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Research in Other Countries => Australia => Topic started by: Rufous Treecreeper on Monday 30 November 09 08:47 GMT (UK)
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Hoping for some ideas about Anna Ward nee Best.
Born in 1820 in Sussex.
Arrived free Van Dieman's Land (with family) in 1829.
Married Thomas Ward at Longford in 1834 (yes, age 14).
Had her only child Richard in 1835.
Died Sydney 1838.
BUT - in 1837 Anna got into trouble. She was living with two men, both convicts. They went out one night to do some robbing but killed the man they victimised. They were caught and Anna was witness at their trial (a stroppy one too), then charged herself with being accessory. She was imprisoned in Hobart (I assume before her trial) for a time. Due to a lack of Crown prosecutors she was acquitted.
But this is the part I don't understand - (according to a letter written by her father) 'She was discharged on the 7th & not having the means of procuring a mouthful of bread she requested permission to remain in goal (sic) until Friday's mail arrived - Fridays mail arriving & no means of returning (to Longford) she consented to proceed to New South Wales...'
Why send her to Sydney? ???
She died in Sydney on the 21st Oct 1828 1838 according to family lore - it is not found in the NSW BDMs.
Hoping for some ideas,
Mo
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http://newspapers.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/4172149?searchTerm=anna+ward
Here is a link to a newspaper article about the tria;. in case you have not seen it.
Jenn
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Mo
That death date is pre her marriage etc ;)
What were her parents names?
Annie
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Sorry - my typo. Death should read 21st October 1838 ::)
Parents were James Best and Ann nee Goacher. They pretty well raised her son Richard from word go I think - he was born the same year as their last child Charles. James worked for the Cressy Company near Longford before 'retiring' to Branxholme in Victoria.
The trial article I've seen. I wasn't sure if it was her when I first read it but when I got to see her father's letters it was a Eureka moment.
Mo
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Hi Mo,
I am doing research on the James Best family too:) I come through his daughter Mary Ann Milbourne nee Best. I came across this thread by accident when trying to find out about Anna Ward nee Best.
I was just wanting to know where I could get a copy of the letter that James Best wrote, that you mentioned in your post.? I have found the newspaper article, and I would love the letter too:)
I do have a copy of some of James Best's letters but they date from 1842 onwards.
If you have a copy of 'your letter' would you be able to send a copy of that:) to me via email? Let me know and if you can I will post my email address.
Thank you so much! I appriciate whatever help you can give me:)
Have a great day,
Tiana
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Hi Tiana,
Nice to meet another relation :) I'm happy to send you a copy of that letter. I will PM you because you're not allowed to post email addresses.
I am also from Mary Milbourne nee Best, through her son James.
Do the letters you have copies of come from the McIntyre family i.e. where they sent to Miriam and her husband mainly?
Best wishes, Mo
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Anna is on my husband's side of the family. Just tried in vain to work out where the 1938 date of death came from, and where I found a reference to her dying in "The City of Sydney".
Some time ago I found on Tas Archives some references to a ship called "City of Sydney". Found it because one of the sailors was named Thomas Ward; no idea which TW he was. (Very unlikely that Anna and Thomas were together by 1838.)
Am obviously clutching at straws to think that she might have died on board a ship.
From reading the James Best letters I suspect that she felt too ashamed to face her father and ask for help, but that he was more than willing to do whatever he could.
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Tasmania Portals show a Thomas WARD who is a crewman on the ship City Of Sydney which travels regularly between Launceston and Portland (Vic). However the dates are only from 1848-1852.
http://portal.archives.tas.gov.au/menu.aspx?search=2
Judith
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Just back from Tasmania, hence my late reply. Thanks for your posts. I haven't got any further with information on Anna's death but I did find a little bit about her arrest at the State Library in Hobart.
Register of Prisoners Admitted at Hobart (Z2298 microfilm)
F. Ward, Anna
Auriga [may be misspelled as it was hard to read] (This column was for the name of the ship the prisoner arrived by to the colony, I think. As Anna had arrived on the 'Orelia', could the 'Auriga' be the ship that transported her from the north of Tasmania to Hobart?)
Date of confinement: 20th April 1837
By Whom confined: -
What for: -
Date of commitment: 11th April 1837
By whom committed: A.W. Howe Esq. {Aiding and abetting in the murder of Joseph Wilson}
By whom tried: -
Date of trial: -
Verdict: -
Sentence: -
Date of sentence: -
When and how disposded of: Dischd by Proclamation 7th June 1837
Any ideas or help most welcome,
Mo
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Just noticing that on Anna’s 1834 marriage record, (#56) there’s no mention of any X mark signatures, but that other marriages also on same page and conducted by R R Davis DO show X marks. To me, the absence of an X mark for Anna is likely indicating that Anna was literate. I notice that a Mary BEST was married by that Rev, that same year, (#60) on same page, and a witness was Thos Ward. Mary was also without an X mark.
https://stors.tas.gov.au/RGD36-1-2p168j2k
I suspect RR Davis would likely be Rowland Robert DAVIES, who was the chaplain at Longford (Norfolk Plains) from 20 May 1820 – 1853. He was C of E. http://anglicanhistory.org/aus/cci/index.pdf
And
http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/davies-robert-rowland-1962
Following on from http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=793060.0 :)
I do not doubt that Vol 128 may well include RC burials, but I am wondering if the burials are only those from Devonshire St Cemetery OR if they include transmitted records from outlying parishes throughout all of the then NSW colony and its territories.
JM
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I believe all of the children of James Best, including Anna and Mary in the marriage records, where literate. Even though James was an agricultural worker, he was educated to a very good level (as his letters attest). He taught his children to read and write, and his wife too I believe. He even worked as a teacher for a few years in the Norfolk Plains area.
In regards to Rev Davies (I'm fairly sure) James writes in July 1852:-
"When you write or send either to Jabez or Caroline tell them that after near two years combatting [sic] I have beat the Parson at last."
At chess I would think.
Marlene :)