Olivia Rose (Gascoigne) Lucas [Convict "Lady Penrhyn" 1788

Birth  circa 1763  Worcestershire / England  
Gender  Female 
Transportation  1788  Botany Bay / Colony of New South Wales  

Olivia Gascoigne convicted of robbery under arms and sentenced to hang at Worcestor England in 1785. Sentence commuted to 7 years transportation to Port Jackson Australia. Sailed on the "Lady Penrhyn" with the First Fleet in 1788. 

On 14 FEB 1788 Olivia was one of 7 women sent to NORFOLK ISLAND, along with 8 men, convicts, one of whom was Nathaniel LUCAS.

Nathaniel and Olivia Returned to Sydney Town in 1805, following the decision by the Governor to abandon the Norfolk Island settlement.

She is believed to have been born in Droitwyche in Worcestershire in 1760 and she appears to have come from a middle-class family.

She was literate and musical and had knowledge of accounting.

In 1784 Olivia was working as a servant in Severn Stoke, Worcestershire when she was charged with stealing a small sum. She was found guilty but no verdict entered.

Shortly afterwards, in company with a group of other people, she confronted the resident of a home. Whether she intended to rob him or merely demand monies owed to her was not recorded, but either of these scenarios may have occurred.One of the group produced a pistol.

This incident led her and the rest of the group to a conviction for armed robbery and the death sentence. Olivia was only saved from the gallows when the magistrate on that day announced his retirement and as a parting gesture commuted her sentence to seven years transportation.

Four years later she arrived in Australia aboard the "LadyPenhryn" in the First Fleet in company with Ann Innet who became the mistress of Philip Gidley King.

Olivia, in her own right,developed properties in Longford and Launceston, Tasmania. Her husband Nathaniel and son John operated properties in Liverpool and Minto until Nathaniel died.

Barley was grown by both operations for the Sydney brewer James Squire. Wheat for their windmilling activities was grown in Launceston, Liverpool and Sydney City.

The tragic Suicide of Nathaniel and the murder of Olivia's son William some time later led to the failure of their enterprises. Only her land in Launceston, Tasmania, survived her. Olivia died in Longford, Tasmania in 1830 aged 69 years.

More children born in Australia are descended from her than any other person who has arrived since 1788, viz., 110,000 descendants by 1991. What had been thought to be a small group of Gascon Australians is, in reality, a very substantial part of the nation's people

Occupation  Servant 
Died  circa 1830  Launceston / Colony of Van Damiens Land(Tasmania)

Children 
1. Anne Lucas,   b. circa 1789, Colony of Norfolk Island ,   d. circa 1864, New Zealand
2. Mary(twin) Lucas,   b. circa 1790, Colony of Norfolk Island ,   d. 14/08/1792, Colony of Norfolk Island
3. Sarah(twin) Lucas,   b. circa 1790, Colony of Norfolk Island ,   d. 14/08/1792, Colony of Norfolk Island
4. William Lucas,   b. circa 1792, Colony of Norfolk Island ,   d. circa 1828, Colony of New South Wales
5. Nathaniel Lucas,   b. circa 1793, Colony of Norfolk Island ,   d. 1875, Port Sorell / Colony of V.D.L. (Tasmania)
6. Olivia Lucas,   b. circa 1795, Colony of Norfolk Island ,   d. circa 1851, Longford / Colony of V.D.L. (Tasmania)
7. John Lucas,   b. circa 1796, Colony of Norfolk Island ,   d. circa 1875, Murrumbateman / Colony of N.S.W.
8. James Lucas,   b. circa 1798, Colony of Norfolk Island ,   d. circa 1869, Carngham / Colony of Victoria
9. George Lucas,   b. circa 1800, Colony of Norfolk Island ,   d. circa 1868, Colony of V.D.L. (Tasmania)
10. Charles Lucas,   b. circa 1801, Colony of Norfolk Island ,   d. circa 1862, Bruthen / Colony of Victoria
11. Sarah Lucas,   b. circa 1803, Colony of Norfolk Island ,   d. circa 1839, Longford / Colony of V.D.L. (Tasmania)
 12. Mary Ann Lucas,   b. circa 1805, Sydney / Colony of N.S.W. ,   d. circa 1853, Longford / Colony of V.D.L. (Tasmania)

 13. Thomas Lucas,   b. circa 1807, Sydney / Colony of N.S.W. ,   d. circa 1888, Geelong / Colony of Victoria 

Lucas, Olivia (1761–1830) Olivia Gascoigne was found guilty on 5 March 1785 at Worchester, England, of stealing 13 pieces of gold coin of the value of £13/13/-, and one piece of foreign silver coin from a dwelling house. Her death sentence was commuted to seven years transportation on 28 December 1785. She arrived in Sydney in January 1788 aboard the Lady Penrhyn as part of the First Fleet.

Gascoigne was sent to Norfolk Island aboard the Supply shortly after her arrival. Also on board was Nathaniel Lucas. The couple were married shortly after their arrival on Norfolk Island in a civil ceremony. The marriage was solemnised in 1791; they had 13 children, 11 of whom survived infancy. The couple returned to Port Jackson in 1805. Following her husband's death, Olivia Lucas moved to Van Dieman's Land (Tasmania) in 1818 with six of her surviving children. She died at Launceston on 10 June 1830; her age was given as 69.

• information from Mollie Gillen, The Founders of Australia: A Biographical Dictionary of the First Fleet (1989), p 141