Genealogy Chat

They did state that it was 'based on a true story' Which probably means that only one small fact has to be true & the rest can be fictional.

The book I flicked through (by Judith Cook) said that Mary was a hardened criminal by the time she was caught. She and two other local lovelies teamed up as footpads and regularly robbed passing strangers. The Police were already on the lookout for her which is why she was caught so quickly. She and the two other girls used extreme violence on their victims, nearly killing one. So I dont really know how I feel about her - gutsy woman to survive such a terrible journey, but a lot of luck involved too, I think. The ten pound a year pension she got didnt last very long - her benefactor died within two years and his family immediately cut off her funds, which might be one reason she married again shortly after this. Olde Crone

Yes, but in rality the real Will would have been erm, slightly less attractive I would have thought.

Cor he was gorgeous wasnt he ????? those Eyes

Heather, she did do alot of bed thrashing did n't she? But you can't really blame her, being married to the rather lovely Will can you? Not sure about the officer bloke though, I suppose needs must!!!

Try reading The Floating Brothal by Siam Rees - Brilliant Lin

Yes, the baby NEVER cried did it? Mine cried non-stop for at least a year - how could she do all that bed thrashing without one of them crying I dont know. And it never grew, perhaps it was restricted by the basket! And where were all the pooy nappies, ehc? According to the film they both got 'tropical diseases' which they died from. And apart from the constant 'all my village died' (but she was returning to her dad and wonderful people who never give up), what about the 'ive never been more than 5 miles from my village?' I dont think so, she was talking about going to fish markets later on and such like. Guess we lot are too critical cos we know more of the genuine history.

no wonder I didnt enjoy it as much as I thought I would I too thought it was about a different Lady, I was amazed at how 3 prisoners had a cell to themselves in Newgate Prison bearing in mind it was always choc a bloc .As to weaning of the baby in those days babies were given breast milk for years , lucky they were too as I didnt see any signs of the baby being fed at all, and he didnt grow much did he?? Even the deaths were wrong the husband did not get shot he died with one of the children and the other died later, according to a web site I was looking at last night. All in all a big disappointment.

Can anyone tell me what her children died of? I went out during end of part, and when I came back they were being cast over the side of the ship, both dead. They both survived that journey on the open sea with no shade, very little food & water, (that baby did not seem to get fed at all, I don't know how old he was but surely by the end of what must have been a long voyage to Timor he would have been weaning to solids? And wanting to move around? Neither of my two babies would have been content to stay still & quiet in a basket the whole time- wouldn't he be sitting up by the end of it? ) I thought they were both pretty tough children because of that!!!

Yes a bit disappointing - not the woman Old Crone and I were thinking of - I bet the most interesting bit was the actual trial back in London but there was none of that at all, was there. Oh well, good fantasy stuff - handsome men, beautiful women and amazing scenery. Hey, didnt we hear many a time from her, 'My whole village died from starvation' - so how come she was going home to 'her big bear of a dad and strong people who never give up'?????

Well, I had a quick look at a book about her and she ISNT the one I was thinking of (Mother of Australia) - she was just an ordinary thief from Cornwall, nothing to do with the 'Whore Ship' one that me and Heather were thinking of! The book I looked at was quite factual and gave Parish Register extracts etc, so appeared to be quite well researched. She did indeed return to Cornwall and remarried (as Briant LOL, that's what threw all other researchers off the scent, the misspelling of the name). Her marital status was not given at this marriage, indicating that the Vicar was unsure of whether her marriage to Bryant was legal). She had two more children, one survived and the other, born when she was 46, died shortly after birth. Olde Crone

oh thats what it was i thought she was fined £10 lol

bits were fantasy, i knew she got pardoned, and i read somewhere she remarried, ( i thought it would have been to clarke) maybe they are doing a sequel and finishing the story off lol

well sorry but I was very disappointed , I thought she ended up in Australia remarried and started a whole new life, what was the point of the TV programme if it was complete fantasy , I think I will buy the book .

oh no they shot Will, im crying again lol how soppy am i?

Just checked on familysearch Her parents were William and Grace. There are 2 daughters listed Jane and Grace and one son William. William and Jane both died as young children. Still can't find any family tree details.

So how can she be the ancestor of 10% of Australians as her children died? And why is she not on anyone's tree on here?

heather no they didnt, apparantly when then get to the dutch island her hubby gets drunk and lets slip they are convicts from the colony the hubby and son die froma fever or something on the way back but mary and her daughter survive the daughter dies later and mary ends up in london im sure she remarried, would be interesting to see if she has any living descedants from her sisters, i dont know if mary had any more kids though.

The kids didnt die last night did they? I saw a documentary a few months ? back about this and she is supposed to be the ancestor of about 10% of Australians or something? Yes, hubby said to me, they are starving, but the guy's sitting there drinking beer from a bottle! And I hate to nit pick, but she was a big healthy girl if 'all my village starved to death'. And that well to do lady she mugged, just happened to be wandering through a wood with 2 following constables!!??? And when she went back to the marine chap - she is tearing at bits of bread like a starving dog and her little girl is sitting there carefully spooning soup as though she is in a restaurant!! I believe in the documentary - they only mentioned it in passing last night - that they made some money whoring in South America and South Africa - there were two stopovers on the way. As you say, all far fetched but then if they all had black teeth or gaps and mitzies jumping off them as they frolicked in bed, it wouldnt be such good entertainment would it. (Oh and the abbo who learned English within months! - who knocked up his english clothes!!) This may be awful, but I kept thinking, where did they go to the loo on the ship - did they have to do it in front of all the others and the men!! And what about if they were 'indisposed' with monthlies? Doesnt bear thinking about does it.

I am confused at how she can be the mother of Australia when both her children died. Is it just the Australians like her spirit?