People Australia

Susannah Mortimore (1763-1846) was found guilty on 17 March 1788 at the Exeter Castle Assizes, Devon, of the theft of two sheep. Her death sentence was commuted several weeks later to 7 years transportation. She remained at the county gaol until she was discharged to the Lady Juliana in 1789. She arrived at Sydney in June 1790 as part of the Second Fleet. A daughter Susannah was born during the voyage.

Mortimore and her daughter were sent to Norfolk Island on the Surprize in August 1790. They lived with Thomas O'Brien on his 60 acre farm at Phillipsburg. Mortimore and O'Brien were probably married in the mass wedding ceremony held on the island in November 1791; they had at least eight children.

With her husband and children she left Norfolk Island for Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) aboard the City of Edinburgh in September 1808, settling on 100 acres at New Town.

Susannah O'Brien died on 31 December 1846 at Glenorchy, Tasmania.

It is thought that she might be related to Noah Mortimer. Her son James cared for Noah in his later years.

information from

• Michael Flynn, The Second Fleet: Britain’s Grim Convict Armada of 1790 (1993), p 448
• Judith Adams, 'FF Thomas O'Brien Marine "Scarborough"', Fellowship of First Fleeters website, http://www.fellowshipfirstfleeters.org.au/thomasobrien.htm — accessed 31 March 2021