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 It was revoked on 2 April 1853 and then granted again on 25 July 1854.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 and Scholarship
- 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 14 March 2025.
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.