Elizabeth Clark (abt. 1767 - 1788)

Born about 1767 in Derbyshire, England [uncertain]

Died 4 Sep 1788 at about age 21 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

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Biography

Elizabeth Clark was a convict on the First Fleet.

Elizabeth was born about 1767. She passed away in 1788.

Elizabeth Clark was convicted on 11 January 1785, at the Epiphany Sessions, at Derby, and sentenced to seven years transportation. The Quarter Sessions Order Book has the following record:

"Elizabeth Clarke (sic) late of the parish of Ashbourne in this County Spinster in the custody of Blyth Simpson Keeper of his Majesty’s Gaol for this County and being brought before this Court and Indicted Arraigned and tried for ffeloniously stealing taking and carrying away one Striped Gown intermixed with Silk and worsted of the value of five shillings one red and white Cotton Handkerchief of the value of one shilling and one Check Apron of the value of Six pence of the Goods and Chattels of one Joseph Buckley and being found guilty thereof This Court doth order that the said Elizabeth Clarke (sic) be transported as soon as conveniently may be to some or one of his Majesty’s Colonies or Plantations in America for the Term of Seven years to be computed from the time of her conviction..."^[1]

According to Mollie Gillen,

On 24 October 1786, she and Ann Beardsley "decently cloathed, ...set off in high spirits, not seeming the least dismayed at the length of the voyage &c".

Two days later, on 26 October 1786 Elizabeth arrived at the Dunkirk hulk at Plymouth. Her age at the time was recorded as 19.^[2]

On 11 March 1787 she boarded the Friendship, one of the ships of the First Fleet. Her age was recorded in Ralph Clark's journal as 20 years.

At the Cape of Good Hope, to make room for the loading of live-stock, Elizabeth, and other convict women were transferred to the Prince of Wales.

The First Fleet arrived at Sydney Cove on 26 January 1788.

On Tuesday 27 May 1788 the bench of magistrates met, with Judge Advocate David Collins, Captain Hunter and Mr Alt sitting. Elizabeth Clark was charged with using abusive language to Private William Norris. Norris said that he met Elizabeth talking to some sailers on Sunday evening. She abused him and called him a bougre, and he reported her to his officer. In her defence, Elizabeth said that she used the words after he had struck her. She was very much in liquor. She was found guilty and sentenced 'to be tied to a cart's tail and flogged publicly once up and once down the women's camp, on the western side of the cove. However it was reported that she had neglected to mention a material circumstance "through fear and hurry". The case was re-opened and she was recalled. She stated that the two had been intimate on the Friendship. Robert Allen and John Hawk were called. They both said that Norris had struck Elizabeth, and Hawk said that Norris called her a bloody whore. She was then forgiven her sentence.^[3]

On Friday 1 August 1788 Sergeant William Clayfield and his wife noticed that a missing shirt was being used as a bedgown by Elizabeth Mason. Assused of theft, Elizabeth Mason said that she had bought the shirt for 3 pints of rum from Elizabeth Clark. The following day, Judge Advocate David Collins, and Captain Hunter sat as a court of magistrates. Elizabeth Mason was tried for stealing the shirt, and committed for trial by the criminal court.^[3]

Elizabeth Clark was buried on 4 September 1788.^[3]

Research Notes

She is possibly the Elizabeth Clark baptised with sister Ann at Scropton, Derbyshire, in 1766, daughters of Humphrey Clark (the date is illegible in the register- sometime between January and June). ^[4]

Sources

1. ↑ Derbyshire Record Office, Quarter Sessions Order Book, quoted in Cobley, John, "The Crimes of the First Fleet Convicts", 1970.
2. ↑ Gillen, Mollie, The Founders of Australia : A Biographical Dictionary of the First Fleet, 1989. (to confirm)
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} Cobley, John. Sydney Cove 1788. London ; Sydney: Angus & Robertson, 1987.
4. ↑ "England, Derbyshire, Church of England Parish Registers, 1537-1918," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-DT9W-7V4?cc=1911752 : 25 September 2019), ; Derbyshire Record Office, England.

• https://firstfleetfellowship.org.au/convicts/elizabeth-clark/
• https://convictrecords.com.au/convicts/clark/elizabeth/129210 Elizabeth Clark