Parents of Maria Howells

[cassdew]

Maria Howells was sentenced to death at the Hereford Assizes on 25 March 1828. She was a dairymaid and servant of all work.  This was one of the occupations needed in the young colony in Australia. It saved her life.  She was then sentenced to life imprisonment and transported to Australia. She was selected by James Alfred Bradford as a suitable housekeeper/wife and was able to live as a free woman. She has many descendents. I am l looking for details of her parents presumably in Herefordshire.

[RCB]

In 1841 there are 146 Howells scattered across Herefordshire, you might get lucky working your way through these baptisms
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~hughwallis/
And if I get to Hereford in a few months I could try and find the court case and details of her family, I'm sure they'll be there somewhere, they may have copies in Australia?
I'm thinking she was a young woman, a teenager maybe, so a birth around 1810.  good luck  fred

[CaroleW]

Hi and welcome to Rootschat

That type of sentence would certainly do wonders at reducing todays crime figures!!

Sentenced to death for "Larceny in a dwelling house"

[cassdew]

Many thanks. Seems a bit harsh in light of today's standards.

[cassdew]

Thanks for the offer Fred.
Her Ticket of Leave releasing her to live as a free woman states that she was born in 1804 which would make her 24 at the time she arrived here - end of 1828 on the 'Competitor'
This agrees with her death certificate in February 1884 stating that she was 79 years when she died.
I just wonder about the access to the Assize records which might have details of her background.