John Owen [Convict "Scarborough" 1788]

John OWEN (aka OWENS) was born 17/1/1769

John was convicted of stealing (with Thomas POPPLEWELL) and was sentenced to 7 years transportation. He arrived in Sydney on 26/1/1788 on "Scarborough"

John had a relationship with Mary FLANNAGAN in Sydney and they had the following children

• Charlotte Matilda 9/10/1791 Note: there is conjecture as to whether they also had the following children
• John 22/5/1794
• William 22/5/1794

John had a relationship with Hannah/Ann EAST (Convict "Mary Ann" 1791) and they had the following children

• John 21/11/1792 baptised 2/12/1792
• Thomas 10/10/1794

Mary FLANNAGAN died yound and Mary Connors ALLEN raised the children.

John died in 2/11/1828

LINKS

• http://digital.statelibrary.tas.gov.au/webclient/StreamGate?folder_...
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_convicts_on_the_First_Fleet
• http://firstfleet.uow.edu.au/details.aspx?-recid=33160
• http://firstfleet.thruhere.net/convict.php?id=520
• https://convictrecords.com.au/convicts/owen/john/71492

  ---

John Owen was convicted of the theft of a case with 18 Knives and forks to the value of 7s and arrived on the Scarborough (1st Fleet). Once here he was charged with aiding and abetting William Boggis with the rape of Lydia Monroe (see "Founders of Australia" and "Women of Botany Bay".)

13 September 1788 - Sentenced to receive 50 lashes for aiding and abetting William BOGGIS in the attempted rape of Lydia MUNRO. The sentence was remitted before it could be given.

16 January 1789 - Sentenced to 100 lashes, with 3 other convicts, for being absent from the camp at Rose Hill for 3 days

3 November 1794 - Received a 30 acre land grant at Mulgrave Place

1801 - Listed as an emancipist living at Sydney

1806 - Working as a boatman

1814 - Listed as a seaman on the 'John Palmer'

OWEN, John (c1769-1828?)

John Owen, with another boy, was chased across a field when a box of 18 table knives and forks was missed from the sideboard in a house. He said in court, “I am fourteen years old [and was] taking a walk round, and some boys came up to me, and said there was a mad bull, and presently a gentleman pursued us and took me back.” He was sentenced to transportation for seven years at the Old Bailey on 10 September 1783 and received on the ‘Censor’ hulk on 4 October where he remained until sent on 24 February 1787 by wagon to Portsmouth to embark on ‘Scarborough’ on the 27th.

At Port Jackson Owen was charged with aiding and abetting William Boggis (qv) on 13 September 1788 when he tried to rape Lydia Munro (qv) and was ordered 50 lashes. The notation “afterwards forgiven” appears after the sentence. On 16 January 1789, with three other convicts, he was ordered to receive 100 lashes for a three day absence from camp at Rose Hill.

A daughter by John Owen and Mary Flanagan (‘Lady Juliana’ aged 25 on 1789 embarkation list) was baptised on 25 December 1791, and a child of John Owen and Hannah East (Ann East, Mary Ann 1791) was baptised at Parramatta on 2 December 1792, a second child born to this couple on 10 October 1794. At this time it is not possible to be sure that these John Owens were the same man or two others, not First Fleeters. A John Owen was granted 30 acres at Mulgrave Place on 3 November 1794, and was off stores at 24 October 1795. In 1800 this farm was recorded as leased to commissary James Williamson. In 1801 the First Fleet John Owen was listed as an expiree living at Sydney.

The John Owen who received 25 acres at Field of Mars on 14 March 1795 was probably a NSW Corps man sharing with fellow soldiers a 325 acre grant. It was bought by John Macarthur on the 20th. A John Owen on 4 April 1797 was acquitted of a debt to James Larra after explaining that he had sold some pigs to James Ruse and given the money to Larra.

The First Fleeter is more clearly identified as a boatman in 1806, and a seaman on the vessel ‘John Palmer’ in 1814. In 1822 and 1825 a John Owens, labourer, was listed as a former convict first at Parramatta then at Windsor. But this man’s ship of arrival was given as ‘Friendship’. He died at the Sydney Benevolent Asylum in 1826, aged given as 50, described as a labourer of George Street, his burial registered at St James’ on 3 November 1826.