Martha Ford McNamara (1824–1896)
Martha Goodman married Richard Gregory in Cornwall, England, in 1842. In that same year she was sentenced to seven years' transportation for stealing fustian (cloth). She arrived in Van Dieman's Land (Tasmania) aboard the Margaret in 1842. Her first child was born while waiting transportation. He (William Ford Goodman-Gregory) remained in England and was raised by his grandparents, Henry and Betsy Goodman.
Martha was described in her convict record as a housemaid. She was 4 feet 10 inches (147.3 cms) tall, and aged 19. She was granted a certificate of freedom in 1849 and on 23 April 1850 married William Henry Guest, a fellow convict.
William was an innkeeper. Following his pardon the family moved to New South Wales and settled at Eden. They later moved to Nerrigundah, a gold mining area on the south coast. William died in 1867. Martha married Thomas Jones, a miner in 1873. Following his death in 1880 she married Michael McNamara a widower and farmer.
Martha's death certificate listed three children, including the child she left behind in Cornwall, and two children she had with William Henry Guest.
Related Entries in NCB Sites
- Guest, William Henry (husband)
- McNamara, Michael (husband)
- Jones, Thomas (husband)
Citation details
'McNamara, Martha Ford (1824–1896)', People Australia, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://peopleaustralia.anu.edu.au/biography/mcnamara-martha-ford-24648/text33303, accessed 8 October 2024.
Life Summary [details]
Alternative Names
- Gregory, Martha Ford
- Goodman, Martha Ford
- Guest, Martha Ford
Birth
December,
1824
Saltash,
Cornwall,
England
Death
1 January,
1896
(aged 71)
Newtown, Sydney,
New South Wales,
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
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