Mary (Cleaver) Baughan (abt. 1760)

Born about 1760 in England

Wife of John Baughan — married 17 Feb 1788 in C of E, Sydney, New South Wales Australia

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Mary (Cleaver) Baughan was a convict on the First Fleet.

Biography

Mary was born about 1760.

Mary Cleaver was sometimes known as Mary Cleaves in court records. She was tried at the Quarter Sessions court, on 4 April 1786, at Bristol for the felony, "a burglary in the house of Edward Relly".^[1] She was sentenced to 7 years transportation.

Sent to Dunkirk hulk.

Arrived per Charlotte 26 Jan 1788, at Sydney

Marriage 17 February 1788 to John Baughan, a convict of the first fleet ship "Friendship". John Baughan signed and Mary Clever marked with a cross. They were married by Richard Johnson, Chaplain, witness: John Hassa[?], signed.[4]

Mary's son James was baptised 27 March 1788 but sadly died the following day. Was John the father? It is possible that John and Mary had known one another on the Dunkirk Hulk. Or was James born on the voyage? - To check

John and Mary had two more children who died in infancy: Charlotte, (baptised 30 May 1789 – died August 1780) and Charles (baptised. 18th Jul 1790 - died August 1790).

In 1791 her husband was granted fifty acres (20 ha) at the foot of Prospect Hill near Parramatta but apparently did not settle there, as his skills as a carpenter and millwright were much needed in Sydney town where he was foreman of carpenters

In 1794 John erected a grinding mill in Sydney and he was commissioned to build another mill.

Baughan was granted a small lease near Dawes Point where he erected 'a neat cottage', and established an attractive garden.

On 4 February 1796, she had a terrifying experience when soldiers invaded and wrecked their house.

Her husband John died in 25 September 1797 in Sydney.

Following John’s death, Mary left the colony for England aboard Reliance, arriving Portsmouth on 5 September 1800.

Once more back in the colony by 1802 she was living with Blacksmith Richard Harding (Britannia 1791).

In the 1806 muster, she is Mary "Borne", Arrived per ship Charlotte, Current Status: Free by Servitude; [Lives with] Richard Harding.

In 1808 the title of a property at 4 Hunter Street Sydney was transferred to Mary by a James Cleaver (Scarborough 1790), in consideration of love and affection, which probably suggests that she was a close relation, possibly a sister.^[2]

She and Richard Harding both sailed for England in July 1819 by Surry.

Research Notes

It is unknown what happened to Mary.

She is not the "Mary Cleever", settler of Prospect, aged 47, who was buried 19 February 1828 St John's Parramatta by Reverend John Vincent. This is Mary Pearsell (Aeolus 1809) the wife of James Cleaver who is possibly Mary Cleaver's brother

Sources

1. ↑ Cobley, John. The Crimes of the First Fleet Convicts / Compiled and with a Preface by John Cobley. Sydney]: Angus and Robertson, 1970, p.55.
2. ↑ Flynn, Michael, The Second Fleet – Britain’s Grim Convict Armada of 1790, p.207

• Gillen, Mollie, The Founders of Australia – A Biographical Dictionary of The First Fleet
• Cobley, John. The Crimes of the First Fleet Convicts / Compiled and with a Preface by John Cobley. Sydney]: Angus and Robertson, 1970
• Timbury, Cheryl, JOHN BAUGHAN : MARY CLEAVER Blog article, First Fleet Fellowship Victoria April 5, 2016 https://firstfleetfellowship.org.au/convicts/female-convicts/john-baughan-mary-cleaver/
• Biographical report for Mary CLEAVER, Biographical Database of Australia (BDA) (subription required) https://www.bda-online.org.au/mybda/search/biographical-report/10011013301?f=mary&l=cleaver&ol=&i=1&s=&p=
• State Records of NSW

First name(s) Mary

Last name Cleaver

Conviction year 1786

Place convicted Bristol

County convicted Gloucestershire

Country convicted England

Sentence 7 Years

Arrival year -

Ship name -

Series Office Copies Of Printed Indents 1831-1842 (Nrs 12189)

Reel 2662

New South Wales Convict Arrivals

First name(s) Mary

Last name Cleaver

Arrival date 26 January 1788

Ship name Charlotte

State New South Wales

Country Australia

Record set New South Wales Convict Arrivals

http://indexes.records.nsw.gov.au/ebook/digitalcontent.aspx?id=12188_4_4003A_0046

• BDM NSW

Marriage record

First name(s) John

Last name Baughan

Denomination Church Of England

Marriage year 1788

Registration year 1788

Registration district Sydney, St Phillip's

State New South Wales

Country Australia

Spouse's first name(s) Mary

Spouse's last name Clever

Registration number -

Volume reference V178819 4