Mary Ann Hipwell (Convict 3rd Fleet)

  General Notes:

(SOURCE) "The Pragmatic Pioneers" Page 6

Mary Hipwell's conviction at the hands of the English judiciary appears to be based largely on circumstantial evidence. On 26th August 1791, Mary, a resident of the parish of St. George, Hanover Square, was committed to the Westminster Bridewell Prison in Tothill Fields by justice N. Bond, for stealing silver and jewellery from Elizabeth Tyndale. The case was reported in the London Times dated 28th August 1790 thus: -

Benjamin Colburn and Mary Hipwell were examined on Charge exhibited against them on the oath of Mrs, Tindyll. Mrs. Tindyll said, that when she left town2 which was in the beginning of August, she left her house in Bolton-street in the care of Mary Hipwell2 her servant, previously enjoining her not to quit it, oradmit any men. On the 14th of the same month she was informed by letter that her house had been robbed on the 12th, during the time her servant was gone to Sadler's Wells, in company with the other prisoner.
Or coming to town, she discovered that she had lost property, the intrinsic worth of which is two hundred pounds; but to replace would take a much larger sum, as many very valuable antique medals and gems were among the property stolen.

Duncan Grant, one of Sir Sampson's patrol, who took the prisoners, and searched the box of Mary Hipwell, produced a pair of white gloves and a pillowcase, which he found within it. Mrs. Tindyll swore the gloves and pillowcase were both her property. This circumstance, with the many contradictions prevarications of the prisoners, together with the known character of Colburn, induced her to suspect they were concerned in the robbery.

They were both committed for trial.

The trial of Mary Hipwell and Benjamin Colburn was reported in the London Times dated 28th October 1790.

Before Mr. Justice Heath.

Benjamin Colburn and Mary Hipwell were indicted for stealing wearing apparel, plate, and jewels, to a great amount, the property of Elizabeth Tindall, in her dwelling house.

Page 6
"The Pragmatic Pioneers"

Mrs. Tindall said, she lived in Bolton-street, Piccadilly, that on the 2nd of August, she went into the country, and left her house in town, in charge of Mary Hipwell. On the 9th August, she received a letter from Mr. M'Cay, that her house was robbed. When she came to town she found all the property gone that was stated in the indictment. An officer searched Mary Hipwell's box, and found in it a pair of new gloves, which Mrs. Tindall positively swore to be her property, there was also a pillow case found in the box, which she believed to be her property but could not swear positively to it, as it had no mark upon it.

The Jury found Mary Hipwell guilty of stealing goods to the value of one shilling.

There was no evidence whatever against Colburn. He was taken up merely on suspicion, having kept company with Hipwell. Not guilty. (Colburn may not have been all that innocent; he eventually ended up on a convict vessel bound for Botany Bay).

The Times reports give two dates for the robbery,
August 12th and a date prior to August 9th. Whichever date the event took place; we do know the Sadlers Wells program for those first weeks of August. The following is an extract from the advertisement and describes the first item in the program: -

SADLER's WELLS
This and the FOLLOWING EVENINGS,
Great Variety of Performances, particularly a new Historical Representation in two parts, founded on a late interesting Nautical Event, called.

ENGLISH HEROISM.
In which is particularly and correctly given a living Picture of the GUARDIAN FRIGATE, commanded by Lieut. RIOU, in her very perilous situation in the South Seas, embayed amongst the stupendous Floating ISLANDS of ICE, with her providential arrival afterwards at the Cape of Good Hope.

Little did Mary know at the time, but she was destined to sail the South Seas, but in somewhat less romantic circumstances. For the sake of a little culture, Mary was transported to New South Wales for the term of seven years, and was never again to enjoy the entertainment provided by

Page 7
"The Pragmatic Pioneers"

Sadler's Wells. She arrived in Port Jackson on the Third Fleet vessel the "Mary Ann" on 9th July 1791.


Page 8
"The Pragmatic Pioneers"
On 1st January 1810, Governor Lachlan Macquarie took over the administration of the colony. The fabric of Colonial society began to change under the new order; emancipists were encouraged to take their rightful place in the main stream of society and some even supped at the Governors table. Concubines were encouraged to become wives, and Mary Hipwell became Mary Gosper. She and Thomas married at St. Matthews Windsor on 19th November 1810, the same day as they baptised their youngest son James. The respectability of the Gosper family was further attested to in February 1816 when a public meeting was held in Windsor to raise subscriptions for the relief of those who were suffering as a consequence of the defeat of the Duke of Wellington at the battle of Waterloo. Edward Reynolds was one of the collectors for the Wilberforce area, and both he and Thomas Gosper pledged two Pounds to the fund.

Page 8
"The Pragmatic Pioneers"
At Upper Colo on 23rd August 1837, Mary Ann Gosper nee Hipwell died at the age of seventy-two years. Her last resting-place is certainly in the sylvan Colo Valley, but the exact location is not known. A number of her descendants now long deceased, claimed that they were told that both Mary and her husband Thomaswere buried on a rise behind the present house that stands on the Michael Lamb grant. No memorial now marks the spot, and the burial mounds that apparently could be discerned in the early years of this century, can no longer be found.

  Noted events in her life were:

• source.

• connection.

• connection. ⁹⁴⁸

Mary had a relationship with Richard Beel Reynolds (Convict 3rd Fleet), son of Thomas Reynolds and Hannah Beale. (Richard Beel Reynolds (Convict 3rd Fleet) was born on 9 Nov 1769 in England UK, christened on 3 Dec 1769 in Parish Registers of St Dunstans, Stepney, London England, died on 26 Aug 1837 in St Johns, Wilberforce, NSW Australia and was buried on 28 Aug 1837 in St Johns, Wilberforce, NSW Australia.)

Mary next married Thomas Roker Alexander Gosper (Convict 2nd Fleet), son of Thomas Roker Gosper and Jane Worton, on 19 Nov 1810 in St Marys, Rotherhithe, Greater London , Surrey England. (Thomas Roker Alexander Gosper (Convict 2nd Fleet) was born on 10 May 1768 in Rotherhithe, London, Surrey England, christened on 28 May 1768 in St Marys, Rotherhithe, Greater London , Surrey England, died on 21 Sep 1847 in Upper Colo, NSW Australia and was buried in Sep 1847 in Private Cemetery, Upper Colo/Sylvan, Colo Valley, NSW Australia.)