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FF Mary Springham, Convict ‘Lady Penrhyn’
(c1765-1796)
and William Hambly, Carpenters mate, ‘HMS Sirius’
(c1763-1835)
- this story is under review by Membership Team
Mary was
the daughter of Robert and Marty Springham, baptised 20th
March 1768 at St Leonard’s Shoreditch.
Mary Springham was returning by boat from
Gravesend to her home, where she lived with her mother
at Bakers Row Whitechapel when the offence occurred. A
woman passenger named Mary Reynolds, was taken ill on
the boat and Mary took her home, where she fainted,
brought her water and washed her face. Setting her on
her mother’s bed, she locked the door and put the key in
her pocket ‘for safe keeping’. The victim said that on
awaking she found Mary searching her pockets, and ‘she
ran away and away she went’
Mary’s story was different. Coming along
Limehouse, the woman Mary Reynolds had said, ‘Pol, I
want to call for something to drink’ and she went home
with Mary, sending for gin and saying not to leave her
Some five week later Mary was indicted
for feloniously stealing, on the 5th day of March last,
two guineas, value 2 1 2s,and nine shillings in monies
numbered, and an iron japanned snuff box, value 1 d. the
property of William Reynolds, privily from the person of
Mary Reynolds.
Old Bailey Proceedings 25th
October 1786
Mary Springham,Theft,Pocketpicking
Mary Reynolds sworn
My husband’s name is William Reynolds; I
live at No.4,George Street, Spitalfields the prisoner
robbed me on the 5th of March; I never saw her before; I
was coming home from Gravesend on the sabbath-day, about
eight in the morning; the prisoner came with me in a
Gravesend boat; her mother lives in Baker’s-row,
Whitechapel; I was taken ill going up the New-road; she
asked me to go into her mother’s; I went in there, and I
fainted away; she brought a little water and washed my
face, and brought me too; and asked me to lay on her
mother’s bed, in a little back room; I said, I would be
glad; and she led me into the room; and I laid down on
the bed; she said, nothing should hurt me, till she came
to me again, and she would lock the door, and take the
key in her pocket; the prisoner locked me in; I had a
silk handkerchief about my neck; I awoke and found the
prisoner searching my pockets; she ran away, and away
she went; there were two guineas in gold, three silver
half crowns, one shilling, and a sixpence; the gold was
tied up in my black silk handkerchief, and around my
neck in a double knot; the silver was in a japanned iron
snuffbox in my pocket; the snuffbox was taken with my
money in it; when she went out of the room, I could not
go so quick after her, and there were three turnings; I
could not tell which of the turnings she went down.
Prisoner: She asked me in the lock-up
room to make it up with her, she said she was very poor?
I did not.
Thomas Forecast sworn
I am weaver be trade; I follow the deal
pottering now; I am come from the Straights; I went in
pursuit of Mary Springham; I met her coming home and
three more; it was about five weeks ago; I followed her,
and told the prosecutrix to take her into custody.
Court to Mary Reynolds. You knew where
this woman lived?-No; I knew where her mother lived.
You knew her name also?-I knew the name
she went by.
How come it then you did not go before a
Justice of the Peace?. I did the next door, and took the
mother into custody; I made enquiries after her, but
could not find her.
Prisoner’s Defence
We came from Gravesend together, the
prosecutrix borrowed three-pence off me, because she had
no money; coming through Limehouse, she says to me Poll,
I want to call for something to drink; I went to my
brothers and had some Breakfast; says I, now Mrs.
Forecast, I wish you a good by; she went home with me;
she was taken very ill, and sent for a quartern of gin,
and changed sixpence; my mother asked her to lay down
she says she, do not leave me; says I ,I am sleepy, I
must go home to bed; I left this gentlewoman at my
mothers and saw no more of her till five weeks ago she
charged me with this
GUILTY OF Stealing.
Transported for Seven Years
Tried by the first Middlesex Jury before
Mr.Justice HEATH.
Mary was
delivered to the Lady Penrhyn on 6th
January 1787, aged 21 years. He occupation was described
by Bowes as a Hawker.
In Sydney Mary formed a relationship with
William Hambly Carpenters mate, 'HMS Sirius’ and
on 15th January 1790 a son William was
baptised at Sydney.
Some two months later William and
Maryalong with their son William arrived aboard HMS
Sirius in March 1790 at Norfolk Island, with William
still serving as a crew member of the ship. Mary and
their son William disembarked on 14 March 1790 at
Cascade. William was stranded on Norfolk Island,
mustered 20 March 1790 on Norfolk Island after the
shipwreck.
In February 1791, William returned to
Sydney aboard HMAT Supply and disembarked on 26
February 1791
The Govenor understanding that a number
of the ships company wished to settle in the country,
we (HMS Sirius Crew) ware
(were) all ordered over to the Govenors house to inform
himself who was most fittest for farmours (farmers). The
whole ships company turned out excepting about ten of
us, Terence Burn and myself being of that number that
did not wish to remain. However, the Govenor found there
was but few that could expect to improve in the farming
business. Likewise it required seamen to carry the
vessel and officers to England. Out of the whole crew he
permitted ten or eleven seamen and three marines to
remain as settlers, and it was directed so as to send
their wages out to them in whatever they might think
most fit for their situation in the county. Likewise
there was a few draughted on board the Supply Brig, as
she was to remain in the country till further orders
Following the meeting with HMS Sirius
Ship’s Company in early March 1791, Governor Phillip
decided to grant 60 acres on Norfolk Island to eight
HMS Sirius seamen including William Hambly: What
I granted to the two marines I have thought necessary to
grant to eight seamen, late belonging to the Sirius, as
they will be useful men when ships are landing
provisions and stores (on Norfolk Island).
William was discharged from HMS Sirius
books on 7 March 1791 and returned to Norfolk Island as
a Settler aboard HMAT Supply on 19 March 1791.
William and Mary were one of the many
couples married by Rev Johnson in November 1791 Norfolk
Island.
In 1792 William was granted 60 acres on
the South side of the Cascade Run, with a rent of one
shilling a year commencing after five years being Lot
45.In May 1794 William was renting seven acres of land
to John Croker and another ten acres to Samuel Price.
William sold this 60 acres of land for £100 to Arthur
Robinson in October 1798.
By Mid June 1794, William and Mary Hambly
had three children, Mary, William and Elizabeth, living
on William’s farm of 43 acres, was recorded as Mary
Springer (sic) free, married, off stores with three
children supported by William Hambly, settler
In May 1795 Norfolk Island Commandant
Lieutenant Governor Philip Gidley King wrote that:
A marine settler William Hambly
who is a Miller with a Freeman Thomas Stretch
(Friendship) whose term of transportation is expired
have the care of the mill and attend to it in turns, the
first with his family and a labourer are victualled and
clothed; the second has two acres of cleared ground
adjoining the mill
Mary died 15 June/July 1796 Norfolk
Island (there are conflicting
records) with her son William and Daughter Elizabeth
surviving. Her daughter Mary died 2 days later on 17th
June 1796
Even though Mary was married to William
Hambly she was buried under the name of Springham
together with her daughter Mary Springham
Her headstone today is part of the
stone floor at the Lions Club room at Kingston on
Norfolk Island which was the Surgeon's Kitchen, it is
quite possible it was shifted from sands or ground at
Emily Bay, during the second settlement
.
William Hambley bought ten acres of land
at Norfolk Island from Samuel King on 26 August 1800,
which was part of a 60 acre land grant which granted on
3 January 1792. Samuel had sold a previous 10 acres to
his future wife Elizabeth Thackery on 1 May 1800.
In July 1804 William’s household of one
male and two children, leased 21 acres of land on
Norfolk Island and nominated as “Hambley” that they may
wish to vacate their respective Allotments of Land In
1805 William Hambly was recorded as a Settler from
Marines and Seaman off stores
William and his surviving children
William and Elizabeth left Norfolk Island aboard HMS
Porpoise for Hobart 26 December 1807.
William Hambly, widower remarried Jane
Meech, (Convict Charlotte) who also was on
Norfolk Island. 21 December 1810 Hobart, the witnesses
were Edward Garth ( Convict Scarborough) and
William Stokes.
Jane had been married prior to her
conviction to William Meech in England. On Norfolk
Island she had a relationship with William Moulton
(Marine HMS Sirius) and they had one child. Jane,
William and the child went to Van Diemens Land on
14/12/1808 on "Lady Nelson". William Moulton died
in Hobart in January 1810
Jane died 21 November 1812 Hobart,and in
1813 William received a land grant at Sorell
William died October 1835 Sorell.
Elizabeth married John Frederick Dumcombe
(Convict Abermale 1791) and had five children (4
girls & 1 boy), she then partnered with William Steers (
Convict Guilford 1812) when John died on 23rd
November 1835 in Sydney. They had one daughter
Elizabeth died on 6th
September 1853 aged 59 years at Sorell, with William
dying on 13th May 1876 aged 97 years at
Sorell. Her brother William died on 14th
April 1817 aged just 27 years
Complied by John Boyd 2020
The
Fellowship of First Fleeters installed a FFF Plaque for
Mary Smith at Kingston Cemetery Quality Row Kingston N I
on 6th March 2001.
. Refer FFF Web
Site:http://www.fellowshipfirstfleeters.org.au/graves.html
Under
 FFF
Plaque 113 – Installed 6th March 2001for
FF Mary Springham, Convict ‘Lady
Penrhyn’ (c1765-1796)
Sources:
-The Founders of Australia by
Mollie Gillen p341 &157
-Dispatched Downunder by Ron
Withington p 46 &47
-The Nagle Journal-A Diary by
Jacob Nagle Able Seaman HMS Sirius 1775-1841
Edited by John C Dann.
-www hmssirius.com.au by Cathy
Dunn-william-hambley-carpenters-mate-hms-sirius-1788-and-mary-springham-convict-lady-penrhyn-1788
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