Mary Ann Wade (October 5, 1777 – December 17, 1859) 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 and today number in the tens of thousands.
Early Years in London
The Pass Room at Bridewell where Mary was first imprisoned
Mary was born on 5 October 1777 at Southwark, London to Mary English and George Wade of Westminster, Middlesex and then christened on 21 December 1777 at Saint Olave, Southwark, Surrey, England. She 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 5 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, an 8 year 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 an Officer of the Law who later found the tippet in Mary's room whereon she was arrested and then placed in Bridewell Prison. Her trial was held on 14 January 1789 at the Old Bailey, where she found guilty and was sentenced to death by hanging.[1]
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. 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 3 June 1790 and she was then sent on to Norfolk Island aboard the Surprize, arriving on 7 August 1790. [2]
Life in Australia
She had two children on Norfolk Island, Sarah to Teague (Edward) Harrigan, an emancipated Irish transportee in 1793 and William in 1795, who is believed to be Jonathan Brooker's son. When they arrived back in Sydney, Mary lived with Teague Harrigan, with whom she had another 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 was never to return.[3]
The Lady Juliana also known as The Floating Brothel which transported Mary to Australia
Marriage and Family
Mary lived with Jonathan Brooker near the Hawkesbury River from 1809. It was here that Mary raised her family which numbered 21 children, seven of which lived to have their own children. Jonathan was given his Certificate of Emancipation in February 1811 and then given a grant of 60 acres at Tarrawanna, New South Wales by Governor Macquarie.[4] Mary finally received her Certificate of Emancipation on the first of September, 1812. In 1816 they settled in Airds in Campbelltown, New South Wales with their family. Mary married Jonathan Brooker on 10 February, 1817 at St Lukes, Liverpool, New South Wales 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 on 14 March 1833, when he was buried in the graveyard of St. Peter’s Church, Campbelltown, NSW. Mary died on 17 December 1859 at age 82, at Wollongong, New South Wales and her 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.[5]
Descendants
At the time of her death, Mary had over 300 living descendants and is considered as one of the founding mothers of the early settlers to Australia. Today her descendants number in the tens of thousands. Kevin Rudd, the Prime Minister of Australia, is one of her descendants.[6] Mary's story, and that of Mr Rudd's other convict ancestors has now been collated into two leather-bound volumes by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, which is kept in the National Library of Australia in Canberra.[7]
Notes
Further reading
External links
- The Floating Brothel (Synopsis), Film Australia, abc.net.au
- Making the 'Floating Brothel', Timewatch, bbc.co.uk
- Burial Records for Pioneer Park Cemetery, Wollongong, New South Wales; Note: Mary Wade is buried in married name of Mary Ann Brooker
- Christening Record for Mary Ann Wade
- Birth, Death, Burial and Marriage Records for Mary Ann Wade
- Mary Wade: Sentenced to Hang – Aged 10, Your Archives.
- Secrets of the Dead, Interview with Siân Rees
- Convict Tales, Convicts to Australia
- So, Prime Minister, you're related to a thief and a forger, The Age, August 1, 2008
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