People Australia

Mary Mitchcraft (c.1770- ), a servant, Martha Kennedy, and Sarah Taylor were found guilty on 2 April 1787 at Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, of assaulting a man and stealing 17 shillings 6 pence. Sentenced to 7 years transportation the women arrived in Sydney aboard the Prince of Wales in January 1788 as part of the First Fleet.

Mary Mitchcraft was recorded at Port Jackson as Mary Beachcroft. She was one of four young girls (the others were Ann Mather, Phoebe Flarty and Ann Smith) who were accused on 27 September 1788 of insulting Robert Brown, captain of the Fishburn at Port Jackson. They were forgiven on promising not to do it again.

As Mary Beachcroft she was sent to Norfolk Island on the Sirius in March 1790. In February 1792 she was off stores and working for individuals. She returned to Port Jackson on the Chesterfield in March 1793. As Mary Beachcroft she was charged with assaulting Mary Hock in December 1798 at Sydney. No further records have been found for her.

* information from Mollie Gillen, The Founders of Australia: A Biographical Dictionary of the First Fleet (1989), p 247