Elizabeth "Betty" Sarah Wilson - Field, [Convict "Mary Ann" 1791]

Elizabeth (aka Betty) MITCHELL was born c1770 (daughter of Sarah)

Elizabeth (as Betty MITCHELL) was convicted of burglary (with William BAKER and James MILLS) and sentenced to 7 years transportation. {Her mother was also convicted}. She arrived in Sydney Cove on 9/7/1791 on "Mary Ann". Charges against her mother Sarah MITCHELL were discharged.

Elizabeth had a relationship with James WILSON c1791 and they had the following children

• Sarah 19/5/1791

Elizabeth had a relationship with Edward FIELD from c1794 (they married on 20/2/1805 at Parramatta) and they had the following children

• Mary Ann 1795
• Edward 1797
• Maria 1801
• George 1803
• William 1806
• Sophia 1807
• Thomas 1811
• John 1815

Elizabeth died 24/6/1837 at Castlereagh and was buried on 28/6/1837 at Castlereagh Cemetery

Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette Thu 7 Jan 1790 p. 2 Saturday last, Betty Mitchell, of Westbury, was committed to Fisherton gaol, charged on oath of John Helps, of Studley, farmer, on a violent suspicion of having aided and assisted in breaking open his dwelling-house, and stealing five cheeses, some childbed linen, and a piece of Holland cloth; and also with having part of the said property in her possession. Sarah Mitchell, her mother, was at the same time committed to Devizes bridewell, as a confederate in the said burglary.

http://members.pcug.org.au/~cfield/distantf/whatweno.htm

ELIZABETH (SARAH) MITCHELL, known as Betty Mitchell, was convicted on 6 March 1790 at the Assizes. Her crime was aiding and abetting in breaking into a dwelling in Studley, North Wiltshire, and the stealing of 5 cheeses and sundry other articles. Though recorded details differ on this question, her trial was most likely at Salisbury. She was sentenced to 7 years transportation. ELIZABETH was transported on the Mary Ann, arriving Sydney 9 July 1791.

ELIZABETH (SARAH) MITCHELL's first child, a daughter named SARAH, was born 19 May 1792, the father being one JAMES WILSON. It seems likely that about that time ELIZABETH (SARAH) was assigned to EDWARD FIELD. The first four children of ELIZABETH and EDWARD were born out of wedlock, a not uncommon occurrence in the very early days of the Colony of New South Wales. In early 1805, they married at St John's Church at Parramatta.

ELIZABETH (SARAH) is sometimes recorded as Elizabeth (or Betty) Dixon, and it is sometimes claimed that this was her maiden name. Those who undertook the basic research for this site know of no evidence that ELIZABETH's maiden name was Dixon, and indeed the evidence is otherwise. The name Dixon as it applies to ELIZABETH MITCHELL comes to us from Thomas Davies Mutch, the compiler of the "Mutch Index". Where Mutch got it from is not known. A likely source of the name is either an alias or an early association of ELIZABETH's.

Though troubled by serious flooding, the farm at Castlereagh was obviously a success. In The Gazette of 5 February 1809 it was advertised for sale. The advertisement describes it as "a capital farm at the Nepean ... in praise of which too much cannot be said (including) upwards of an acre ... laid out in an orchard containing some of the best trees any where to be procured, of the orange, lemon, peach and other kinds (as well as) a public pound".

Both EDWARD and ELIZABETH are buried in the old Castlereagh cemetery, which is located near the junction of Church Street and Keech Road, Castlereagh.

ELIZABETH used the name SARAH from time to time, but no evidence has been found that it was ever formally one of her names. Throughout this website the name SARAH, as it applies to ELIZABETH FIELD (nee MITCHELL), has therefore been placed in brackets.

• http://australianroyalty.net.au/individual.php?pid=I60176&ged=purne...
• https://convictrecords.com.au/convicts/mitchell/betty/90760
• http://freepages.history.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~garter1/fielded.htm
• http://www.genealogy.com/ftm/n/o/w/Patricia-Nowland/WEBSITE-0001/UH...