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Mary Spencer
Mary Spencer from Formby, Lancashire, was charged at Wigan on 9th October 1786 with theft at Crosby of one cotton and one black silk handkerchief, a green quilted tammy (glazed material partly wool) petticoat, and a black silk cloak. She received sentence of only five years transportation and a contrite clerk wrote on 25th January 1787 to Lord Sydney to correct his error in recording it as seven years. "I could not forgive myself were I to be the instrument of the poor Woman's being deprived of her liberty even for a moment". *
Mary was only 18 when embarked directly on Prince of Wales at Portsmouth by the turnkey of Lancaster gaol on 8th April 1787, together with Ellen Wainwright and Eleanor Fraser (qqv). On this ship on 1st July 1787 she bore a daughter, Mary Spencer (qv), who would survive until 5th April 1788 and be buried at Sydney Cove.
In November 1789 Mary was sent to Norfolk Island by Supply. There in February 1791 she was provided with a sow for herself and son Francis Spencer (born August 1790, fathered by James Squire, (qv), and sold a sow from the litter on 7th May 1792. On 21st September that year she left Norfolk Island by Atlantic, evidently leaving her child behind. David Collins (qv) wrote on 30th March 1793 to Captain Francis Grose, then in control of Port Jackson, saying there was no objection to the child remaining where he was, since he was likely to receive better care there than in Port Jackson. In 1796 the child, Francis Spencer, was marked "not on Supply's list", as in fact he was not. (See story, Francis Spencer.)
By September 1808, he was described as being dark complexioned with hazel eyes, light brown hair, 5ft 11ins, aged 18 years and one month. His natural father, James Squire, remained interested in the boy, mentioning him in his will.
Mary married John Palmer, private in the NSW Corps (per Neptune 1790), at St Phillip's, on 10th August 1797, following the birth of their daughter Ann in Sydney on 4th June 1796. A second daughter Elizabeth was born in Sydney on 12th October 1799 surviving to May 1800. Palmer transferred to the Invalid Company in 1810 and was living alone at the time of the 1828 Census. He died in 1832. No record of his wife after 1800 has been confirmed, but she was described as deceased in James Squire's will of April 1822
*Note: Mary Spencer was the only person to be transported on the First Fleet with a conviction of less than seven years, all others had seven years, fourteen years or life. No death has been found in Australia for Mary, despite intensive searches, so the writer feels that Mary may have gone back to England & perhaps died there. Further research in process.
Taken from "The Founders of Australia" by Mollie Gillen (Now out of print)
This Website last updated 16th January 2007