Mary Whiteman

Baptisée le 2 novembre 1834 à Winchelsea Parish Church (à Udimore, Sussex, Angleterre)

Arrivée en Australie à bord de l'Augusta Jessie en 1837 avec 332 émigrants à bord. . Ship, 11 Oct 1837, Sydney, , New South Wales, Australia. 11 Oct 1837 Arrived on barque "Augusta Jessie", Sydney, NSW, Australia; John and his wife Harriet,arrived with their 3 children together with brother Stephen,his wife Ann Maria & their 5 children,on the same voyage from London & Portsmouth.They left Portsmouth on the 13th of June.

Elle a eu 4 enfants de son amant Edward Browne (marié avec Mathilda Cook à ce moment là), elle l'a même trainé en justice car il ne versait pas sa pension alimentaire. Leur dernier enfant est née en 1868 soit 1 an avant qu'Edward Browne se marie à nouveau avec Mary Sophia Fitzgerald. A priori Harriett Whiteman née en 1852, l'aîné des enfants de Mary Whiteman ne serait pas la fille d'Edward Browne.

Elle a travaillé comme nourrice et femme de ménage.

Mary married Daniel Blunden in 1871 in , N.S.W, Australia.681 Texte: Buried at Tamworth General Cemetery portion Mth row F3: EDWARD WHITEMAN DIED MARCH 16TH 1900 AGED 43 YEARS. LONG DAYS AND NIGHTS HE BORE HIS PAIN, TO WAIT FOR CURE WAS ALL IN VAIN BUT GOD ALONE WHO THOUGHT IT BEST DID EASE HIS PAIN AND GAVE HIM REST. ALSO MARY BLUNDEN MOTHER OF ABOVE DIED MAY 25, 1924. AT REST.

Mary arrived in Sydney with her father and mother – John and Harriet Whiteman nee: Vinal - aboard the Augusta Jessie when she was a small child, with her older sister Maria and her brother Spencer on 11 Oct 1837. We don’t know her exact age. As you’ve discovered by her death notice she may have been as old as 5 or more years old when she got to Australia. We know that Maria and Mary were baptised together on 14 Apr 1834 – but once again, we don’t know how old they were when they were baptised, and this is a crucial point.

Our best guess is that Mary’s mother died when she was about 17 years of age. It appeared that Mary loved her mother, as her first daughter Harriet was named after her mother. The big question is – Is Edward Browne Harriet’s father, or did Mary have another man in her life? To the best of my ability, I am unable to answer that question with 100% certainty. If you look at the picture I have attached you will see that Harriet (on right) has a strong resemblance to her mother, but not a solid resemblance to her sister Mary Anne. Does that mean anything – I don’t know?

Our best guess is that Mary may have been a “rough and tumble” character as portrayed in the newspaper reports of her disagreement with a neighbour in March of 1862.

There is only 3 and a bit years between Harriet’s birth and the birth of her brother Spencer William Edward (Edward after Edward Browne) b. 6/9/1855. If Edward Browne was not Harriet’s father, that means that Mary met, or worked for, Edward Browne sometime between June 1852 and Dec 1854 But from then on she had the following list of children – Maria Ann b. 8/8/1857 & Mary Anne b. 23/2/1862. Mary became a “wet nurse” after Mary Anne’s birth and there was the whole awful situation where she was brought up on Child Murder charges in May of 1862 when Mary Anne was only 3 months old. As we know from the newspaper reports, it was found that there was no intent on Mary’s part to commit murder, and she was acquitted.

Mary then had 2 more children – Caroline Ada (known as Ada all her life) b. 5/2/1866 and John Vinal b. 12/8/1868. As it turns out Edward Browne married Mary Fitzgerald in 1869 and ceased paying child support to Mary. This speaks volumes – he was definitely the father of some, if not all of Mary’s children! It must have been a most difficult existence for Mary and her six children from August 1868 until she took Edward to court for Child Desertion on Tuesday January 31st, 1871.

At some point though between August 1868 and the end of 1870 Mary had met Daniel James Blunden who had arrived in New South Wales as an assisted immigrant on 27/8/1850 aboard the Lord Stanley. He was an Irishman from Donneskeen, Tipperary. He married our Mary on 8/2/1871 when he was 44 years old and she would have been approx 38 years in Patricks Plains (Singleton). Their one and only daughter, Emily Jane Blunden, was born in 1872 in Tamworth.

From what I can gather from old relatives stories, she lived a relatively happy life with Daniel until he passed away on 27/3/1899 at the age of 72 years. What they were doing in Liverpool (a western suburb of Sydney) in 1899 I don’t know. At that point though Mary had a lot of extended family in Sydney.

Mary lived a very long life – 91 years, and I know that she visited her great-grandson (Grandson of Mary Anne) at his home in Broughton Street in Croydon (suburb of inner-western Sydney) not long before she passed, as I have pictures of them together in my grandfather’s back yard (Edward Thomas Bailey). Longevity amongst the women of the family seems to run through the generations. Harriet was 81 years, my mother was 87 years and Madeleine Thevenet was 89 years!

Mary died on 26 May 1924 at Croydon, but her body was brought back to Tamworth for burial immediately, and she is buried with her beloved son Edward Whiteman (Spencer William Edward). In a separate email I will send 2 photo’s of the headstone, and a copy of Mary’s marriage certificate to Daniel Blunden. Pictures of Mary and her children also to follow

On the 9th March 1862 Mary was involved in a very unseemly incident with a neighbour. The Maitland Mercury & Hunter River Advertiser carried a story relating to the event as follows:

ASSAULT -Margaret Love was charged with this offence by Mary Whiteman, who deposed I reside in Hunter street Singleton , the information read is true On last Saturday week, the 1st instant, a Mrs. Love (the defendant) came into my house and asked what I was doing in her house at one o dock the previous night. I denied having been in her house. She thereupon called me a b- : w- , and struck me with her fist on the shoulder. She also threw a plate at me, which struck against the wall and broke. She then took up a table knife and it stuck in the wall also; she also said she would have my life. The defendant has threatened me every day since. She has also thrown brickbats at my house during several nights -Sarah Palmer also heard some of the abusive language. For the defense: Elisabeth Watson deposed that on Saturday week last about 3 o'clock, she heard Mary Whiteman say, 'There's that common Irish w-, I shall have satisfaction of her, -meaning the defendant -John Love deposed: I am defendant’s husband. Last Saturday week I was at home. I am positive I heard no conversation between my wife and complainant until about half past five o clock in the evening, when I heard Mary Whiteman say, "There’s that common Irish w-, I shall have satisfaction of her I can swear that my wife did not go out of her house until half past ten that morning. Both the complainant and defendant were ordered to be bound over to keep the peace for three months, on their own recognizances of £5 each, towards each other.

Then on Tuesday 20th May something truly awful happened - Mary was indicted for manslaughter of three week old Sarah Jane Palmer. The following appeared in The Maitland Mercury & Hunter River Advertiser on page 3: Please note that the name in the newspaper report was wrong. Mary Ann was the name of her own infant daughter.

SINGLETON. Monday, 5.10 p.m. At an inquest held on the body of Mary Anne Palmer, three weeks old, before Dr. Glennie, to-day, the jury found Mary Whiteman guilty of administering poison to the child, which died yesterday from the effects of a dose of laudanum. She was committed on the coroner's warrant, for manslaughter, for the Maitland Assizes.

The outcome of the trial was widely reported both at a local level and in other state newspapers. The following notice appeared locally in The Maitland Mercury & Hunter River General Advertiser on Saturday the 6th September, 1862.

CHILD MURDER.

Mary Whiteman was indicted for that she did, on the 18th May, at Singleton, kill and slay Sarah Jane Palmer. Mr. Ellis appeared for the prisoner, attorney Mr. Briggs. The following witnesses were called for the prosecution - Sarah Palmer, Dr Glennie, Dr F Calov, and Agnes Morris.

Mrs. Palmer, a young married woman, was confined in April, at Singleton and was assisted for several weeks after by the prisoner, who on several occasions administered to the infant a peculiar mixture containing a small quantity of laudanum. On the morning of Sunday the 18th May, the child appeared well, but restless. The mother told prisoner to give it some castor oil and peppermint. Prisoner mixed the medicine with some stuff out of a bottle of her own, which she had previously given to the child, and it began, soon after it had got it, to show signs of convulsions and to turn black in the face. Two or three other women were present, and the infant had three doses of castor oil, an emetic, some magnesia, peppermint, and brandy and water, administered to it, but it died in ten hours after it had the prisoner's mixture. A small phial was produced, containing the mixture, of which a part had been given to the child, but there was no analytical evidence as to what it was. A written statement of the prisoner's was read, that she had mixed a very small quantity of laudanum, with oil for the child. Medical evidence failed to show what quantity of laudanum might safely be given to a child in a dose, one drop being considered sufficient in some cases to kill. It appears the prisoner did not give any directions as to what quantity of the mixture should be given to the child. It was stated that castor oil would not cause the coma and stertorous breathing which the infant exhibited on the afternoon before death; and that the livid appearance of the body, the compression of the lungs, and the emptiness of the heart and stomach, indicated that the child died of the effects of laudanum. The child was three weeks and four days old at its death. No malicious feeling was known to exist towards the Palmers on the part of prisoner. Mr. Ellis addressed the Jury for the defense, and his Honor summed up.

The Jury immediately returned a verdict of not guilty and the prisoner was discharged - his Honor cautioning her as to the use of dangerous medicines.

Then Mary did this: The Maitland Mercury & Hunter River General Advertiser on Tuesday 31st January, 1871.

Child Desertion.-Edward Browne was summoned by Mary Whiteman for neglecting to support his illegitimate child. Mr. Waring for the complainant, and Mr. Gould for the defendant. Mary Whiteman deposed: I am a single woman, and have never been married ; the child was born on the 12th August, 1868; it is a male child; Edward Browne, the defend- ant, is the father of that child; I took proceedings against him when the child was 12 months old; it was settled out of court; through receiving money on behalf of the child I did not take further proceedings; defendant maintained the child up to the 14th July, 1869 ; I received the money from his own hands up to that time; defendant is well able to support the child ; wit- ness gave evidence as to the paternity of the child, and also stated that she had several other children by the same defendant. By Mr. Gould: I am a single woman; defendant paid me the money for the support of that child, and not for any other purpose; I have a son fifteen years old belonging to the defendant. (The witness was cross-examined at some length in reference to alleged intercourse with other men ) I have not stated that any other person was the father of this child; I never wrote to Mr. Richard Browne about this or any other child; I never alleged that the child belonged to Mr. Richard Browne. By the Bench: I received £13 in all for the twelve months, after I summonsed the defendant, being at the rate of 5s. Per week; previous to this, just after the birth of the child, I received various sums at the rate of about 7s. per week.-Dorothea Elbe gave evidence to the effect that she had seen the defendant in Mary Whiteman's bedroom, three years ago, last November.-The complainant's case having closed, Mr. Gould submitted that the case must be dismissed, as no evidence had been adduced that the child was living at the time the information was laid. The bench took the same view, and dismissed the case, and ordered complainant to pay £1 1s. Professional costs.

But Mary had the bit between her teeth, and she wasn’t giving up and the following article appeared in the same newspaper a week later on February, 1871:

CHILD DESERTION. - Edward Browne was summoned by Mary Whiteman, for neglecting to support his illegitimate child, two and a half years old. Mr. Waring appeared for the complainant, and Mr. Gould for the defendant. The case had been heard on the previous Tuesday, when it was dismissed, owing to a want of proof that the child was still alive. Fresh proceedings were then taken, and the evidence adduced was similar to that given on the former occasion, with the addition that since then an offer had been made to the complainant to accept £2 in payment for eight weeks' support. Nothing was mentioned when the offer was made as to which child it referred to. This offer was refused by the complainant. The bench made an order for defendant to pay 6s. per week for twelve months, to be paid monthly, and ordered him to enter into two sureties. The bench also ordered £1 1s. professional costs to be paid, and 5s. for two witnesses.
Ecrit par Julie Preston