Mary Mitchell (c. 1768–?)
Mary Mitchell (c.1768- ) was found guilty on 3 October 1785 at the Kingston upon Thames Quarter Sessions, Surrey, of a theft. Sentenced to 7 years transportation, she arrived at Sydney aboard the Lady Penrhyn in January 1788 as part of the First Fleet.
Mitchell had a son John Mitchell with Lieutenant John Poulden on 14 April 1790 at Port Jackson. There is strong evidence that Poulden took both Mary Mitchell and their son with him when he returned to England on the Atlantic in December 1792. John Mitchell was brought up in Poulden's house in Wiltshire and later served in the royal navy and ultimately died in service in 1811; he was one of the first young Australians to give their life for England. There are no further colonial records for Mary Mitchell after 1791.
* information from Mollie Gillen, The Founders of Australia: A Biographical Dictionary of the First Fleet (1989), p 247
Related Entries in NCB Sites
- Poulden, John (partner)
- Mitchell, John (son)
Citation details
'Mitchell, Mary (c. 1768–?)', People Australia, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://peopleaustralia.anu.edu.au/biography/mitchell-mary-30959/text38326, accessed 11 October 2024.