Mary Blay (1829–1884)
Mary Murphy, housemaid, was sentenced to 7 years transportation for setting fire to a house. She arrived in Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) in 1849 aboard the Maria. She was described as being 5 feet 1 inch tall, with a fresh complexion, oval head, dark brown hair and hazel eyes. She could read but not write. On 4 July 1850 she was sentenced to one month hard labour at the Cascades Female Factory, Hobart, for being drunk. On 29 November that same year she was sentenced to 9 months hard labour at Cascades for being unable to explain where she got wearing apparel worth about £4. On 30 May 1851 she was sent back to the cells for 7 days for insolence.
Murphy was granted a ticket of leave on 2 August 1852. It was revoked on 2 April 1853 and then granted again on 25 July 1854. She married Solomon Blay on 14 February 1853. Her certificate of freedom was issued in September 1855.
Additional Resources
- marries Solomon Blay, Courier (Hobart), 15 Feburary 1853, p 3
- death notice, Mercury (Hobart), 18 July 1884, p 1
Related Entries in NCB Sites
- Blay, Solomon (husband)
- Stokell, William (employer)
Citation details
'Blay, Mary (1829–1884)', People Australia, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://peopleaustralia.anu.edu.au/biography/blay-mary-22789/text36597, accessed 27 April 2024.
Life Summary [details]
Alternative Names
- Murphy, Mary
- Bray, Mary
- Blaey, Mary
- Blag, Mary
- Bleay, Mary
Birth
Death
17 July,
1884
(aged ~ 55)
Hobart,
Tasmania,
Australia
Cause of Death
Cultural Heritage
Includes subject's nationality; their parents' nationality; the countries in which they spent a significant part of their childhood, and their self-identity.
Religious Influence
Includes the religion in which subjects were raised, have chosen themselves, attendance at religious schools and/or religious funeral rites; Atheism and Agnosticism have been included.