Sincerely yours Mary Wade

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Mary Wade 1777–1859

Mary was thought to be the youngest ever convict to be transported to Australia at the age of 11. Her hideous crime was that she stole another girls clothes and for that she was sentenced to death by hanging. Luckily for her, an issue relating to George III and his mental health meant that all the women on death row had their death sentence changed to being transported to Australia.

Mary sailed on the Lady Juliana, the first convict ship to carry only women and children.

This is only a small part of Mary’s story

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I nearly hanged, it was my fate In seventeen eighty nine I had stolen an old fur tippet And claimed that it was mine They put me into prison Then sent me to be tried The verdict came back guilty and many tears I cried But through the grace of mad King George came a welcome dispensation My sentence was commuted and I was handed transportation The journey was horrendous. Eleven months or more. Till we landed in Australia That far and distant shore And what this place has given me When all is rendered down Is a life I never would have had In the slums of London Town. sincerely, yours, Mary Wade Transportation of convicts to Australia began in 1787 and continued until 1868. During this time, approximately 163,000 convicts were transported on 825 ships

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Beryl Edmonds

Date: 1/19/2025 6:21:00 AM

A great ending to a sad story Margaret, you told through poetry Mary Wade’s tale well… Beryl

Margaret Foster
Date: 1/21/2025 12:57:00 AM

Thank you, Beryl, so many more were not as lucky as Mary.