People Australia

Mary Marshall (c.1757-1849), a servant, was found guilty on 10 January 1878 at the Old Bailey, London, of stealing ten linen handkerchiefs, worth 10 shillings, from a linen draper. She arrived in Sydney in January 1788 aboard the Lady Penrhyn as part of the First Fleet. Her age was given by the ship's surgeon (who called her Elizabeth Marshall), as 29 when the ship embarked. From the time of landing in Sydney it seems she lived with Robert Sidaway.

Following Sidaway's death in October 1806 Marshall was granted administration of his estate and effects, but because they were not married she was not not granted his lease in Sydney even though they had lived together for 20 years. She took out her own lease on a town lot on Pitt Street on 20 October 1809 and operated a public house.

Her age was was given as 93 when she died at 'Bray Grove', Concord, on 29 April 1849. She was buried in the same grave as her friend, Frances Mintz. The chief beneficiary of her will was Thomas Bray of Concord and his children to whom she left a house in Pitt Street, Sydney and 30 acres of land near Newtown known as Siddaways Farm.

* information from Mollie Gillen, The Founders of Australia: A Biographical Dictionary of the First Fleet (1989), p 237