People Australia

Mary Ann Ormisher (c.1830-1902), a housemaid, was found guilty on 13 May 1850 at Liverpool, Lancaster of stealing from a person. Sentenced to 10 years transportation she arrived at Hobart Town, Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania), aboard the Emma Eugenia in March 1851.

According to her Conduct Record she had been convicted numerous time for being disorderly, prostitute, and a thief in the previous five years and had been two years on the town. Her proper name was Eliza Munro. She was single, a Roman Catholic, could read and write, was aged 18, was 162 cms (5 feet 3¼ inches) tall, with a freckled complexion, brown hair, and hazel eyes.

Conduct Record

• 4 July 1851 — absent without leave — 14 days hard labour
• 28 July 1854 — disturbing the peace — fined 5 shillings

Ormisher married Francis Moran on 24 April 1854 at St Joseph's Church, Hobart; they had at least eight children. Mary Ann was granted a conditional pardon in 1858. On 8 December 1865 Francis Moran was found not guilty of having struck his wife with a tomahawk. She had to be hospitalised after the incident.

The couple departed Hobart late in February 1875, aboard the Tamar, for Melbourne. At the City Police Court, Melbourne, on 6 March 1876, Moran, and his wife, now calling herself Eliza, were each sentenced to six months hard labour for vagrancy. They had been arrested with their three young daughters, the eldest two being sent to Industrial Schools for seven and three years respectively. The youngest child went with her mother. The couple were sentenced to a further three months gaol the following year, this time for insulting behaviour and vagrancy.

Eliza Moran died at Collingwood on 9 October 1902. Her cause of death was given as cellulitis of hand and granular kidneys. Her age was given as 69.