Mary Sheers (c. 1761–1792)
Mary Smith (c.1762-1792), a dressmaker, was found guilty on 31 May 1786 at the Old Bailey, London, of stealing a pair of leather boots from a shop. Her death sentence was commuted to 7 years transportation on 4 January 1787. She arrived at Sydney aboard the Lady Penrhyn in January 1788 as part of the First Fleet.
Smith married James Sheers on 21 February 1788; they had one daughter Mary Ann (b.1789). The couple and their daughter were sent to Norfolk Island on the Sirius in March 1790.
Mary Sheers died at Norfolk Island on 9 December 1792.
information from
- Mollie Gillen, The Founders of Australia: A Biographical Dictionary of the First Fleet (1989), p 336
- HMS Sirius 1786-1790 https://hmssirius.com.au/james-sheers-convict-scarborough-1788-and-mary-smith-convict-lady-penryhn-1788 — accessed 11 September 2020
Additional Resources and Scholarship
- proceedings of trial, Old Bailey, London, 31 May 1786 (pdf)
Related Entries in NCB Sites
- Sheers, James (husband)
- Piper, Mary Ann (daughter)
- Piper, John (son-in-law)
Citation details
'Sheers, Mary (c. 1761–1792)', People Australia, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://peopleaustralia.anu.edu.au/biography/sheers-mary-30984/text38352, accessed 9 November 2024.
Life Summary [details]
Alternative Names
- Smith, Mary
- Hosely, Mary
Birth
Death
7 December,
1792
(aged ~ 31)
Norfolk Island,
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.