Mary Ann (Draper) Watkins (1825 - 1899)

Born 1825 in Hertfordshire, England, United Kingdom

Wife of John Watkins — married 7 Aug 1848 in Hobart Town, Van Diemen's Land, Australia

Descendants

Died 28 Feb 1899 at about age 74 in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

Problems/Questions Profile manager: D O'Mara [send private message]

Biography

Mary Ann (Draper) Watkins was a convict after the Third Fleet transported to Van Diemen's Land

Mary Ann Draper, daughter of Joseph Draper & Anna Maria, was baptised on 18 September 1825 in Walkern, Hertford, England.^[1]

Mary Ann was found guilty of larceny for stealing a tableclosth from her mistress on 13 July 1843 in the Hertford General Sessions and sentenced to 7 years transportation. She was transported to Australia on the Emma Eugenia which left London England on November 1843 and arrived in Hobart, Van Diemens Land on April 1844.^[2]

She stated on board that her mistress accused her of taking a tablecloth and then she attempted to poison her mistress. She was found guilty of stealing the tablecloth but was aquitted of poisoning her mistress. This appears to be her first offence.

Mary Ann's father appears to have suicided after hearing his daughter had been arrested and he already had 2 sons transported to Australia. More details to come.

From her convict records we learn she is single, Church of England, a housemaid. 5'5" (same height as her future husband), 16 years old, brown hair with hazel eyes. Her Conduct Record and Appearance Record have more details of her physical appearance.^[2]

Her Conduct Records shows:

• a probation period of 6 months, but no detail of where she was stationed.
• granted a 2nd Class Pass 12 November 1844
• granted a 3rd Class Pass 29 April 1845
• sentenced to 10 days hard labour for being absent without leave 26 May 1847
• she had a miscarriage at the premises of her master Mr Hepworth and was detained on probation at the factory Hobart [Cascades perhaps]. Letter received 3 July 1847
• Ticket of Leave 4 July 1848
• Certificate of Freedom 19 January 1852

Her Indent Records indicates that at her native place of Walking (Walkern) Hertfordshire was her mother Hannah, sisters Sarah, Catherine, Eliza and Elizabeth and that her brother William had been transported to Sydney 12 years ago.

After being granted her Ticket of Leave, and 5 years after being transported, Mary Ann was granted permission to marry convict John Watkins^[3] and they married on 7 August 1848 in the Church of the Holy Trinity, Hobart, by banns and the rites of the Church of England. At the time of the marriage John's occupation is milkman, Mary Ann has no occupation listed and they were both single.^[4]

Mary Ann and William [John] had at least 10 children:

• Emma Watkins (1849– )
• Mary Ann Watkins (1850–1922)
• William Albert Watkins (1851- )
• Eliza Louisa Watkins (1853– )
• Elizabeth Watkins (1855–1895)
• John Joseph Watkins (1856–1858)
• John Watkins (1858– )
• Isaac Watkins (1859- )
• Sarah Watkins (1860–1891)
• Charles Henry Watkins (1865–1926)

Mary Ann appears to have gone on owning and at times running hotels after her husband William died.

Mary Ann died on 28 February 1899 in Hobart and her occupation hotel keeper.^[5][6] At the time of her death she was living at 291 Argyle Street, Hobart.

Mary Ann was buried in the Church of England section of the Cornelian Bay Cemetery.^[7] Buried in the same grave are her husband William (1812-1865); children John Joseph (1856-1858) and Sarah (1860–1891); grandchildren Rosina Thurza Hartland (1869-1874), Gladys Watkins ( -1890) and Horace Cummins Watkins (1887-1887); and John Banks (1822-1873).^[8] John Banks may be been a relative of Mary Ann's sister ??. ?? Draper married a Banks.

Research

Donna O'Mara believes John Watkins assumed the name William Watkins. He and Mary Ann ran one or more hotels in Tasmania including the Derwent Hotel. The name change may have been to distance themselves from their convict past and the name change probably happened after John was granted his convict Tickets of Leave/Pardons. It appears their son William changes his place of birth from Tasmania to Liverpool, perhaps for this same reason. This is active research.

More details can be added about his ownership of hotel/s (the Derwent Hotel seems to have a great reputation for stabling horse teams and good accomdation, this would match his previous occupation as a groom in England). His death was reported in the paper and that he left a wife and 10 children. Also his wife Mary Ann appears to have gone on owning and at times running hotels after he died. Trove is a good source of this information.

There were supposedly 2 Draper brothers transported to Australia - I wonder if the other one was dead by 1842/1843 when Mary Ann was transported.

10 children were reported in William's death notice but may not include any already dead - room for more research.

John Banks (1822-1873) is buried with Mary Ann, William and family. It appears there was a cllose relationship between Mary Ann and John. John died Mary Ann's hotel. Even though he was married Mary Ann was the sole beneficiary and executrix of his will. Land in his name was later transferred to Mary Ann. Sources to come from Trove and Tasmanian Archives. There doesn't appear to be a link between John Banks and Mary Ann's brother-in-law Alfred Banks who married Katherine Draper. Alfred and Katherine remained in England.

Sources

1. ↑ Baptism: "England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975"
   Original data: England, Births and Christenings, 1538-1975. Salt Lake City, Utah: FamilySearch, 2013; FHL Film Number: 991341
   Ancestry Record 9841 #66609882 (accessed 14 December 2023)
   Mary Ann Draper baptism on 18 Sep 1825, daughter of Joseph Draper & Anna Maria, in Walkern, Hertford, England.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Convict Mary Ann Draper: "Convicts"
   Tasmanian Archives, NAME_INDEXES:1388657
   https://libraries.tas.gov.au/Record/NamesIndex/1388657 (accessed 14 January 2024)
3. ↑ Convict Permission to Marry: Convict Permission to Marry record. 1829-1857 Index to convict applications for permission to marry (via the Names Index). Tasmanian Archives:CON52/1/2 Page 349. https://stors.tas.gov.au/CON52-1-2p182j2k (accessed 11 January 2024). John Watkins and Mary Ann Draper.
4. ↑ Marriage: Tasmanian Marriages. https://stors.tas.gov.au/RGD37-1-7p71j2k, Tasmanian Archives:John Watkins, 4267 and Mary Ann Draper, (accessed 13 January 2024). John Watkins marriage to Mary Ann Draper on 7 Aug 1848, Hobart, Tasmania.
5. ↑ Death:Tasmanian Deaths, Tasmanian Archives (accessed 14 Jan 2024). https://stors.tas.gov.au/RGD35-1-68p411j2k Name: Watkins, Mary Ann
   Record Type: Deaths
   Gender: Female
   Age: 74
   Spouse: Watkins, William
   Date of death: 28 Feb 1899
   Registered: Hobart
   Registration year: 1899
   Record ID: NAME_INDEXES:1142992
   Resource: RGD35/1/68 no 794
6. ↑ Death Notice: "Trove, National Library of Australia"
   The Mercury (Hobart, Tas. : 1860 - 1954), Wed 1 Mar 1899, Page 1 : Family Notices
   Trove Article (accessed 14 January 2024)

   WATKINS.—On February 28, at her late residence, 291, Argyle-street, Mary Ann, relict of the late William Watkins, in the 75th year of her age. " Safe in the arms of Jesus."

7. ↑ Burial of Mary Ann Watkins 1899: "Deaths"
   Tasmanian Archives, NAME_INDEXES:1569838
   https://libraries.tas.gov.au/Record/NamesIndex/1569838 (accessed 14 January 2024)
8. ↑ Memorial: Find a Grave (no image)
   Find A Grave: Memorial #212783771 (accessed 14 January 2024)
   Memorial page for Mary Ann Watkins (1824-2 Mar 1899), citing Cornelian Bay Cemetery And Crematorium, Hobart, Hobart City, Tasmania, Australia (plot: Church Of England, Y, Number 7); Maintained by Tanya Murray (contributor 49442830).