Mary Ann (Bugg) Burrows (1834 - 1905)

Born 7 May 1834 in Stroud, New South Wales, Australia

Ancestors

Wife of Edmund Baker — married 1848 in New South Wales, Australia

Wife of Frederick Wordsworth Ward — married 1860 in Stroud, New South Wales, Australia

Descendants

Died 22 Apr 1905 at age 70 in Mudgee, New South Wales, Australia

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Terry Wright [send private message] and Lisa Ward [send private message]

* Wikitree Australian Bushrangers

There are only three known female Australian Bushrangers Mary Cockerill aka Black Mary an Aboriginal who rode with the bushranger Michael Howe, Elizabeth Jessie Hickman who ran her own gang in the Wollemi National Park,and ^[1]and Mary Ann Bugg who was part Aboriginal who was married to Frederick Ward aka Captain Thunderbolt

Biography

Mary (Bugg) Burrows is an Indigenous Australian.

Mary (Bugg) Burrows was an Australian Bushranger

Mary Ann was ^[2]born in Gloucester, New South Wales on the 7 May 1834. Her parents were James Bugg and Charlotte Derby . James was an ex-convict sent to Australia for sheep stealing, and he was tried at the Colchester Azzizes and sentenced to death but was later commuted to life. He arrived in 1826 on the convict ship, the Sesostris. Mary Ann's mother Charlotte was an Aboriginal woman, and from her aboriginal family, Mary learned how to make shelter, find food and survive in the Australian bush. She was called Yellilong by her aboriginal family because of her light coloured hair and pale features. Mary's father sent her to boarding school where she learned to read, write and how to become a lady.

In 1848 when Mary Ann was only 14 years old she ^[3]married 38 year old Edmund Baker, a convict sent to Australia in 1831 for stealing rabbits. After they were married, Edmund and Mary moved to Mudgee, and Edmund worked for Mrs.Sarah Garbutt . Sarah was also the mother of Frederick Ward his father was convict John Haswell. There are stories that Mary and Frederick Ward formed an instant attraction to each other. Although Mary Ann was married to Edmund Baker, it is known that Frederick Ward came back for Mary Ann after he was released from Cockatoo Island.

In 1856 Frederick Ward and James Garbutt were sentenced to Cockatoo Island prison for ten years for receiving stolen horses from Tocal Station. After four years they were released with Tickets of Leave. Fred Ward returned to his mother Sarah Garbutt's farm. Mary Ann had a small child to Edmund Baker who had died while Fred was in gaol. After Edmund Baker's death, Mary Ann had returned to Stroud New South Wales and worked in the local Anglican boarding school. Mary Ann left with Frederick Ward, and they moved to Dungog New South Wales. In 1860 Fred and Mary Ann were married at Stroud.

Stroud Church

After Frederick Ward was released from Cockatoo Island he had to attend muster at Mudgee. He would borrow a horse from his employer for the trip, but in October 1861 he was arrested for arriving late for muster, and although the horse was borrowed he was also charged with stealing the horse. Fred was imprisoned once more on Cockatoo Island. It was only two weeks later Mary Ann gave birth to their first child, a girl named Marina Emily. As soon as Marina was old enough, Mary left Marina with a neighbour and moved to Balmain a suburb in Sydney near Cockatoo Island. She found a job as a housemaid.

On 11th September 1863 Mary Ann swam to Cockatoo Island with a file for Fred Ward and Fred Britton to cut through their chains. They than swam away from the Island, and this would have been very difficult as the jailers threw offal into the waters around the island to encourage the presence of sharks to stop escapes. Mary Ann hid Fred Ward and Fred Britton in a disused boiler in the Balmain area while they waited for the police to stop searching for them. The Police did not let it be known about the escape for sometime as no one had ever escaped from Cockatoo Island. Fred Ward and Fred Britton rode north, and Mary Ann followed. After a few weeks, Mary and Fred Ward moved to the Hunter Valley where Frederick Ward became known as the bushranger Captain Thunderbolt.

Frederick Wards escape from Cockatoo Island

Frederick Wards escape from Cockatoo Island

Although Fred and Mary had three children by March 1866, she helped Fred Ward and his gang. She could enter townships to buy supplies, find out the times that the coaches left the town and what route they would take, and find out any information about the police movements or the latest news without arousing suspicion, because she was part Aboriginal her knowledge of the bush helped ^[4] her to find food and shelter in the mountains. This included finding, catching and killing cattle.^[5] Mary Ann dressed like a young man wearing knee-length, Wellington boots, moleskin trousers, shirt, jacket and hat at a time when women didn't wear men's clothing.

Mary Ann was very proud to be married to Captain Thunderbolt and referred to herself as the Captain's Lady. With her help Captain Thunderbolt evaded capture for six years, the longest of any bushranger. Mary Ann also taught Fred Ward how to read and write. Mary was a loving mother despite being on the run, and she and Fred spent as much time as possible with their children .

In all, Mary Ann was charged three times with receiving stolen goods. Once while Mary Ann was being held at a station Fred Ward rescued her . ^[6]She was released after serving three months of a prison sentence; the reason most likely was some of the gentleman of the colony did not like that a woman was imprisoned. In his book 'Denny Day: The Life and Times of Australia's Greatest Lawman', the author records that Mary Ann's release in 1867 was in consequence of an investigation of the evidence in support of her conviction undertaken by the Maitland Gaol visiting magistrate and Maitland police magistrate Edward (Denny) Day^[7].

A letter to the editor of the Herald about the imprisonment of Mary Ann Ward

Mary Ann Ward released from prison

We are not sure how Mary Ann died because two death certificates have been found. One rumour is that while Mary Ann was in jail, Frederick Ward betrayed her with another woman Louisa Mason. Mary Ann gave police information about his movements, but if Mary Ann did give the police any information about Captain Thunderbolt the information was useless. The police did not find Fred Ward or his hideouts.

In early 1868 Mary's fourth child Frederick Wordsworth Ward was registered in Tamworth. Frederick Ward was named as the father. Mary Ann Ward was a mystery there are so many unanswered questions about her life. She was a remarkable woman who was ahead of her times, most members of the family believed Mary Ann died in 1867 and that she was also know as both Lousia Mason and Yellilong , that she stayed with Captain Thunderbolt until the very end.

Note from Barry Sinclair site

Mary Anne Burrows, a lady born in The Bay of Islands, New Zealand in 1836, 2 years after the birth of our Mary Ann. The death certificate of Mary Anne Burrows also clearly shows that this Mary Anne was married twice, - in 1850 to Patrick McNally, coincidently in Stroud, and around 1858 to John Burrows in Cooyal near Mudgee . It also shows her occupation as being a nurse. Her death certificate clearly shows she had 3 children to Patrick McNally at the same time as Mary Ann Bugg was married to Baker & could not possibly have married John Burrows. Her death certificate also shows that this Mary Anne Burrow's occupation was a Nurse, an occupation at no time attributed to Mary Ann Bugg, Thunderbolt's wife. Further the birth certificate of George Herbert Burrows on Sept 5th, 1876, (1876-15712) son of Mary Anne and John Burrows clearly shows his mothers maiden name was Mary Anne Burgess not Mary Ann.

It is thought Mary Ann's son Frederick birth was registered in 1868 but he was born in 1867.Once again this is not known for sure.

Sources

1. ↑ Mudgee History - COOYAL's own lady bushranger Mary Ann Bugg
2. ↑ Mary Ann Bugg birth certificate - Number 1494 vol:23A
3. ↑ Mary Ann Bugg and Edmund Baker Marriage Certificate - Number 518 Vol:33B
4. ↑ Article - The Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser Thursday 29 March 1866 Newspaper Article Mary Ann Ward helping Captain Thunderbolt find food and shelter while they were on the run
5. ↑ Article - Goulburn Evening Penny Post Saturday 4 April 1903 Australian Bushranging Thunderbolt Frederick Ward
6. ↑ Article - Imprisoment of Mrs Thunderbolt The Sydney Morning Herald Saturday 7 April 1866
7. ↑ Terry Smyth, 'Denny Day : the life and times of Australia's greatest lawman - the forgotten hero of the Myall Creek Massacre', North Sydney, NSW : Ebury Press, 2016 .pp.277-280

• New South Wales Australia Births Deaths and Marriages
• Australia Births and Baptisms, 1792-1981," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XTCF-4J5 : 11 February 2018), Mary Ann Bugg, 24 Feb 1839; citing ; FHL microfilm 993,952.
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 26 January 2021), memorial page for Mary Ann Bugg Burrows (7 May 1834–22 Apr 1905), Find a Grave Memorial no. 202242152, citing Mudgee General Cemetery, Mudgee, Mid-Western Regional Council, New South Wales, Australia ; Maintained by Anthony_Katon (contributor 48359809) Find A Grave: Memorial #202242152

See also:

• Roots Web - Birth registered after the death of his mother, Mary Ann, who died in November 1867 following his birth. He was baptised on Aug 31st,1868. The fathers name is given as Frederick Wordsworth Ward & the mother's name as Mary Ann Ward. Confirmed by an article in the Tenterfield Historical Society. 6/11/1941
• Mary Ann Bugg Wikipedia
• Newspaper Article - The Gundagai Independent and Pastoral, Agricultural and Mining Advocate Thursday 6 October 1927 - Memories of bad old days how Thunderbolt became a Bushranger story told by Half-Caste Wife
• Barry Sinclair - Mary Ann Bugg "Captain Thunderbolt's Lady" The wild colonial girl
• Hill End Family History
• Creations - Mary Ann Bugg the female Bushranger
• https://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2019-11-17/mary-ann-bugg-bushranger-partner-captain-thunderbolt/11699992?pfmredir=sm&fbclid=IwAR1dlGkFB2LxHibkGTx1WkAXhAuDS1ZzkplZ61pZWxi1G8dqW2HL9g9SXn0
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Ann_Bugg