Recount the life of a convict who lived in Sydney Cove
ELIZABETH 'BETTY' THACKERY
About
NB. While Betty's birth date is not given in any of the below sources and most speculate the year of birth to be around 1767, family research on Ancestry.com cites her exact date of birth as 28 May 1764.​
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Source type: Primary
Ralph Clark - Journal kept on the Friendship during a voyage to Botany Bay and Norfolk Island​
Summary:
1787
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3 July: caught with the sailors → ordered into irons (entry is significant as Clark says Betty had gone through the bulkhead while the Friendship was at the Mother Bank before departure. So her reputation for getting into mischief went back to being in port.
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24 July: still being handcuffed with other women
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1 August: back in irons + fighting
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13 August: finally released and given another chance
1791 (On Norfolk Island)
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14 July: Punished for coming into settlement without leave​
1787
3 July 1787 - was cald up by the Capt of the Ship last night informing use that his men had brock throu the Womens Convicts Bulk head again and that he had caught four of the women in the mens place -four of the Number that had gone throu while we lay at the Mother Bank & two of them that I had put in Irons while we lay at Teneriff for fighten -I thought as I have Said before that these D..…d troubelsem Whores it would not not be long before the[y] got ther again -made the Signal to Speak the Comr. the Capt went on board the Commr. who order the men that the women wair with to be brought on board of him Sent the Carpenter the Boatswain the Steward and one of the Seamen being the four men that Elizh. Dudgeon Elizh. Pully Elizh. Thackly Sarah McCormick wair with Whome the Comr. flogd except the Carpenter and order the four Women to be keep in Irons all the Way -if I had been the Commr. I Should flogd the four Whores also -fresh Breeze from the Southard Log 54 miles Latt the Same as Yesterday -order came on board from Major Ross for which See in the order Book of this date..."
24 July 1787 - it blowd very hard in the night -the fleet all in company -put Mrs. McNamara both legs in Irons for being very impertinent to the Convict cook put also again Elizh. Barbor in Irons who was let out when Margt. Hall was Yesterday She being hand cuft with her -hand cuft her with Elizh. Tackny and put leg Irons on Eliz Pully who was hand cuft with Eliz Tackny before -got my two Bandows done and the[y] fitt very well hope the[y] will remain better on my head than my night caps..."
1 August 1787 "... Capt Meridith put Elizh. Barbor and Elizh. Thackny in irons together and Elizh. Dudgeon and Elizh. Pully together -the doctor having reported them well again Except Sarah McComick -the damed whores the moment that the[y] got below fel a fighting amonst one a nother and Capt Meridith order the Sergt. not to part them but to let them fight it out which I think he is very wrong in letting them doe so..."
13 August 1787 "...The Commondor and Majr. Ross came on board and gave orders to Capt Meridith (that from the bad behavour of the women on board of use and in all the Ships) that Since putting them in irons the[y] thought no punishment -order capt. Meridith to flog them the Same as the Men when the[y] behaved ill which will not be long before Some of them are -when he ask Capt. Meridith below in the cabin if he would try the women that wair in irons once more and if the[y] behaved ill to flog them which Capt. M: had no objections -Soon after the comd. went Capt. M: order Elizh. Barbor, Elizh. Dudgeon, Elizh. Pully and Elizh. Thackery four convict women out of irons..."
1791
14 July 1791 - Fine Moderate weather no Surf Punished Elizt. Halligon in here for coming in from Phillipsburgh Without Leave and Punished Elizth. Thackney, Sarah Lyons and Mary Ann Carty of Phillipsburgh for the Same thing with 25 Lashes each two Marines whom I gave leave to goe to Duncombe Bay a fishing Returned in the Evening with a Turtle of a bout two hundred wight..."
Source type: Secondary, based on primary source research
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The Founders of Australia - By Mollie Gillen
THACKERY, Elizabeth (c1767-1856)
Elizabeth Thackery was recorded as wife of Thomas Thackery, soldier, 15th Foot, when she was sentenced at Manchester to seven years transportation on 4 May 1786 for theft of two black silk handkerchiefs and three others, total value one shilling, at Bury, Lancs. On 26 October she was ordered to the Dunkirk hulk at Plymouth and received there on 1 November, aged 19, together with Jane Parkinson, Sarah MacCormack, Isabella Oldfield, and Thomas Oldfield who was ordered sent "if he should be her husband" which he was not.
On March 1787, Elizabeth was discharged to Friendship and transferred (to the relief of Lieutenant Ralph Clark) to Charlotte at the Cape of Good Hope on 28 October. While on Friendship she had been a sore trial to Clark.
On 3 July she was put in irons for having been found with some of the seamen, and previously had been handcuffed to Elizabeth Pulley. Hardly out of irons, she was again ironed together with Elizabeth Barber on 1 August ("the moment that they] got below for fighting amonst one another"). She remained in irons until the 19th.
In March 1790, Elizabeth was sent by Sirius to Norfolk Island. Here on 14 July 1791 she received 25 lashes for coming in from Phillipsburg without leave. She was with James Dodding at mid-June 1794, having been victualled from public stores for 63 days in 1793.
On 1 May 1800, Elizabeth bought ten acres from Samuel King, and at the February 1805 muster she was marked off stores. As James Dodding went to Van Diemans Land with a wife by Porpoise in 1807, it is assumed that this was Elizabeth Thackery, but she appears to have become independent of him, and in fact married Samuel King at Hobart on 28 January 1810. She had 20 acres in her own name at New Norfolk at 20 September 1813, and appeared on an 1818 muster as Elizabeth King.
She made a will on 16 November 1855 leaving all her property to Ebenezer Shoolridge.
His son erected a headstone at Back River Wesleyan cemetery to her giving the death date 7 August 1856 claiming "Betty King" as "The first white woman to set foot in Australia."
She was the last known female survivor of the First Fleet.
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