Elizabeth Selwyn
Parents
Possibly
Thomas Selwyn and Mary
King
Or
John
Selwyn and Betty Bird
In 1791 in Gloucestershire, Elizabeth Selwyn was sentenced to
transportation for burglary, stealing 32 shillings sixpence worth of
goods. in conjunction with Elizabeth Evans. On arrival in Sydney in
1792 she was assigned to Thomas Rowley, by whom she bore five
children..It seems likely that she bore a 6th child by Thomas in
1806 after he died. See the discussion on Thomas Rowley's page.
Elizabeth lived till 1843, having seen her children Thomas, John,
Mary and Eliza become prosperous citizens in the new colony. In her
later years, would Elizabeth have looked back and reflected that
getting nicked all those years ago in Gloucestershire was a lucky
break? Even though she had the means, in later life she never went
back to England. But that could have been simply that a ship voyage
would be unappealing after her nightmare voyage from England? See
comments on the Pitt voyage in the Thomas Rowley page.
Elizabeth Selwyn (b abt 1772 Gloucestershire, arr 1792 Pitt,
children by Thomas Rowley, d
1843 Kingston House, Newtown).
Isabella Rowley (b 1792 Sydney Cove, m William
(Lieut) Ellison 1807 Sydney Cove, d 1808 Sydney)
Thomas Rowley
(b 1794 Sydney NSW, m Catherine
Clarkson 1818 Christ Church, Castlereagh, d 1858 Minto).
John
Rowley (b 1822 Minto NSW, m Mary
Jane (Jane) Onslow 1846 Liverpool, d 1909 Pertersham)
John Clarkson Rowley (b 1847
Liverpool, NSW, m Sarah Jane Smart
1874 Beechworth Vic, 1928 Bethanga)
Joseph Smart
Rowley (b 1875 Yackandandah Vic, m Eircell Broome 1909 Albury NSW, d
1957 Bethanga)
John Rowley
(b 1797 Sydney cove, m Sarah Pear 1819 St John's, Paramatta, d 1873
Scone NSW)
Mary Rowley (b 1800 Kingston House Newtown, NSW,
m John Lucas 1817, d 1869 Nunima, NSW)
Eliza Rowley (b 1804 Kingston House, m Henry Sparrow Briggs
1826 St Johns, Paramatta, d 1882 Kingston)
.Elizabeth would have been the formative influnece on the children,
as Thomas died when they were young. His main contribution may well
have to leave them the Sydney properties
One of the provisions of Thomas Rowley's will was that "so long as the said Elizabeth Selwyn
shall continue solo and unmarried and does not live in a state of
cohabitation with any man then she shall be entitled to and
receive one sixth share". There is a statement in the book
"Thomas Clarkson If Only" that states that "Elizabeth Selwyn did forfeit her
income from the trust after Thomas’ death, by living with Abbott
Osbourne, a convict who had been assigned to her husband".
The reference given is Archives Office of NSW Court of Equity
7/3424. On requesting this file from NSW State Archives, it appears
to contain nothing to do with Thomas or Elizabeth. So little that
they generously gave me my money back. Pam Fulton also emailed me
expressing strong doubts about the Abbot story, As she says, "someone has interpreted lived with in
a more modern context" In those days, most people
lived with convicts. So we will leave it there unless someone can
produce a "smoking gun".
Elizabeth's Indictment, quoted from Ian Ramage's Cameo
4.06 Among the
convicts listed in the convict indents for the Pitt was
Name:
Selwyn, Elizabeth
Where
Sentenced: City Gloucester at Gloucester
Date:
23rd March, 1791
Term:
7 years
4.07 Her crime
was reported in the Gloucester Journal of 28 March:
“At
our
assizes last week, Thomas Creed, for stealing 5 fleeces of wool,
Elizabeth Selwyn, Ann Mose and Judith Cowley, for sundry thefts,
were sentenced to seven years transportation.”
Creed and Cowley were also
transported on the Pitt.
4.08 In
the Calendar of the Prisoners in the County Gaol for the Epiphany
Sessions, 11 January, 1791, it is recorded that Elizabeth Selwyn
was aged 18 and her companion, who was found not guilty, 16. They
were committed for trial by “P. Hawker, Clerk” on 14 December,
1790 on suspicion of stealing – “grand larceny and burglary” -
with Elizabeth Selwyn convicted of the lesser crime of grand
larceny at the Lent Assizes, 1791. According to the record, she
was sentenced “to be transported beyond the seas for seven years."
4.09 The
indictment reads:-
“Gloucestershire - The Jurors for
our Lord the King upon their Oath present that Elizabeth Selwyn
/Guilty of the simple felony only - To be transported beyond the
seas for seven years/ late of the parish of Cherrington in the
county of Gloucester spinster and Elizabeth Evans /Not guilty/
late of the same spinster on the fifteenth day of September in the
thirtieth year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord George the third
King of Great Britain etc about the hour of one in the Night of
the same day at the Parish aforesaid in the County aforesaid being
in the Dwelling House of one James Brown there situate one cotton
gown of the value of fourteen shillings four yards of striped
serge of the value of five shillings two pairs of women's shoes of
the value of three shillings one woman's hat of the value of
sixpence one serge cloak of the value of three shillings one pair
of scissors of the value of sixpence one linen shift of the value
of one shilling one holland shirt of the value of two shillings
two pairs of stockings of the value of two shillings three linen
caps of the value of three shillings and two yards of ribband of
the value of sixpence of the goods and chattels of the said James
Brown in the said Dwelling House then and there being with force
and arms feloniously did steal take and carry away and that the
said Elizabeth Selwyn and Elizabeth Evans being so as aforesaid in
the said Dwelling House and having committed the Felony aforesaid
in manner and form aforesaid They the said Elizabeth Selwyn and
Elizabeth Evans afterwards to wit on the same day and year
aforesaid about the Hour of two in the Night of the same day with
force and Arms at the Parish aforesaid the same Dwelling House
then and there feloniously and burglariously did break to get out
of the same against the form of the statute in such Case made and
provided and against the peace of our said Lord the King his Crown
and Dignity.
Elizabeth Evans
"Elizabeth's accomplice was
Elizabeth Evans.
Was she sent to NSW?
If so, did they keep contact and were they a part of each others
lives?
Are there any researchers of Elizabeth Evans?
Do these researchers have info on Elizabeth Selwyn that we don't?
We may be able to help Elizabeth Evans researchers - if there are
any."
Bob Venn
Search of Ancestry.com.au
Convict Register shows no Elizabeth Evans - L Rowley
Elizabeth Selwyn's Indictment from Vic
Douglas
Note Elizabeth Evans only got one month, so
did not come to Australia from this conviction at Least
Elizabeth's Birth and Parents
Family search gives us
possible birth and parents for Elizabeth
Entry
1
- Ancestral file entry submitted by Richard Metcalf, 5
Imperial Ave, Emu Plains 2750 NSW
birth - 1775
Cherrington, Gloucestershire - parents Thomas Selwyn and
Mary King
married Thomas Rowley 1791
death 1843 Kingston NSW
Entry 2- Family Group
Record also submitted by Richard Metcalf
Thomas Selwyn birth - 1741 Minchin
Hampton, Gloucestershire and Mary King birth - abt 1745 Avening,
Gloucestershire, married 31 Jan 1766 Gloucestershire\
possible parents
Entry 3 - submitter
unknown. Entry 2 marriage is at Minchinhampton
Entry 4 - Pedigree
Resource file entry similar to entry 1
From Ms Jeanette Mary EGAN
109 Old Glen Innes Road,Waterview Heights
Mail: P.O.Box 315, South Grafton NSW 2460 mobile:0413719771
Entry 5 Thomas Selwyn
birth - 1741 Painswick, Gloucestershire and Elizabeth Humphries
married 26 Jan 1766 Painswick
possible parents
Entry 6 Elizabeth
Selwyn married 1799 Painswick
Date
of
Birth - Elizabeth was recorded as 18 on 11 Jan 1791
(Cameo 4.08 above)
This would have
her year of birth as probably 1772
Geography- Cherington,
Avening and Minchin Hampton are all within two miles of one
another
Painswick is only six miles to the north
Siblings - Family search
gives no children for Thomas and Mary, nor for Thomas and
Elizabeth
Conclusions
(1)
Elizabeth was probably born in the little cluster of towns
including Cherington
(2) No suggestion for her
birth seems to be based on Parish records (no date within year),
ie they are just educated guesses
(3) It is only Entry 6
that stops Entry 5 from being a really good candidate
(4) The lack of children
for either marriage in Family search in a way is encouraging. It
is much better than finding a family that does not have an
Elizabeth
(5) As there are a few
Selwyn families in the region in family search as well as the
above, Entry 1/2/3 is only a warm favourite. My bookie is giving
even money
(6) The suggestion that
Thomas Rowley married Elizabeth is wrong. There was a wife
Elizabeth on the Pitt who died. Thomas is believed to have taken
her as mistress when the Pitt landed in NSW in 1792 (on
Valentine's Day - nice touch Thomas!)
Email from Rhonda Kroehnert,
January 2012
Just doing a hunt around the
'new' Family Search website and I think the following are
excellent candidates for the family of Elizabeth Selwyn, all at
parish of Kings Stanley, Gloucester (near Cherington).
John Selwyn married
Betty Bird 25 April 1763 parish of Kings Stanley,
Gloucester
Issue:
Ann, christened 28
January 1764, father John Selwyn, residence
Gloucester (died 26 November 1769).
John, christened 21
April 1765, father John Selwyn, residence Gloucester.
Elisabeth,
christened 1 June 1766, father John Selwyn, residence
Gloucester.
Sarah, christened 21 May
1768, father John Selwyn, residence Gloucester.
I really feel this is our
Elizabeth. I don't know if you have seen a copy of the
original burial of Elizabeth Selwyn but it states she was 78
years which fits nicely with the Elisabeth above baptism date.
I know on your website it
is stated on the Calendar of Prisoners that she was 18 years
but I suspect she gave incorrect information, maybe to assist
in getting a lesser sentence! If this is our Elizabeth, and we
know that she was known as 'Betsy' Rowley in the colony, her
'mother' may also have been known as 'Betsy'. I have a friend
going to Salt Lake City in April, I will get her to copy the
original marriage of John Selwyn & Betty Bird, who knows
it may read 'Betsy' not Betty.
Also, another clue is that
she named one of her sons John (maybe after her father)!!!
The only thing
that may 'throw a spanner in the works' is that there is a
marriage of a Betty Selwgn [sic] married 14 August 1782 to
Thomas Harris at Minchinhampton. This could be the Elisabeth
below who would have been 16 or 17 years at the time;
possible!!
Comment Les Rowley
Now we have two
good candidates, so I have put them both at the top of the
page. Opinions anyone.. King Stanley is six miles from
Cherrington.
Acknowledgements
Ian Ramage's Cameo is the authoritive document.
An email from Peter Myler prodded me into the Family Search research
above.
Vic Douglass for the Indictment above
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corrections to this page, please
contact
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last updated - 2 Feb 2007
15 Jun 2009 7 Jan 2012 16 Dec 2012