Maria Easterbrook (abt. 1802)

Born about 1802 in Devon, England

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

Descendants

Died [date unknown] in New South Wales, Australia [uncertain]

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Beverley Melchior [send private message] and Elayine Julian [send private message]

Biography

Maria Easterbrook was a convict after the Third Fleet transported to New South Wales

Maria was transported aboard the ship "Mary Ann" in 1822. Convicted at the Devon Assizes for housebreaking she was initially given a death sentence but it was commuted to life transport. 11/8/1821. She arrived in Tasmania.

Text: Maria Easterbrook, one of 108 convicts transported on the ship Mary Ann, November 1822. Sentence details: Convicted at Devon Assizes for a term of life on 11 August 1821. Vessel: Mary Ann. Date of Departure: November 1822. Place of Arrival: New South Wales and Van Diemens Land.

Birth: Date about 1802. Devonport, Devonshire, England

Maria Easterbrook (Thomas) was born in 1802 in Devon, England.

Except for the fact that she was born in Devonshire Maria's early life is not known. She was only a small woman, five foot and one and a quarter inches tall, with dark eyes, black hair and a florid complexion.

At the age of 19 Maria was tried at the Kent Assizes in 1821 for house­breaking. She received the death sentence. Also she appeared at the Devon Assizes on 11 August 1821 and was again convicted but was to be “transported for life” instead of being hanged.

Four months later Maria boarded the convict transport ‘Mary Anne” at Portsmouth along with 107 other female convicts for the long voyage to NSW. The 479 ton vessel which was under the command Captain Henry Warington sailed from Portsmouth 4 January 1822. After a stop at Rio in Brazil they sailed to Hobart where they disembarked 40 convicts.

They arrived in Sydney on 20 May 1822 with the loss of only one convict life during the voyage. Coincidentally the Surgeon Superintendent aboard the “Mary Anne” was James Hill, who was to act in the same capacity when Maria's mother followed the family to Australia in 1825.

The remaining 62 passengers, including 12 children, were held on board the vessel until the following Wednesday,23 May, when the governor came aboard to inspect the prisoners and prepare them for transport up the Parramatta River. Maria was boated up the river to a landing place at Parramatta the following day and then conveyed the short distance to the Female Factory where she appears to have remained until 1826.

On 11 April 1825 Maria applied to the Governor for permission to marry Jeremiah Donovan, a free settler. However it appears the marriage never took place because a little more than a year later she again applied to Governor Darling for permission to marry another man, Thomas Thomas.

The couple were married by banns with the consent of Governor Darling on 8 August 1826 at Saint Johns Church in Parramatta by Samuel Marsden.^[1]

347/1826 V1826347 44B THOMAS THOMAS ESTERBROOK MARIAH CB Like Maria, Thomas was a convict and had been in Australia a number of years before his marriage. The year before his marriage Thomas appears to have been working as a labourer in Windsor. Thomas and Maria had the following children:

1. Catherine Thomas was born on 26 July, 1827 in Wilberforce, NSW and died on 23 September, 1834
2. Matilda Thomas was born on 17 March, 1829 in Wilberforce, NSW
3. Mary Ann Thomas was born on 11 March, 1831 and died on 25 July 1913
4. Henry Thomas was born on 20 September, 1832 in Wilberforce, NSW
5. William Thomas was born on 24 February, 1835 in Wilberforce, NSW
6. Maria Thomas was born on 31 March 1837 in Wilberforce, NSW

Sometime after 1834 Thomas appears to have died, for by 1837 Maria was working for James Stapleton in Windsor and again using her maiden name.

Death: Unknown. See research notes

Parents: Unknown

Siblings: Unknown

Husband: Thomas Henry Thomas

Children:Catherine Thomas, Matilda Ann Singleton (born Thomas), Mary Ann Bartle (born Thomas), Henry Thomas, William Thomas, Maria Thomas

She was a servant girl who could not read or write.

Research Notes

The details listed below for Maria death as per 9507/1883 are incorrect. The Death Certificate clearly shows that this Maria died on 24 January 1883 and was only 10 years old (she was born in 1872 - NSW 17247/1872). Her parents were Thomas EASTERBROOK and Mary Ann THOMAS, however, Thomas is the son of Thomas Myles EASTERBROOK and Mary Ann SPARROW and Thomas Myles is the son of Abraham EASTERBROOK and Ann MILES.

Sources

1. ↑ NSW BDM marriage Reg. No. 29/1825 V182529 10, of THOMAS, THOMAS, and ESTERBROOK, MARIA, at CB (St John’s Church of England, Parramatta)

• Documents in the possession of Owen Easterbrook
• http://australianroyalty.net.au/individual.php?pid=I2860&ged=purnellmccord.ged
• NSW BDM death of EASTERBROOK, MARIA, Reg. No. 9507/1883, showing parents THOMAS and MARY A, registered at MUDGEE (https://www.wikitree.com/photo/png/Easterbrook-60 NSW BDM, Death Certificates - 9507/1883 dated 26 January 1883)
• http://www.geni.com/people/Maria-Thomas/6000000024008552421?through=6000000036448130923

Acknowledgments

• Brian Thomas Relation of Isaac Thomas
• Thank you to Beverley Melchior