People Australia

Frances Fell (c.1799- 1864), a servant from London, England, was found guilty on 1 September 1838 at the Old Bailey, London, of stealing, with Mary Ann Wood, a watch worth one shilling from a ship's cabin which they had been employed to clean. Sentenced to 10 years transportation Fell arrived at Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) aboard the Nautilus in August 1838. Her transport record indicates that she was a married woman (she had married William Fell in 1835) and had one child. The ship's surgeon reported that she was slovenly.

Convict Conduct Record:
5 November 1838 — absent from her master's premises from Thursday night until Saturday morning — 14 days, seven of which on bread and water

18 December 1838 — drunk and disorderly and found having connexions with a man in the Catholic burial ground in daylight — crime class for six months

5 May 1839 — insubordinate in the ????? duty discharged

19 November 1839 — absent without leave and drunk — 3 days solitary confinement

26 December 1839 — ?? service and being drunk — to be placed in a cell on bread and water for 14 days and returned to her service

15 April 1840 — absent without leave all night — wash tub for one month and to be sent to the interior

8 October 1840 — absent without leave  — wash tub for five weeks then assignment out of town

10 February 1842 — drunk and disorderly — one month hard labour in the Female Factory of Corrections, Hobart

24 May 1842 — (now Frances Davis) — drunk — ???

30 August 1842 — gross misconduct in keeping a disorderly ? and harbouring ?? — 6 months hard labour in the Female House of Correction, Hobart

6 April 1843 — assaulting a female - 5 days solitary

Described as a widow, Frances Fell married George Davis, a blacksmith, on 1 February 1841 at St Matthew's Church, New Norfolk, Hobart; she signed the register with a mark. William and Ann Clark were their witnesses.

Horwood died (as Frances Fell) on 24 December 1869 at the General Hospital Hobart; her age was given as 50 and her cause of death as chronic bronchitis.