Elizabeth Selwyn
Parents
Possibly
Thomas Selwyn and Mary King
Or
John
Selwyn or Betty Bird
In 1791 in Gloucestershire,
Elizabeth Selwyn was sentenced to transportation for burglary,
stealing
32 shillings sixpence worth of goods. in conjunction with Elizabeth
Evans. On
arrival in Sydney in 1792 she
was assigned to Thomas Rowley, by whom she bore five children..It
seems
likely that she bore a 6th child by Thomas in 1806 after he died.
See
the discussion on Thomas Rowley's page. Elizabeth lived till 1843,
having seen her
children Thomas, John, Mary and Eliza become prosperous citizens in
the
new colony. In her later years, would Elizabeth have looked back and
reflected that
getting nicked all those years ago in Gloucestershire was a lucky
break?
Even though she had the means, in later life she never went back to
England. But that could have been simply that a ship voyage would be
unappealing after her nightmare voyage from England? See comments on
the Pitt voyage in the Thomas Rowley page.
Elizabeth Selwyn (b
abt 1772 Gloucestershire, arr 1792 Pitt, children by
Thomas Rowley, d 22
June 1843
Kingston
House, Newtown).
Isabella Rowley (b 1792 Sydney Cove, m
William (Lieut) Ellison 1807 Sydney Cove, d 1808 Sydney)
Thomas Rowley
(b 1794 Sydney NSW, m
Catherine Clarkson 1818 Christ
Church, Castlereagh, d 1858 Minto).
John
Rowley (b 1822 Minto
NSW, m Mary Jane (Jane) Onslow
1846
Liverpool, d 1909 Pertersham)
John Clarkson
Rowley (b 1847 Liverpool, NSW, m Sarah
Jane Smart 1874
Beechworth Vic, 1928 Bethanga)
Joseph Smart Rowley
(b
1875 Yackandandah Vic, m Eircell
Broome 1909 Albury NSW, d 1957 Bethanga)
m Avis Sirl 1922 Albury
John Rowley
(b 1797 Sydney cove, m Sarah
Pear 1819 St John's, Paramatta, d 1873 Scone NSW)
Mary Rowley (b 1800 Kingston House Newtown,
NSW, m John Lucas 1817, d 1869 Nunima, NSW)
Eliza Rowley (b 1804 Kingston House, m Henry
Sparrow
Briggs 1826 St Johns, Paramatta, d 1882 Kingston)
.Elizabeth would
have been the formative influnece on the children, as Thomas died
when
they were young. His main contribution may well have to leave them
the
Sydney properties
One of the provisions of Thomas Rowley's will was that "so long
as
the said Elizabeth Selwyn shall continue solo and unmarried and
does
not live in a state of cohabitation with any man then she shall be
entitled to and receive one sixth share". There is a
statement
in the
book "Thomas Clarkson If Only" that states that "Elizabeth Selwyn
did forfeit her income from the trust after Thomas’ death, by
living
with Abbott Osbourne, a convict who had been assigned to her
husband".
The reference given is Archives Office of NSW Court of Equity
7/3424.
On requesting this file from NSW State Archives,
it appears to contain nothing to do with Thomas or Elizabeth. So
little
that they generously gave me my money back. Pam Fulton also emailed
me
expressing strong doubts about the Abbot story, As she says, "someone
has interpreted lived with in a more modern context"
In
those
days, most people lived with convicts. So we will leave it there
unless
someone can produce a "smoking gun".
Elizabeth's Indictment, quoted from Ian Ramage's Cameo
4.06 Among the
convicts listed in the convict indents for the Pitt was
Name:
Selwyn, Elizabeth
Where
Sentenced:
City Gloucester at Gloucester
Date:
23rd March, 1791
Term:
7 years
4.07 Her crime
was
reported in the Gloucester Journal of 28 March:
“At
our
assizes last week, Thomas Creed, for stealing 5 fleeces of wool,
Elizabeth Selwyn, Ann Mose and Judith Cowley, for sundry thefts,
were
sentenced to seven years transportation.”
Creed and Cowley were also
transported on the Pitt.
4.08 In
the
Calendar of the Prisoners in the County Gaol for the Epiphany
Sessions,
11 January, 1791, it is recorded that Elizabeth Selwyn was aged 18
and
her companion, who was found not guilty, 16. They were committed
for
trial by “P. Hawker, Clerk” on 14 December, 1790 on suspicion of
stealing – “grand larceny and burglary” - with Elizabeth Selwyn
convicted of the lesser crime of grand larceny at the Lent
Assizes,
1791. According to the record, she was sentenced “to be
transported
beyond the seas for seven years."
4.09 The
indictment
reads:-
“Gloucestershire - The Jurors for
our
Lord the King upon their Oath
present that Elizabeth Selwyn /Guilty of the simple felony only -
To be
transported beyond the seas for seven years/ late of the parish of
Cherrington in the county of Gloucester spinster and Elizabeth
Evans
/Not guilty/ late of the same spinster on the fifteenth day of
September in the thirtieth year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord
George the third King of Great Britain etc about the hour of one
in the
Night of the same day at the Parish aforesaid in the County
aforesaid
being in the Dwelling House of one James Brown there situate one
cotton
gown of the value of fourteen shillings four yards of striped
serge of
the value of five shillings two pairs of women's shoes of the
value of
three shillings one woman's hat of the value of sixpence one serge
cloak of the value of three shillings one pair of scissors of the
value
of sixpence one linen shift of the value of one shilling one
holland
shirt of the value of two shillings two pairs of stockings of the
value
of two shillings three linen caps of the value of three shillings
and
two yards of ribband of the value of sixpence of the goods and
chattels
of the said James Brown in the said Dwelling House then and there
being
with force and arms feloniously did steal take and carry away and
that
the said Elizabeth Selwyn and Elizabeth Evans being so as
aforesaid in
the said Dwelling House and having committed the Felony aforesaid
in
manner and form aforesaid They the said Elizabeth Selwyn and
Elizabeth
Evans afterwards to wit on the same day and year aforesaid about
the
Hour of two in the Night of the same day with force and Arms at
the
Parish aforesaid the same Dwelling House then and there
feloniously and
burglariously did break to get out of the same against the form of
the
statute in such Case made and provided and against the peace of
our
said Lord the King his Crown and Dignity.
Elizabeth Evans
"Elizabeth's
accomplice was Elizabeth Evans.
Was she sent to NSW?
If so, did they keep contact and were they a part of each others
lives?
Are there any researchers of Elizabeth Evans?
Do these researchers have info on Elizabeth Selwyn that we don't?
We may be able to help Elizabeth Evans researchers - if there are
any."
Bob Venn
Search of Ancestry.com.au
Convict
Register shows no Elizabeth Evans - L Rowley
Elizabeth's Birth and Parents
Family search gives us
possible
birth and parents for Elizabeth
Entry
1
- Ancestral file entry
submitted by Richard Metcalf, 5 Imperial Ave, Emu Plains 2750 NSW
birth - 1775
Cherrington, Gloucestershire - parents Thomas Selwyn and
Mary King
married Thomas Rowley 1791
death 1843 Kingston NSW
Entry 2- Family Group
Record
also submitted by Richard Metcalf
Thomas Selwyn birth - 1741 Minchin
Hampton, Gloucestershire
Mary King birth - abt 1745 Avening, Gloucestershire
married 31 Jan 1766 Gloucestershire
Entry 3 - submitter
unknown
Entry 2 marriage is at Minchinhampton
Entry 4 - Pedigree
Resource
file entry similar to entry 1
From Ms Jeanette Mary EGAN
109 Old Glen Innes Road,Waterview Heights Mail: P.O.Box 315,
South
Grafton NSW 2460 mobile:0413719771
Entry 5 Thomas Selwyn
birth -
1741 Painswick, Gloucestershire
Elizabeth Humphries
married 26 Jan 1766 Painswick
Entry 6 Elizabeth
Selwyn
married 1799 Painswick
Date
of
Birth - Elizabeth was recorded as 18 on 11 Jan 1791
(Cameo
4.08 above)
This would have
her
year of birth as probably 1772
Geography- Cherington,
Avening
and Minchin Hampton are all within two miles of one another
Painswick is only six miles to the north
Siblings - Family search
gives
no children for Thomas and Mary, nor for Thomas and Elizabeth
Conclusions
(1)
Elizabeth
was probably born in the little cluster of towns including
Cherington
(2) No suggestion for her
birth
seems to be based on Parish records (no date within year), ie they
are
just educated guesses
(3) It is only Entry 6
that
stops Entry 5 from being a really good candidate
(4) The lack of children
in
family search for either marriage in Family search in a way is
encouraging. It is much better than finding a family that does not
have
an Elizabeth
(5) As there are a few
Selwyn
families in the region in family search as well as the above,
Entry
1/2/3 is only a warm favourite. My bookie is giving even money
(6) The suggestion tha
Thomas
Rowley married Elizabeth is wrong. There was a wife
Elizabeth on the Pitt who died.
Thomas is believed to have taken her as mistress when the
Pitt landed in NSW in 1792 (on Valentine's Day - nice touch
Thomas!)
Email from Rhonda Kroehnert,
January 2012
Just doing a hunt around the
'new' Family Search website and I think the following are
excellent candidates for the family of Elizabeth Selwyn, all at
parish of Kings Stanley, Gloucester (near Cherington).
John Selwyn married
Betty Bird 25 April 1763 parish of Kings Stanley,
Gloucester
Issue:
Ann, christened 28
January 1764, father John Selwyn, residence
Gloucester (died 26 November 1769).
John, christened 21
April 1765, father John Selwyn, residence Gloucester.
Elisabeth,
christened 1 June 1766, father John Selwyn, residence
Gloucester.
Sarah,
christened 21 May 1768, father John Selwyn, residence
Gloucester.
I really feel this is our
Elizabeth. I don't know if you have seen a copy of the
original burial of Elizabeth Selwyn but it states she was 78
years which fits nicely with the Elisabeth above baptism date.
I know on your website it
is stated on the Calendar of Prisoners that she was 18 years
but I suspect she gave incorrect information, maybe to assist
in getting a lesser sentence! If this is our Elizabeth, and we
know that she was known as 'Betsy' Rowley in the colony, her
'mother' may also have been known as 'Betsy'. I have a friend
going to Salt Lake City in April, I will get her to copy the
original marriage of John Selwyn & Betty Bird, who knows
it may read 'Betsy' not Betty.
Also, another clue is that
she named one of her sons John (maybe after her father)!!!
The only thing that may 'throw a spanner in the
works' is that there is a marriage of a Betty Selwgn [sic]
married 14 August 1782 to Thomas Harris at Minchinhampton.
This could be the Elisabeth below who would have been 16 or
17 years at the time; possible!!
Comment Les Rowley
Now we have two
good candidates, so I have put them both at the top of the
page. Opinions anyone
Research Notes
Genes Reunited queries sent for Thomas and Elizabeth
Acknowledgements
Ian Ramage's Cameo is the authoritive document.
An email from Peter Myler prodded me into the Family Search research
above. He also supplied a link http://www.gencircles.com/users/becci/5/data/7182.
which also gives Entry 1 above
If you have additions or
corrections to
this page, please
contact
us Bones in the Belfry
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last updated - 2 Feb 2007
15 Jun 2009 7 Jan 2012