People Australia

Sarah MacCormack (c.1766- ) was found guilty on 4 May 1786 at the Manchester Quarter Sessions, England, of stealing two pieces of gold valued at 10d. Sentenced to 7 years transportation, she was sent to the Dunkirk hulk 21 October 1786 and embarked for New South Wales on the Friendship in March 1787, transferred to the Prince of Wales on 28 October at the Cape of Good Hope and arrived in Sydney in January 1788 as part of the First Fleet.

MacCormack proved troublesome to Lieutenant Ralph Clark during the voyage. On 3 July she was placed in irons for being found with seamen but was released on doctors orders on the 25th 'she being very unwell'. She was still ill on 1 August and was reported to be in danger on the 3rd. She was bleed by the doctor on the 5th, who had stayed up almost all night with her. She did not show signs of recovery until the 7th.

On 15 August 1788 at Port Jackson MacCormack was ordered 25 lashes for abusive behaviour to Private George Flemming. She was sent to Norfolk Island on the Supply in November 1789, returning to Port Jackson on the Atlantic in 1792. In 1806 she was listed as housekeeper to John Bootle and had no children. The 1814 Muster noted that she 'lives with G. Atkins'. This was probably George Atkinson whose wife was Mary Coughlan. MacCormack was probably employed as a servant. In 1821 she was recorded as a housekeeper in Sydney.

* information from Mollie Gillen, The Founders of Australia: A Biographical Dictionary of the First Fleet (1989), p 229