Mary Talbot And The Convict Ship Mary Anne 1791
Originally built in France in 1772, and then captured by the British around 1778, the Mary Anne is thought to have been previously known as the Ariadne. Used at different times for whaling and trading, she made a number of voyages to Demerara (Dutch Demerary) in what is now part of the country of Guyana.
After completing her voyage from Portsmouth to Sydney, New South Wales in 1791, the Mary Anne sailed as far as 45° South (just below the island of Van Diemen’s Land (modern day Tasmania) in search of whales, and failing to find any, returned to Port Jackson, Sydney. She was then chartered by the Governor of the colony, Arthur Phillip, to make a number of voyages to Norfolk Island.
It appears that The Mary Anne was caught in a bit of a tug of war, being recaptured by the French frigate Druid on August 13, 1794, but according to the Lloyds List, she was back in British hands by 1797.
Information courtesy of Wikipedia!
About The Convict Mary Talbot
Originally due to sail to the convict settlement in New South Wales aboard the Lady Juliana, a convict by the name of Mary Talbot managed to escape from that vessel, and was sentenced to death at London’s Old Bailey for her trouble. The sentence was commuted to transportation for the term of her natural life.
On hearing the sentence, Mary said that she’d rather die, as she had three young children to care for. Her sentence was delayed when it was found that she was pregnant, and she was returned to Newgate Prison until she had given birth.
The convict ship Mary Anne departed Portsmouth on February 16, 1791, under the command of Captain Mark Munroe, with Mary Talbot on board. The ship arrived in Port Jackson, NSW on July 9, 1791. She’d departed with 150 convicts. Nine of these convicts died on the voyage.
Unfortunately, Mary Talbot died in 1791, not long after arriving in Sydney.
For more information, visit JenWilletts.com
To read a letter from Mary Talbot describing the voyage, follow this link!