Edward Mitchell – Convict
Edward Mitchell was born about 1799 in England. (based on convict record.)There is another record on the Hawkesbury Pioneer Register that says he was born in Norfolk, England.
Edward’s convict records state he was 20 when he was tried at the Old Bailey in Middlesex so this would put his birthdate around 1798/1799. On several records he is recorded as being a native of Norfolk. This could mean Norfolk a region northeast of London. Whereas Middlesex, which has since been renamed as Greater London, is located in the southeast around the capital city. To travel from Norfolk to Middlesex/London at the time of our Edward would have been a two day journey by wheeled means or up to a week by foot.
Edward was indicted for stealing a coat from a Thomas Peters on the 19th December 1818. He was charged with grand larceny and tried at the Old Bailey 13 January of 1819, his prosecution read as follows.
‘JOHN GEE . I am a butcher, and live at Cowcross; I saw the prisoner go behind the Highgate errand-cart, and try to cut the baskets away; he left it, and went to Thomas Peters ‘s cart, followed it, and tried to cut a hamper away; he then jumped on the shaft, and took a great coat out – Owen and I took him. The prosecutor claimed the coat in the prisoner’s presence, at the watch-house.’
‘WILLIAM OWEN . I saw the prisoner in company with another, about a quarter before six o’clock, in St. John-street; he tried the cart, then turned round, and followed the prosecutor’s cart – the man was leading his horse, as it was a foggy night; I saw the prisoner take the coat out of the cart, and secured him with it – he said it was his own. The prosecutor came to the watch-house, and claimed it in the the prisoner’s presence – he described the coat.’
Not surprisingly Edward was found guilty and sentenced to be transported to the colonies for seven years.
Cowcross Street in Middlesex at our Edward’s time was a hive of busy activity featuring both horse and cow/cattle markets. The area was originally chosen for these purposes (having developed rapidly since the late thirteenth century) because of access to water and open areas for the animals to be held and grazed. Middlesex served as a ‘gateway’ into London. The market areas were easily accessible to Londoners and traders. Not surprisingly affiliated noxious businesses such as butchery’s, knackers and tanners grew up alongside the markets. Families often lived many to a room in closely stacked together wooden houses that would in many cases serve as little more than tenements between narrow alleyways. The area drew as a magnet both legal and illegal trade. Animal thievery was common alongside everyday crime and in particular featured a gathering place for the notorious Highwaymen and their like with the proliferation of drinking and prostitution establishments. The area became known as a formidable slum swinging between unfettered debauchery and grinding poverty. The rapid and overwhelming wave of human movement into London during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries created an environment of overcrowded desperation that could not be managed with the resources available at the time. Mortality through illness, disease and want especially in children was disproportionately represented. The watch house our Edward would find himself in was located in Cowcross Street.
The John Barry
By the 21st April 1819 Edward was firmly ensconced on the convict ship the John Barry and on his way to Australia. The John Barry arrived in Sydney on Sunday the 26th September 1819. A voyage of 149 days with remarkably no deaths during the voyage.
Journey of the JOHN BARRY 1819 National Archives UK
Edwards physical description was given as : Height Five feet and four inches, hair brown, eyes hazel and a fair to ivory complexion. In later records Edward would be recorded as being of a slender build and having a sallow complexion. (Life must have caught up with him by that stage).
Ship News Saturday 2nd of October 1819. The Sydney Gazette & New South Wales Advertiser. On Sunday last arrived from England the transport ship John Barry, Captain Stephenson Ellerby, with 142 male prisoners, under the superintendence and medical care of Dr. Bowman, of the Royal Navy. The military guard, comprising 31 non-commissioned officers and privates of the 59th Regt. under the orders of Lieut Lucas of the 59th. Also, John Thomas Bigge, Esquire, Commissioner for the Affairs of this Colony; whose arrival is officially announced by the Government and General Orders of this day.
Sunday 26 Sept 1819 Governor Lachlan Macquarie (diaries), wrote,
This day at 10, O clock in the forenoon, anchored in Sydney Cove, the Ship John Barry transport, commanded by Captain Ellerby, with 142 male convicts from England whence she sailed on the 30th of April last, touching at Madeira and Rio De Janeiro; Mr. J. Bowman R.N. being the Surgeon Superintendent and the Guard consisting 31 soldiers of the 59th regiment being commanded by Lieut Lucas of the same Corps. The Guard and the Convicts have arrived in good health.
During years his years as a convict Edward stayed in New South Wales. He appeared on a list of Government servants assigned to John Single of Evan; from May 1823 to Jan 1824. Edward absconded and upon return was sentenced to the Emu Plains Prison Farm at Penrith. His additional punishment was that he received 25 lashes and paid fines. 31 March 1824.
The purpose of the Emu Plains Prison Farm was to use convicts for unpaid/prison labour to clear land for farming. Importantly convicts were taught how to farm. Especially those whose previous employable skills would not be transferable in the colonies. Specifically convicts who had come from the congested and larger cities such as London. The expectation being that convicts who would eventually be eligible to apply for tickets of leave would be able to apply for land parcels that they could farm themselves. The goal being to not live ‘on the stores’ but grow the colonies ability to feed itself and engage in successful trade.
20 Oct 1824. On return of convicts discharged from the Establishment, Emu Plains assigned to Joseph Griffith (a farmer) at Nepean. Argyle, Hawkesbury.
In 1826 Edward got his certificate of freedom and was able to obtain a small block of 50 acres of land in the Hawkesbury at the property he would call Fernhill.
Certificate of freedom obtained 19th January 1826, Description, eyes brown, hair brown, complexion sallow, height, 5 feet 5/2 inches, aged 27, Occupation Labourer, place of origin, Norfolk, sentence 7 years, place of conviction Middlesex Gaol in 1819. Transported aboard the John Barry. Certificate of freedom numbered 88/4765
Elizabeth Coverly (Bidgood)
Elizabeth Coverly was born in the colony on the 2nd March, 1815 in Parramatta, New South Wales. Elizabeth’s parents were never married with her being given her mothers surname. Elizabeth’s father’s name was included on her christening record. (William Bidgood.)
At the time that Elizabeth was born, I don’t know what her parents living arrangements were. Elizabeth’s mother Maria had been sent to the Parramatta women’s factory upon arrival in Australia on the Wanstead and in 1819 was recorded in the population books as residing there recorded as a female convict.
Interestingly another one of our family, Catherine Latimore would also come on the Wanstead to Australia with Maria. Two generations later and their families would marry into each other with the Riley’s and the Mitchell’s in the Kurrajong region of the Hawkesbury.
Elizabeth was christened on the 2nd April 1815 at St John’s Church in Parramatta. This was officiated and registered in the parish records by the Rev. Samuel Marsden. ( he crops up in our various family records in quantity). The parish records give Elizabeth’s mothers name as Maria Coverly and her father as William Bidgood aka Badgood. William was a convict who had been given a life sentence and sent to Australia for stealing sheep. Somewhere along the line Elizabeth’s father has drifted off into the never-never. A year later Maria would have a son William Coverly with another convict William Mclaughlan? (whose name spelling on the records is quite bizarre even for the time.) Elizabeth her mother Maria and her brother William would live at the Parramatta Women’s factory before at the age of five Elizabeth’s mother married fellow convict James Lord at Parramatta. On this occasion she was recorded as ‘Cobley’. I don’t know if Elizabeth lost all contact with her natural father at that time but I’ve not been able to locate him since.
In 1822 Elizabeth who had now taken the surname Lord, was living with her mother, brother and step-father and baby sister Ann Lord who were both employed by Mr Williamson still in the vicinity of Parramatta.
Elizabeth and her family would move around Sydney somewhat before 1825 when her step-father James Lord moved the family up to Richmond in the Hawkesbury. It would appear at this time that both of her parents had been employed in work as servants.
Elizabeth would have the following nine half-siblings as a result of her mother Maria’s marriage to James Lord.
- Ann (b 1820)
- Esther (b 1823
- James (b 1823 would die as an infant)
- Sarah (b 1825 – d 1827 died aged 2)
- Henrietta (b 1826 died as an infant)
- Male brother unnamed (born and died 1827)
- John (b 1827)
- Maria (b 1828 died as an infant)
- Richard (b 1829).
By the age of eighteen, Elizabeth had met Edward John Mitchell a nearby ex-convict neighbour. Their first child Mary Ann Mitchell was born in 1833 with her being rapidly followed by their son Edward Mitchell in 1834.
It was a year later on the 17th August 1835 in nearby Pitt Town at the Ebenezer Presbyterian Church, that Elizabeth aged 20 married a much older Edward Mitchell aged 36. Both would mark the register with an X indicating neither could read/write.
A daughter Sarah would follow in 1836 then Jane in 1838 another son William in 1840. Daughter Susannah in 1843, Rosetta in 1845, Robert in 1847, Matilda Ann (my g/g grandmother) in 1850, Charlotte in 1852, Martha Ann in 1853 and rounded out by John in 1856. Yes there were twelve children.
On the 18th March 1838 Edward was taken into Windsor Gaol for ‘examination’. I’m not quite sure what this means and have yet to be able to establish why? Being unable to establish a conviction or court hearing as a result of his being ‘taken in’? I checked the NSW Gaol records with just a wide variable search of “Kurrajong” and there were many entries across the region for many folk in the time frame. It is possible that Edward could have been questioned over one of them as much as any incident. When you look at the types of charges that people were prosecuted on I would think most of the population would be guilty of at least one crime. Crime and punishment was certainly punitive. A simple complaint against another of a mild disagreement with the odd threatened curse word could put you in jail. Certainly if you were from the convict classes you had almost no hope of successfully pleading your innocence.
Edward Mitchell death
In 1859 aged 60 Edward died leaving Elizabeth with children ranging from toddler’s through to adults with children of their own. This must have seemed an overwhelming time for Elizabeth. On his records it states ‘unspecified causes’ for reason of death.
Edward was buried at St Peter’s Anglican Cemetery, Richmond, City of Hawkesbury. Date of death 9th of January 1859. Find a Grave records state aged 66 or 67. (However it is more likely he was 60.)
Of their children:
- Mary Ann Mitchell (McCabe)died 1878 during the typhoid outbreak
- Edward Mitchell died 1890 at Kurrajong (married Mycock and Overton).
- Sarah Mitchell (married Turner) 1896 Richmond NSW.
- Jane Mitchell (married Overton)1924 Schofields NSW.
- William Mitchell 1864 Kurrajong.
- Susannah Mitchell 1891 Richmond NSW.
- Rosetta Mitchell (married Seymour and Brooks)1915 Windsor NSW.
- Robert Mitchell (married Lindores) 1923 Richmond NSW.
- Matilda Ann Mitchell (married London)1918 The Slopes, Kurrajong.
- Charlotte Mitchell (married Arndell) 1891 Kurrajong.
- Martha Ann Mitchell (married Alderton)1889 NSW.
- John Mitchell (married Munn)1935 Moree NSW.
It would appear that Elizabeth was not meant to be alone as she took up with a very young man in James Overton of the nearby Kurrajong. Elizabeth and James would have a daughter together, Elizabeth Ann Overton born on the 19th June 1860.
Elizabeth Ann Overton as an adult married Tierney.
In her later years Elizabeth’s mother Maria Lord nee Coverly lived with her and her son-in-law Edward Mitchell at their property “Fern Hill” at Kurrajong and stayed with Elizabeth after Edwards death. Maria died at the home on the 1st January 1864 aged seventy-one years. Maria is buried at St Peter’s Anglican Cemetery, Windsor Street in the town of Richmond in ‘the Hawkesbury’.
In 1875 at the age of 60 and with James at the age of 33, Elizabeth and James were married in Pitt Town. Their daughter Elizabeth Ann Overton was 15 at the time.
Typhoid Outbreak
Tragedy was soon to strike the many Kurrajong families. James died on the 13th March, 1878 a result of the typhoid outbreak which decimated the Kurrajong in late 1887. This started at another ancestors home nearby ( London’s place.) The news articles covering this terrible time are covered on this site on the page of William London. However there is one excerpt that concerns Elizabeth and her family specifically which I will repeat here.
From the The Ravages of Typhoid at Kurrajong FURTHER AND FULLER PARTICULARS (From the Evening News’ Special Correspondent) Richmond, Saturday evening.
‘From Richmond I got Mr. Houghton to drive me to Kurrajong. At the town off the Colo Road, I procured a horse from Mr. Charles Stanford, and proceeding along a road on the summit of a range for one mile, turned off beyond the Wesleyan Chapel, at the house of Mr. T. John, down a steep lane. Here I came on to the party preparing to put up seven Government tents for the sick people, and I interviewed three of the sick people.
From one of those, who had just recovered, I received the following account: – Edward Mitchell, a finely- built young fellow, evidently suffering from fever, said: “I live on this farm, and cultivate it, but for the last few months I have not been able to do anything. That is the reason you see it so much neglected; the sickness broke out about three months ago. Mrs. Robert London took it first, then her little boy about three years of age fell ill; this was three weeks before Christmas’.
Mrs London is my wife’s sister and being a relation and going backwards and forward to see each other, it spread. Mrs. Robert London died on Christmas Eve. Then her husband took ill and died, and his old father then took ill and died, a week after Mrs London’s death. I, who never had a day’s sickness in this healthy district, where I have lived all my life, took the same illness, and was given up for dead.
The next to take it – almost the same day as I fell ill – was Mrs London’s own sister, Margaret Overton, 18 or 19 years of age. Thomas Tierney got ill three or four days after me; then my poor old mother, Mrs Overton (she was married twice), was struck down in a few days. My wife, Mrs Mitchell, and my half-sister, Elizabeth Overton, 17 years of age, fell ill in a day or two.
My stepfather, Mr James Overton, got the typhoid fever, and we buried him yesterday. The next one who took it was my full married sister, Mrs Mary Ann McCabe (Mary Ann Mitchell); she is dead too. The great misfortune is, she was a widow and leaves eight children unprovided for, because their father and mother now are dead.
We buried my sister, Mrs McCabe, last Saturday. The next who took the fever was my other sister, Charlotte’s little boy. This little boy, Johnny, may get through, but it is doubtful. The next person who took it was Mrs Tierney, who is not expected to recover, according to the doctor’s belief, who visited her this morning.
The next victim was Mrs Tierney’s little girl, Angelina, about three years of age. The two next persons who took the dreadful fever were George Tierney, about twenty-three years of age, and John Overton, a married man, who is very bad. I got the doctor several times, but he could not save those I have mentioned who died, namely, Robert London, his wife, Mrs London, Mrs McCabe, James Overton, William Mitchell, my little boy, aged 1 year, and Clara Overton, the little girl, aged 3 years.
About fifty yards from where we stand, you see the remains of the house I burnt down, belonging to my mother. The doctor advised it. The house had four rooms and a kitchen. Now they are talking of burning where I live in the hollow. I cannot afford to have it done.”
This is Mitchell’s account. He says the fever comes on with a dreadful headache; then it is felt in the neck, and spreads through the body. Most of those who died were three weeks ill. After hearing his story, I went to the little bark cottage of Mitchell, in the hollow. I was horrified at the sight.
The hut was deserted, but under a row of peach trees were found human beings suffering badly. They were Mrs Overton, an old woman 61 years of age, and her daughter.’
- (These two were Elizabeth and her daughter Elizabeth Ann, they managed to beat the illness and did survive.) ‘
‘Thomas Tierney, a young fellow about 23, was crawling between the trees on his hands and knees. A perfect skeleton, sitting listlessly on the grave, was a very little girl. All the food was removed from the hut and scattered on straw outside.
The people were afraid to go inside the hut after the last two deaths in it. Near the peach trees, and twenty yards from the hut, I visited a skillion, covered by four sheets of bark, and the sides protected by old blankets. In here I found, lying on a cotton mattress, a poor woman in her clothes in great pain, and apparently dying.
On her breast I found her little girl, two years and three months old, also very ill with the fever. The poor woman is Mrs Michael Tierney, a resident of the Orange district. She had come down to nurse her son Thomas, and caught the disease while attending him.’
Aside from being neighbours, the Overton, Mitchell, Tierney and London families were also related having married between themselves. These families living in the Kurrajong were not wealthy people, they were hard-working people from fairly austere starts trying to build a living in what had prior to their families arrival been unwieldy scrub. These folk were pioneering settlers and farmers of the most stalwart variety.
So whilst it appeared that Elizabeth had survived the typhoid outbreak, her house had been burned down, her second husband dead, many of her family and friends dead or grieving and a large family of orphaned grandchildren remained. Far from what Elizabeth had envisaged her older years would look like I would think.
James Overton is buried at St Phillips Cemetery, North Richmond with a headstone present.
On the 18th April 1879, Elizabeth (Coverly, Bidgood, Mitchell, Overton) passed away aged 64 with her death registered in nearby Richmond. Given that it was only a year from the typhoid outbreak I wonder did she ever fully recover?
Putting Elizabeth’s immediate loss into human context the typhoid outbreak cost Elizabeth her granddaughter Sarah Overton (10), daughter Mary Ann McCabe (44), grandson William Mitchell (11 months), granddaughter Clara Overton (4 months), husband James Overton (35).
The Cumberland and Mercury (Parramattta) Sat 3 May 1879
Death of an Old Resident – On Friday last 18th inst, Mrs. Elizabeth Overton, an old resident of the Kurrajong, passed away to her last long home after a long and severe illness. Deceased was much respected in this district, and leavees a large family to mourn their loss. She had for many years practiced midwifery in which she was well skilled. Deceased was afflicted with heart disease and dropsy, which ultimately caused her death at the advanced age of 65.
On the 1885 parliamentary return of landowners; Edward and Elizabeth’s son Robert Mitchell was working the 110 acres of land at the property called Fern Hill. From what I understand so far, the property stayed in the Mitchell family well into modern history.
Connects to – William John London and Matilda Ann Mitchell
Yews to Eucalypts 