Elizabeth Atkinson, Convict "Britannia" 1791

Atkinson Betty, Lancaster, Trial date Oct 11th, 1797

Transported to Australia on the vessel Brittania IIl arriving in Sydney on July 18th, 1798.

There were 96 female convicts in the shipment

There were very few women in the colony in the early days. Those wives who had accompanied their officer husbands, usually did not envisage spending the rest of their lives here. The vast majority of women were convicts, who were usually assigned to families as domestic help, cooks or general servants. With such a small number of free women to choose from, it is not surprising that so many of the single member so the Corps formed alliances with convict women. The arrival of the transport"Britannia III" in July 1798 brought more female convicts to Sydney, one of them being Betty (Elizabeth) Atkinson, aged 38 and single. She had been tried at Lancaster on 11th October in 1797 where "the Order Book records that Betty Atkinson, late of the parish of Manchester, single woman, was found guilty of felony and sentenced to be transported for seven years. The Indictment Roll shows that Betty was accused, with William Holland, Labourer, also of Manchester parish, of having stolen seven pieces of Gold of the value of seven pence and six pieces of Silver of the value of two pence of the goods and chattels of one George Milner, at Manchester, on 9th August 1797. They were both tried and found guilty. William Holland was sentenced to two years hard labour and solitary confinement. In Sydney, Elizabeth was assigned to the very same Captain Rowley of the New South Wales Corps, who captained Tollis' Company/ It seems that Elizabeth and Thomas, in spite of their age difference, 38 and 22 respectively, formed a common law relationship that resulted in the birth of a daughter, Elizabeth Atkinson Tollis on 20th August 1799. There is no record of marriage and no further children were born to them, in spite of the fact that they continued to co-habit. Both the 1802 and 1806 Musters, (Census) show Elizabeth Atkinson living with Thomas Tollis. Samuel Marsden, in his inimitable way, prepared a Female Register in 1806, in which he hoped to demonstrate the immorality of the citizens of NSW. His classification of Elizabeth Atkinson as a concubine with one natural female child, shows the tone of this document. The two musters of 1805 are very significant, as they are the last record we have of Elizabeth Atkinson, whose name disappears from the records somewhere between 1806-7. We have to assume that she died even though there is no death record. She had received her ticket of leave, and as a free person, may have chosen to use a different name.

Last record of Elizabeth Atkinson 1806

(Thanks to RootsWeb)

Contact: Margaret Childs

Elizabeth "Betty" ATKINSON (possible aka Atkins) aged 38 and single, arrived in the Colony of NSW July 1798 on Britannia III, which was transporting 300 women convicts. Betty was convicted in Lancaster on 11th Oct 1797 of stealing money with William Holland and sentenced to 7 yrs transportation.

Betty was assigned to Corporal Thomas Tollis age 22yrs and their daughter Elizabeth Tollis was born 27th August 1799 and Baptised at St Phillip's Church 15th September. Betty was freed by servitude 1806 and was still with Thomas according to various musters at that time. However by 1807 Thomas has a new housekeeper, young female convict Ann Waters and we assume Betty has died, sick or found a new life as nothing more is heard of Betty Atkinson. Her daughter Elizabeth was married in 1815 by Samuel Marsden to Thomas Hansen, first European non-missionary family to settle in New Zealand - 1816 (Bohlsen, E."In the King's Service: Thomas Tollis & his Descendants") Note: An Elizabeth Atkins died 10th Oct 1809 45yrs (CA18093422 2A)- I wonder if this is Bett. M Childs).

(thanks to www.convictcentral.com)

Transported to Australia on the vessel Brittania III arriving in Sydney on July 18th, 1798.

There were 96 female convicts in the shipment

There were very few women in the colony in the early days. Those wives who had accompanied their officer husbands, usually did not envisage spending the rest of their lives here. The vast majority of women were convicts, who were usually assigned to families as domestic help, cooks or general servants. With such a small number of free women to choose from, it is not surprising that so many of the single member so the Corps formed alliances with convict women. The arrival of the transport"Britannia III" in July 1798 brought more female convicts to Sydney, one of them being Betty (Elizabeth) Atkinson, aged 38 and single. She had been tried at Lancaster on 11th October in 1797 where "the Order Book records that Betty Atkinson, late of the parish of Manchester, single woman, was found guilty of felony and sentenced to be transported for seven years. The Indictment Roll shows that Betty was accused, with William Holland, Labourer, also of Manchester parish, of having stolen seven pieces of Gold of the Value of seven pence and six pieces of Silver of the value of two pence of the goods and chattels of one George Milner, at Manchester, on 9th August 1797. They were both tried and found guilty. William Holland was sentenced to two years hard labour and solitary confinement. In Sydney, Elizabeth was assigned to the very same Captain Rowley of the New South Wales Corps, who captained Tollis' Company/ It seems that Elizabeth and Thomas, in spite of their age difference, 38 and 22 respectively, formed a common law relationship that resulted in the birth of a daughter, Elizabeth Atkinson Tollis on 20th August 1799. There is no record of marriage and no further children were born to them, in spite of the fact that they continued to co-habit. Both the 1802 and 1806 Musters, (Census) show Elizabeth Atkinson living with Thomas Tollis. Samuel Marsden, in his inimitable way, prepared a Female Register in 1806, in which he hoped to demonstrate the immorality of the citizens of NSW. His classification of elizabeth Atkinson as a concubine with one natural female child, shows the tone of this document. The two musters of 1805 are very significant, as they are the last record we have of Elizabeth Atkinson, whose name disappears from the records somewhere between 1806-7. We have to assume that she died even though there is no death record. She had received her ticket of leave, and as a free person, may have chosen to use a different name.

Last record of Elisabeth Atkinson 1806

Elizabeth married Cpl. Thomas TOLLIS, son of William TOLLIS and Mary, in 1799 in Sydney,New South Wales,Australia. (Cpl. Thomas TOLLIS was born in 1777 in Maidstone,Kent,England, died on 25 Jul 1821 in Sydney,New South Wales,Australia and was buried on 26 Jul 1821 in Sandhills Cemetery,Sydney,New South Wales,Australia.)

Marriage Notes:

1 _UID C3D7473E25EBD41186CEAF4C45769145F4CC

source http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~kiwiadams/4497.html

1st Spouse's Name : Elizabeth Atkinson (Aka) Atkins Atkinson, Betty aka Atkins Born . 1759, Where Born : Maidstone, Kent Occupation : Convict: Sentenced Lancaster 1797 , 7 Years age 38 Date Arrived : July 1798 Ship Arrived on : "Britannia III" Died : 18 October 1809 age 50 Old Sydney Burial Grounds C/D Where Died / Buried : 18 October 1809 Parents Names : Date Married : they did not marry