Susannah (Susan) Porter (c. 1790–1835)
Susannah Mortimer (c.1790-1835), the daughter of convict, Susannah Mortimer, was probably born during the voyage of the Lady Juliana from Portsmouth to Sydney in 1789-1790. It is thought her father may have been a sailor on the ship, William Screech. Susannah accompanied her mother to Norfolk Island on the Surprize in August 1790 and took her stepfather Thomas O'Brien's surname. Her mother had at least eight more children with O'Brien.
Susannah left Norfolk Island with her mother and stepfather on the City of Edinburgh in September 1808. George Porter was also on the ship. Susannah and Porter were married at Hobart on 21 November 1808; both signed the register with their mark. The couple had at least seven children. Following her husband's death in 1828 Susannah continued to work the family farm.
Susannah Porter was buried (as Susan Porter) on 7 May 1835 at Glenorchy, Tasmania. Her age was given as 45 and her occupation as 'settler's wife'.
* information from Michael Flynn, The Second Fleet: Britain’s Grim Convict Armada of 1790 (1993), p 448
Related Entries in NCB Sites
- Porter, George (husband)
- O'Brien, Susannah (mother)
- O'Brien, Thomas (stepfather)
Citation details
'Porter, Susannah (Susan) (c. 1790–1835)', People Australia, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://peopleaustralia.anu.edu.au/biography/porter-susannah-susan-31632/text39106, accessed 10 May 2025.