Hands on 6th August, 2017 made the following changes: convicted at, date of birth: 1809 (prev. 0000), gender: f, crime

Sources

1. ↑ Entered by Lorna Driscoll, Mar 21, 2013
2. ↑ Old Bailey Proceedings Online (www.oldbaileyonline.org, version 8.0, 11 May 2020), June 1823, trial of MARTHA SHAW ANN POWELL (t18230625-41). Link

• https://familyhistory.bdm.nsw.gov.au/lifelink/familyhistory/search

1. BDM records Death: WELLS Martha 2542/1862 Bathurst William/Harriett this death apparently is wrong her death has not been discovered up to July 2021.

1. Marriage: WELLS Thomas V1826-387-43B/1826 St John's CE Parramatta

• https://nla.records.nsw.gov.au/convicts

1. 1878 Directory: in 1878-1879 William Wells was a grazier at Howes Valley NSW

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