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OUR WRIGHT AND PRICE FAMILIES TO AUSTRALIA |
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ARRIVAL ANN GOUGH On November 28th 1819 Ann GOUGH was baptised at St Martin’s, Shropshire, England at a Church of England service. Her parents were George GOUGH and Jane (nee OWEN) who had married on September 3rd 1818 also at St Martin’s. The town of St Martin’s is situated only two kilometres from the border with Wales. Both the GOUGH and OWEN families are recorded as long time residents of the immediate district with the OWEN family at St Martin’s and the GOUGH family at Chelmarsh, since the 1600’s. On July 9th 1838, when aged 18 years, Ann was convicted at the Lancaster Sessions (Liverpool Borough Sessions) with Larceny and sentenced to SEVEN YEARS TRANSPORTATION. Ann was lodged in the Liverpool House of Correction and on September 15th 1838 she was placed aboard the convict ship Majestic together with nine other female convicts from that prison. On September 19th 1838 the Surgeon, Peter FISHER, commenced his journal. Ann was not treated for any illnesses whilst aboard. The Majestic then sailed from London on October 3rd 1838 with 123 female convicts, bound for Van Diemen’s Land. The master of the ship was G WILLIAMSON. The Majestic was of 345 tons and sailed via the Cape reaching Hobart Town in 111 days. No convicts died during the voyage but one child died. On January 21st 1839 the Conduct Register was commenced. The register is reproduced below but as the document is almost illegible the contents have been transcribed.
CONVICT CONDUCT REGISTER ANN GOUGH The Conduct Register stated that Ann was Single, her native place was Shropshire and she had been convicted of vagrancy three times. She received previous gaol sentence of two months and on another occasion three weeks. Her offence was stated as “Stealing a Shawl”. The Surgeon report stated that she was orderly. The “Majestic” arrived at Hobart Town on January 22nd 1839. The Description Register is reproduced below. Note that the initials JG, EG, GG and EG are tattoos on her left arm and that her face and hands were freckled. The tattoos are almost certainly the initials of her parents and siblings.
CONVICT DESCRIPTION REGISTER - ANN GOUGH
On October 11, 1839 an unclaimed letter was listed in the Hobart Town Gazette for Ann GOFF (sic). Her grieving family back in England was already corresponding with her. Whether any of her family subsequently came to Australia or not is not known. On January 27, 1840 Ann was convicted for being out after hours and sentenced to “one month at the wash”. Soon after that sentence she met James PRICE, fell in love, and decided to marry. |
