Mary Whitaker (c. 1753–?)
Mary Harrison (c.1753- ) and Charlotte Springmore, both silkwinders, were found guilty on 19 October 1785 at the Old Bailey, London, of throwing acid at a woman they suspected was operating as a prostitute in their area. Sentenced to 7 years transportation, Harrison arrived in Sydney in January 1788 aboard the Lady Penrhyn, with her teenage son Joseph Harrison, as part of the First Fleet.
Mary married (as Mary Harris) George Whitaker on 23 March 1788. The couple were sent, with their baby daughter Hannah, to Norfolk Island on the Sirius in March 1790; they had at least three more children. Mary and her husband were both recorded in New South Wales in 1806, where George had been sent for discharge from the NSW Corps. They were back on Norfolk Island in 1807. Only their oldest daughter Hannah is known to have moved to Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania). Mary Whitaker, George and their two youngest children may have returned to England.
* information from Mollie Gillen, The Founders of Australia: A Biographical Dictionary of the First Fleet (1989), p 163
Additional Resources and Scholarship
- proceedings of trial, Old Bailey, London, 19 October 1785 (pdf)
Related Entries in NCB Sites
- Whitaker, George (husband)
- Harrison, Joseph (son)
- Gloster, Charlotte (criminal associate)
Citation details
'Whitaker, Mary (c. 1753–?)', People Australia, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://peopleaustralia.anu.edu.au/biography/whitaker-mary-30905/text38268, accessed 3 December 2024.
Life Summary [details]
Alternative Names
- Harrison, Mary
- Perrin, Mary
- Harris, Mary
- Wittiker, Mary
- Whitacre, Mary
- Whittcar, Mary
Birth
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.