MARY BRAND First Fleet

- KNOWN AS MARY BRYANT – “THE GIRL FROM BOTANY BAY”

One of 108 Convicts Transported on “Charlotte” 1788 Sentenced to 7 years at Devon Assizes Transported to New South Wales

THE STORY OF WILLIAM AND MARY BRYANT, WHO MADE THEIR ESCAPE FROM THE COLONY TO TIMOR IS WELL-DOCUMENTED, AND THE SUBJECT OF MANY BOOKS AND FILMS. THERE ARE NUMEROUS REFERENCES TO HER ON THE INTERNET

SHE IS SHOWN ON THE FIRST FLEET INDEX AS MARY BRAUND ABOARD “LADY PENRHYN”, AND MARY BROAD ABOARD “CHARLOTTE”, TRIED EXETER 20 MARCH 1786 (DEATH/7 YRS); HER DAUGHTER, CHARLOTTE BRAUND SPENCE, APPEARS ON THE “CHARLOTTE”

NAME: MARY BRAND also known as BROAD/ BRAUNT, and later BRYANT ALIAS: IVY BRAND FIRST FLEET INDEX: Mary Broad AGE: 20

TRIED: 20 March 1786, Exeter-Devon – with Mary Haydon and Catherine Fryer SENTENCE: Death, commuted to 7 years transportation CRIME: Assault on the King’s highway – value of crime 32 shillings (assault/theft)

GAOL REPORT: HULK: Dunkirk, off Plymouth HULK REPORT: Tolerably decent and orderly

SHIP: Charlotte/Lady Penrhyn – departed May 1787, arrived NSW 26 January 1788

FIRST FLEET: This group of ships began the European colonisation of the Australian continent, New South Wales being proclaimed at Sydney Cove on 26 January 1788. The First Fleet sailed from Portsmouth in May 1787 and comprised eleven ships – two naval vessels, three store ships, and six transports. The transports carried mainly convicts but most also carried some members of the Marine detachment sent as guards. In total there were 569 male convicts, 191 female convicts, the Marines with their wives and families, and Government officials. Including the ships’ crews, about 1,300 people arrived on the First Fleet.

THE CHARLOTTE: One of the convict transports attached to the First Fleet, departed Portsmouth May 1787, carrying 88 male convicts and 20 female convicts. Master Thomas Gilbert, Surgeon John White

FAMILY – Baptised 1 May 1765 at Fowey-Cornwall. Native of Fowey in Cornwall, and daughter of a sailor Marital status: Single Children: Gave birth on board the “Charlotte” in Sept 1787, believed to be fathered by fellow convict William Bryant; this is a matter of debate, as some believe she was already pregnant when she was tried. The child, “a fine girl”, was named “Charlotte Spence” after the vessel transporting her parents to Australia and was baptised at Cape Town; she died 6 May 1792

Married: 10 February 1788 at Botany Bay – to William Bryant, fellow-convict, also from Cornwall, a fisherman, smuggler and sailor Children: Charlotte Spend Braund, born 8 Sept 1787 at sea aboard “Charlotte”, baptised 28 Oct 1787 at Cape of Good Hope-Africa; died 6 May 1792 at sea on “Gorgon”; buried at sea May 1792 Emanuel Bryant, born 1790; baptised 4 April 1790, Botany Bay; died 1 Dec 1791, Batavia, buried at sea 1791

DESCRIPTION – Trade: None recorded Appearance: Middle stature, marked with smallpox, height 5’ 4”, one knee bent but is not lame, aged twenty-five years, grey eyes, brown hair, and sallow complexion Height:

ESCAPE: 28 March 1791 – Mary Bryant with her husband and two children, and three other convicts, stole the Governor’s cutter and began their 66-day long trip to Timor. William was shot in late 1791; Mary, Emanuel and Charlotte were captured and sent back to England. Emanuel died during the voyage of tropical fever, and Charlotte died in May 1792 of the same disease. Mary was imprisoned on her arrival in England, but was released in 1793 due to the efforts of James Boswell, the English diarist. Mary returned to Cornwall, where she was supported by James Boswell, but nothing more was heard of her after November 1794 when she acknowledged a gift from Boswell.

FREE PARDON: 2 May 1793, Granted in England following her escape and return to her homeland

REFERENCES – http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A010157b.htm?hilite=mary%3Bbryant http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/aus-pt-jackson-convicts/2003-09/1064572479 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Bryant http://firstfleet.thruhere.net/convict.php?id=84 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Bryant_(convict) http://www.woodentallships.com/australia/mary-bryant.htm

Mary Broad married William Bryant and they made their escape to Timor (see William Bryant). Mary Broad was the daughter of a sailor from the little town of Fowey in Cornwall. She had been transported for seven years for stealing a cloak. She arrived with the First Fleet on board the “Charlotte”; before the ship arrived in Cape Town she gave birth to a daughter who she named Charlotte after the ship. Soon after her arrival in Port Jackson, Mary married one of the male convicts William Bryant, a 31 year-old fisherman from Cornwall. As a smuggler and sailor, he was arrested by the excise men for resisting arrest, and spent three years aboard the hulks before sailing with the First Fleet. (Port Jackson Convicts Mailing List)

The survivors arrived in England in 1792, were tried and imprisoned again. Fortunately for them, James Boswell, the English diarist, became interested in the case and worked to secure their release, which was achieved in 1793. Mary was known as 'The girl from Botany Bay' After her release, she returned to her Cornwall to join her family and was supported by James Boswell ...nothing is known of her after 1794. (Cornish List)

It is believed she remarried Richard THOMAS on 13 Oct 1807 at Cornwall and had 2 more children.

The Bryant’s story has been told many times, including “Mary Bryant : The Impossible Escape” by Craig Scutt

Last Updated: 19 October 2010

Compiled by Trish Symonds