Mary bryant biography

Cornish convict

For other uses, see Mary Bryant (disambiguation).

Mary Bryant (c. – after ) was a Cornishconvict sent to Australia. She became one of the first successful escapees from the fledgling Australian penal colony.

Early life

Bryant was born Mary Broad^[1] (referred to as Mary Braund at the Exeter Assizes) in Lanlivery, Cornwall, United Kingdom, to William Broad and Dorothy Guilleff (or Gelef/Juileff).^[2] William Broad was a farmer who also leased and coppiced woodland with his brother Matthew. In July , Mary Broad was committed to prison by the Mayor of Plymouth, England, where her sister Elizabeth was living, to await trial for highway robbery. She, along with Catherine Fryer and Mary Hayden alias Shepherd, was convicted of having robbed and assaulted Agnes Lakeman on a road in Plymouth, stealing a silk bonnet valued at 12 pence, and other goods valued at £1 and 11 shillings. All three were sentenced to hang on 20 March , w

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Mary Bryant, Convict, born

Born in Fowey into a fishing family called Broad, Mary left home to seek work in Plymouth and became involved with petty thievery. Charged with highway robbery of a silk bonnet, jewellery and a few coins, she was sentenced in to be sent as a prisoner with the First Fleet to Australia. With her husband, children and seven others she became one of the first successful escapees from the fledgling Australian penal colony. They made an epic voyage of miles ( km) in 69 days across the Great Barrier Reef to landnamn. Here they were recaptured and during the return voyage to England her husband and two children died. Once in England her case attracted wide attention and James Boswell was instrumental in obtaining a pardon for her. She is believed to have returned to Fowey but nothing further is known of her after

 

Research Helen Luther

 

Sources: Judith Cook, To Brave Every Danger, (Macmillan, );  C. H. Currey 'Bryant, Mary (–)', 

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Early life

Mary was born in Fowey as the daughter of a local fisherman. She later moved to Plymouth to find work, but was arrested for highway robbery after stealing a bonnet, jewellery and some coins. Her punishment was going to be execution (death), but instead she was sent to Australia. Sending criminals overseas was called transportation.

Transportation to Australia

In , Mary and a group of other lawbreakers began the long journey to Australia on the ship Charlotte. On the way, Mary gave birth to a daughter, who was named Charlotte after the ship. When she reached Australia, Mary married William Bryant, who had also been transported. William had been a fisherman and smuggler in Cornwall. Together they had a son named Emanuel.

An amazing escape

Unhappy with life in Australia, Mary and William decided to escape. They made friends with a sailor who gave them equipment to help them navigate (steer) a boat. On 28th March , Mary stole a small boat and flydde, along wi