At the bottom of this blog I will include all documentation from the "Female Convicts of Van Diemen's Land Database
Honoring the "Milk Maid" (click here for a "must watch" video)
Ann Gatherer (my 4th grand aunt) was born 30 Dec 1811 in Kennethmont, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, to yeoman Adam Gatherer and his wife Ann Milne (my 4th great grand parents). Ann lived a hard life in Scotland and as a young woman her occupation was listed as "milk maid". Ann was described as a only 5'1 1/2" tall woman with a dark sallow complexion, hazel eyes, black/grey hair, could read and write, was Protestant, married with 2 children.
June 23, 1838 Ann married George Geddes in Huntly, Aberdeenshire, Scotland (FHL Film # 993190)
Sept 21, 1849 when Ann was just 35 years old she was brought before the courts and found "GUILTY" of stealing 5 shillings (the equivalent of 65 cents) from James Jobson and was subsequently sentenced to 7 years of hard labour in Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania), Australia.
HERE ARE THE WORDS OF ANN HERSELF:
Ann Geddes Letter (Petition)
(spelling and punctuation as per letter!)
Us ther was non of my witnness summond to the court I got no justies and if they had ben brought forward I could have proved what way I came by my mony for I was keeping it to pay my rent and I expeted my lanlady in upon the 23 July and I pawnd a dress with John Chisholm on the 23 July and got one and sixpence and I had a shillin and I was to give her the 29 penc by the lanlady did not call on me until the 27 of jury and I was in the country and I got the half crown from a man where I was in the country and I got about a ston and a half of mell in the countray and cam in from the countray upon the 28 of July and on the 30 of July I sold part of my (illegible) to a woman to mak up the rest of my rent and I was to go to the lanlady with the rest of my rent upon the 31 but I was taken up on the 31 of July but I know what I had in my purse and can discribe it fuly I had one huff crown piec 3 silver sixpencss and a shillen all in silver and abbutt 14 pence in copper and it was mosterly all in peny pesess and I do not blam the man so much as I blam muray the padroll for the man never called a watchman to me nor gave me in charge of them but muray the padroll has a illivil at me and if he could inqure in any shap or form he wold do it I was away washing cloths upon the 30 of July and in comming hom I met in with the two men they wer both very much the worse of drink and ther was a woman with then and the said man asked me to go and have a glass with him and we went into a house and he called for a halff muchkin of whkisky and two bottles of porter and his comrad had half a gill of rum to him selff (illegible) he chinged one half crown ther and got a shillen in and som cooper we left the hous and this woman had hold of him down the strete and she left him and then the man cam in to me and cam in to my house now ther was no light in my house nor I was not ontover from the man all the time now the man said he would give me half a crown now he was a gratdell worse with the drink and he put his hand in his pockt and gave me threepence half peny and I said that was copper he had given me and I said that is not a half crown and he gave me a shillen the and said he had not a huffcrown and his comrad sent a watchman to my house and noked at any door but the man that was with me told me not to let him inn and the watchman said as he left my hous well may you will not open your door but I shall make you repent it and he went for muray the padroll and he brokopen my dor and cam into my hous and I was standgin becid the man and he tok hold of my two hands and said that I was robbing the man but ther was nothing in my hands the man was liying in the flor and he lifted him up but the man never said that he wanted any mony nor spok of such a thing but muray asked him how much mony he had when he cam in to my house the mans comrade said he had a pound the said man stated he had not a pound he had teen shillins and his commrad said it was in 11 huffcrownpesess and muray the purbroll said hut cant you stat the right thing the man said he had 5 shillins and muray surched the man and got a shillen on him and muray asked me if I had any mony upon me I said I had he said how much last I and I said I would delever upon my mony when I went to the offece he said he would make me deliver it up heer I said I wold do it when I went to the offece but he said he would strip me heer and mak me delever it up to him and him and the other watchman tore off my cloths in bits befor the other two men and tok my purse out of my beest and went outever from me and counteed what I had in my purse and as the two men could make no statement of what they had in their poktes muray was determent to leet them know what I had in my purse and to leet him gate that don he sant the watchman away for a nother watchman and he put me away befor him and muray the padrool stayed behind and the man and his comrad and told them what I had in my purse now I would have given muray my purse if any of the two men had stuk by one statment but I thought that if I told what I had in my purse that they would know it to and I wanted to be taken to the office now ther is a woman for undressen the women and ther is allways a night surgun plure any ones cas and muray had no right to mubrise me in my own hous for he should have taken me to the offece and later the man stat what he had in it now I do not no who stated the cas in the office for I never was allod to spek for I was goin to spek but muray said com now away hold your peace and the surgon said put her ben to a seal and muray took hold of me and knox the watchman to take me to a seel and in goon ben muray grippited my throt to prevent me from crien and struk me with their fet and they through me upon the ston floor with all ther forse now ther should be no watchman be allod to search no one until they go to the office for if it wer not looked into the watchman would many times go be young his comission and what can anny person do when they are taken in to a prisson and has no one to do nothing now the great petiway that I did not know non of my withness names and I thought that the pors aggant would have gon and gotten ther names but he gave him self no disturbence about them and ther was non called to the court but the said man and his comward and muray the padrool and he would siver away my life if he could becides to make me gut transportation now I have orders from the bord to bring for ward my cas and I wrot a letter to the poress agent but he did not com to anay thing for me and as I have now one to do nothing for me I have stated it myself now if my cas be brought forward I will give the courte every satisfacktion to proove myself inocent for I will have all my witness brought and it is very hard to be transported for my own mony but I will have my witness brought forward by the next court.
Reverent
Sir I take the liberty of writting you this few lines and I humbely beg of you to look into my case I most say it is a kind and mispakable and one which forever on this earth could repay if it is granted ples to leet me know how to appli to bring my cas for ward as I am confint heer and cant to nothing for my self and the bord told me I would get a pors aggant but I wrot to one come neer me and I most say it is very hurst to heer and can get no justics and all for my own mony and the govrnor told me he could not fors a poors aggant but I shall leve it to you as you know best (illegible) I humbuly beeg of you to with me as I have not a day to (illegible) to for if the word come to tak us away I am sory to say I must go and I have no friends but a child going 9 year old and I humbuly beeg of you to ekcuse my (illegible) lines your most obbedent and humbel servant
Ann Gatherer, Aberdeen Prison
259/33
Ann Gatherer 36
Aberdeen Circuit Court September 1849
Theft
7 Years transportation
Gaol Report – 4 times before convicted
The Prisoner on an intelligible statement declares her innocence
Ann Geddes Letter (Petition)
(spelling and punctuation as per letter!)
Us ther was non of my witnness summond to the court I got no justies and if they had ben brought forward I could have proved what way I came by my mony for I was keeping it to pay my rent and I expeted my lanlady in upon the 23 July and I pawnd a dress with John Chisholm on the 23 July and got one and sixpence and I had a shillin and I was to give her the 29 penc by the lanlady did not call on me until the 27 of jury and I was in the country and I got the half crown from a man where I was in the country and I got about a ston and a half of mell in the countray and cam in from the countray upon the 28 of July and on the 30 of July I sold part of my (illegible) to a woman to mak up the rest of my rent and I was to go to the lanlady with the rest of my rent upon the 31 but I was taken up on the 31 of July but I know what I had in my purse and can discribe it fuly I had one huff crown piec 3 silver sixpencss and a shillen all in silver and abbutt 14 pence in copper and it was mosterly all in peny pesess and I do not blam the man so much as I blam muray the padroll for the man never called a watchman to me nor gave me in charge of them but muray the padroll has a illivil at me and if he could inqure in any shap or form he wold do it I was away washing cloths upon the 30 of July and in comming hom I met in with the two men they wer both very much the worse of drink and ther was a woman with then and the said man asked me to go and have a glass with him and we went into a house and he called for a halff muchkin of whkisky and two bottles of porter and his comrad had half a gill of rum to him selff (illegible) he chinged one half crown ther and got a shillen in and som cooper we left the hous and this woman had hold of him down the strete and she left him and then the man cam in to me and cam in to my house now ther was no light in my house nor I was not ontover from the man all the time now the man said he would give me half a crown now he was a gratdell worse with the drink and he put his hand in his pockt and gave me threepence half peny and I said that was copper he had given me and I said that is not a half crown and he gave me a shillen the and said he had not a huffcrown and his comrad sent a watchman to my house and noked at any door but the man that was with me told me not to let him inn and the watchman said as he left my hous well may you will not open your door but I shall make you repent it and he went for muray the padroll and he brokopen my dor and cam into my hous and I was standgin becid the man and he tok hold of my two hands and said that I was robbing the man but ther was nothing in my hands the man was liying in the flor and he lifted him up but the man never said that he wanted any mony nor spok of such a thing but muray asked him how much mony he had when he cam in to my house the mans comrade said he had a pound the said man stated he had not a pound he had teen shillins and his commrad said it was in 11 huffcrownpesess and muray the purbroll said hut cant you stat the right thing the man said he had 5 shillins and muray surched the man and got a shillen on him and muray asked me if I had any mony upon me I said I had he said how much last I and I said I would delever upon my mony when I went to the offece he said he would make me deliver it up heer I said I wold do it when I went to the offece but he said he would strip me heer and mak me delever it up to him and him and the other watchman tore off my cloths in bits befor the other two men and tok my purse out of my beest and went outever from me and counteed what I had in my purse and as the two men could make no statement of what they had in their poktes muray was determent to leet them know what I had in my purse and to leet him gate that don he sant the watchman away for a nother watchman and he put me away befor him and muray the padrool stayed behind and the man and his comrad and told them what I had in my purse now I would have given muray my purse if any of the two men had stuk by one statment but I thought that if I told what I had in my purse that they would know it to and I wanted to be taken to the office now ther is a woman for undressen the women and ther is allways a night surgun plure any ones cas and muray had no right to mubrise me in my own hous for he should have taken me to the offece and later the man stat what he had in it now I do not no who stated the cas in the office for I never was allod to spek for I was goin to spek but muray said com now away hold your peace and the surgon said put her ben to a seal and muray took hold of me and knox the watchman to take me to a seel and in goon ben muray grippited my throt to prevent me from crien and struk me with their fet and they through me upon the ston floor with all ther forse now ther should be no watchman be allod to search no one until they go to the office for if it wer not looked into the watchman would many times go be young his comission and what can anny person do when they are taken in to a prisson and has no one to do nothing now the great petiway that I did not know non of my withness names and I thought that the pors aggant would have gon and gotten ther names but he gave him self no disturbence about them and ther was non called to the court but the said man and his comward and muray the padrool and he would siver away my life if he could becides to make me gut transportation now I have orders from the bord to bring for ward my cas and I wrot a letter to the poress agent but he did not com to anay thing for me and as I have now one to do nothing for me I have stated it myself now if my cas be brought forward I will give the courte every satisfacktion to proove myself inocent for I will have all my witness brought and it is very hard to be transported for my own mony but I will have my witness brought forward by the next court.
Reverent
Sir I take the liberty of writting you this few lines and I humbely beg of you to look into my case I most say it is a kind and mispakable and one which forever on this earth could repay if it is granted ples to leet me know how to appli to bring my cas for ward as I am confint heer and cant to nothing for my self and the bord told me I would get a pors aggant but I wrot to one come neer me and I most say it is very hurst to heer and can get no justics and all for my own mony and the govrnor told me he could not fors a poors aggant but I shall leve it to you as you know best (illegible) I humbuly beeg of you to with me as I have not a day to (illegible) to for if the word come to tak us away I am sory to say I must go and I have no friends but a child going 9 year old and I humbuly beeg of you to ekcuse my (illegible) lines your most obbedent and humbel servant
Ann Gatherer, Aberdeen Prison
259/33
Ann Gatherer 36
Aberdeen Circuit Court September 1849
Theft
7 Years transportation
Gaol Report – 4 times before convicted
The Prisoner on an intelligible statement declares her innocence
13 Dec. 1849 Ann was one of 207 convicts who departed on the St. Vincent Prison Ship to Van Diemen's Land, (Tasmania, Australia).
I have registered with this organization to access further documents then above: https://femaleconvicts.org.au/
In 1855 Ann was pardoned (5.2 years of 7 year sentence) and married for the 2nd time to Samuel Robinson, another convict who had come to Van Dieman's Land in 1832 on the Convict Ship "Mary" .
PARENTAGE:
Ann's parents Adam Gatherer and Ann Milne along with children came to Elora, Wellington Co., Ontario, Canada. Adam Gatherer and Ann Milne had 3 sets of twins.
Sculpting the women of Van Diemen's Land
Made for TV movie / mini series "The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant
Part 1 of 2 (SERIES) FULL LENGTH
DOCUMENTS BELOW ARE ALL RETRIEVED FROM THIS WEBSITE FEMALE CONVICTS RESEARCH CENTER INC.
Scotland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950
Original data: Scotland, Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950. Salt Lake City, Utah
2013.Source Citation Parish: Gartly; ED: 2; Page: 1; Line: 1040; Year: 1841
Source Citation for Scotland, Select Marriages, 1561-1910
1841 Scotland Census. Edinburgh, Scotland: General Register Office for Scotland. Reels 1-151. General Register Office for Scotland, Edinburgh, Scotland. (Description The 1841 Census for Scotland was taken on the night of 6 June 1841)
Source Citation for Scotland: Aberdeen Journal Newspaper,
Aberdeen Journal Newspaper, Wednesday, September 26, 1849
Source Citation for Australian Convict Transportation Registers – Other Fleets & Ships, 1791-1868 / Detail Class: HO 11 Piece: 16
Source Citation for Tasmania, Australia, Convict Court and Selected Records, 1800-1899 CON22-1-6
Source Citation for New South Wales and Tasmania, Australia, Convict Pardons and Tickets of Leave, 1834-1859
Class: HO 10; Piece: 63
Source Citation for Australia Marriage Index, 1788-1950
New South Wales and Tasmania. Australia. Convict Pardons and Tickets of Leave, 1834-1859
Surgeons Journal: Adm.101/66 Reel 3209
Conduct Report Adm.101/66 Reel 3209 Image Image 76, Police # 530, Image Count 216
Description List: CON19-1-8, Image 73, Order on Page: 4 Image Count 226
Indent: CON15-1-6, Image 70, Page 66-67, Order on Page: 7, Image Count: 357
Other Convict Record: MM71-1-2
TAHO Index Number:: ai25838
TAHO Index Number: ai25933
Surgeons Journal: Adm.101/66 Reel 3209
Conduct Report Adm.101/66 Reel 3209 Image Image 76, Police # 530, Image Count 216
Description List: CON19-1-8, Image 73, Order on Page: 4 Image Count 226
Indent: CON15-1-6, Image 70, Page 66-67, Order on Page: 7, Image Count: 357
Other Convict Record: MM71-1-2
TAHO Index Number:: ai25838
TAHO Index Number: ai25933
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