Elizabeth McConchie (1815 - 1838)

Born 22 Apr 1815 in Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Died 17 Jan 1838 at age 22 in Richmond, Tasmania, Australia

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Aliases

First Name: Elizth, Elisabeth, Elizabeth Family name: Conchie Mc, Conck, Maconochie ^[1]

Apparently named after her maternal grandmother (Elisabeth). Elisabeth (McMillan) McConchie

Biography

The earliest documented McConchie in Australia (as of latest research).

Elizabeth was born on 22 April 1815 in Kirkcudbright. She was the daughter of Freeland McConchie, aka Freiland Conck and Janet Sturgeon. Her birth was registered under the name 'Elisabeth Conck'. ^[2]

Daughter of Freeland McConchie (aka Feiland Conck), weaver, from Kirkcudbright, Dumfries, Scotland. ^[3]

Physical Description

All convicts were entered into a log capturing a physical description using a template, presumably at induction into HM facility Van Dieman's Land. In a world before photography this was a practical way to help identify a prisoner. (Full links to all these logs can be found in the Tasmanian Archives. ^[4]

At the reported age of 16, according to the Description List of Female Convicts (CON19), Elizabeth's physical description was described as follows: Height: 5' 4" Complexion: Sallow Head: M [medium] size Hair: Brown Visage: Oval Forehead: Low perpenr [perpendicuar] Eyebrows: Brown Eyes: D [dark] brown Nose: Small Mouth: Small Chin: Broad Marks: Natural brown mark rt [right] corner of mouth ^{[1] [4]}

Trade

Her trade was listed as House Servant. ^{[1] [4]}

Marital Status

Single ^{[1] [4]}

Religion

Listed as 'kirk', meaning 'church', presumably referring to Presbyterian Church of Scotland. ^{[1] [4]}

Known history

Trial

When 16 years old she was accused of theft. The court session ran from 10-11th April covering other trials including five separate cases of unlawful destruction of game (incl pheasants) and rabbits, assault of two game keepers, cattle stealing, housebreaking and theft, domestic violence and various other thefts. ^{[5] [6]} On 10th April 1832 Elizabeth was tried at Dumfries Court of Justiciary, Scotland. The court papers record the crime as "theft, habit and repute" which appears to mean the charge is for multiple-occasions and is known to others by reputation as a thief which is consistent with the Caledonian newspaper Circuit Intelligence section noting her being "charged with committing various acts of theft, at various dates". ^[6]

She confessed as guilty to theft in the area of Laigh or Low Banks, Kirkcudbright. She was sentenced to 7 years of transportation to Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania). (The victim of the theft in the case is listed as Jean McCreath.) ^[7] In a trial in the same court, on the same day several other individuals are each sentenced to 7 years' transportation for theft. Whilst this punishment sounds very severe to modern earns, it likely represents a standard if not lenient sentence in context. On the same occasion, there are several similar cases with much more severe punishments. The judge handed down a 14 years transportation sentence upon Joseph Hughes reported as "a mere boy", after pleading guilty to various dates of stealing. Similarly, two boys James McGie and James Jeffery were both accused of stealing, both being thieves by habit and repute, same as Elizabeth. With a prior conviction McGie was sentenced to 14 years transportation and James Jefferey who is "did not appear so hardened" to 7. ^[8]

Voyage

Elizabeth travelled on convict transport ship Frances Charlotte. ^[9] Voyage dates: Departure from Port Downs, England 15th September 1832 Arrival Hobart, Van Dieman's Land (Tasmania, Australia) 10th January 1833. ^[10] No medical entries regarding her in the ship surgeon's log book for duration of voyage. ^[11]

Whilst the ship passenger manifest notes five female convict deaths [1], another source, the ship surgeon and superintendent John Osborne, notes in his medical and surgical journal of ship, deaths of seven convict women, one boy, plus three of the ship's crew during the period of the voyage. ^[12]

The Conduct Register notes: Convict number 214

Female Convicts of Van Dieman's Land Convict ID: 5296 ^[1]

Experience in VDL

Original sentence end date: 10 April 1839.

On 8th February 1837 her original sentence of transportation was extended by 12 months, with a new freedom date of 10 April 1840. ^[1]

On her life in Tasmania Female Convicts Research Centre Inc reports as follows:

"Elizabeth did not have a happy time in the colony. She had eight masters in five years, and was charged and sentenced on multiple occasions; in total Elizabeth was sentenced to solitary confinement 7 times and the solitary working cells at hard labour for one month.

After just five years in the colony, Elizabeth died at the Richmond Gaol on 17th January 1838. She would have been 21 years of age. Elizabeth, at the time of her death was serving her seventh sentence of solitary confinement - 25 days in the Richmond Gaol’s solitary confinement cells for being absent without leave from her master, and gross disorderly conduct. ^[13]

Death

She passed away 17th January 1838 whilst in solitary confinement at Richmond Gaol, Richmond, Tasmania, just one year and three months before her original freedom date. ^[14]

Her cause of death is recorded by the panel of coronial inquest as 'died by the visitation of God', a contemporaneous euphemism for an unknown or misunderstood cause. ^[14]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6} https://femaleconvicts.org.au/registration/access-the-database FCRC Female Convicts in Van Dieman's Land database, entry for Elizabeth McConchie ID no 5296, accessed 19-04-2024
2. ↑ "Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950", , FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XYM2-4Q8 : 12 February 2020), Freiland Conck in entry for Elisabeth Conck, .
3. ↑ 'High Court of Justiciary Trial Papers', NRS Reference JC26/1832/28; Index, Scottish Indexes (https://www.scottishindexes.com/jcentry.aspx?jcid=1832028: accessed 22 Apr 2024); Original Source: National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh, Scotland. (https://www.scottishindexes.com/jcentry.aspx?jcid=1832028)
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4} CON19 permalink for Eliz. Mc specifically TBC https://librariestas.ent.sirsidynix.net.au/client/en_AU/tas/search/results?qu=%22con19%22
5. ↑ https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000045/18320421/029/0003, Caledonian Mercury - Saturday 21 April 1832, accessed online
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0000540/18320418/032/0003?browse=true Caledonian Mercury - Wednesday 18 April 1832, accessed online 19 April 2024.
7. ↑ 'High Court of Justiciary Trial Papers', NRS Reference JC26/1832/28; Index, Scottish Indexes (https://www.scottishindexes.com/jcdetail.aspx?jcid=1832028&pid=183202801: accessed 22 Apr 2024); Original Source: National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh, Scotland.
8. ↑ Newspaper add Caledonian ref
9. ↑ National Archives reference HO 11/8, Page 411. https://www.wikitree.com/photo/jpg/McConchie-229-1.
10. ↑ Female Convicts VDL db Elizabeth McConchie ID 5296
11. ↑ The National Archives, Medical and surgical journal of HM convict ship Francis Charlotte, ADM101/28/5, https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4106608# Accessed 19 April 2024.
12. ↑ The National Archives, ADM 101/28/5, https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4106608: accessed on 19th April 2024
13. ↑ Female Convicts Research Center Inc, https://femaleconvicts.org.au/convict-institutions/punishments?view=article&id=420:solitary-confinement&catid=69: accessed on 19th April 2024.
14. ↑ ^{14.0 14.1} Tasmanian Archives, SC195/1/3 Inquest 171, McConchie, Elizabeth https://libraries.tas.gov.au/Digital/SC195-1-3/SC195-1-3-171, https://www.wikitree.com/photo/jpg/McConchie-229#

• Historical records at Richmond Gaol, Tasmania. See photos

'High Court of Justiciary Trial Papers', NRS Reference JC26/1832/28; Index, Scottish Indexes (https://www.scottishindexes.com/jcdetail.aspx?jcid=1832028&pid=183202876: accessed 18 Apr 2024); Original Source: National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh, Scotland. Court record from Scottish Indexes Also see: https://catalogue.nrscotland.gov.uk/nrsonlinecatalogue/details.aspx?reference=AD14%2f32%2f80&st=1&tc=y&tl=n&tn=n&tp=n&k=Elizabeth+mcconchie&ko=a&r=&ro=s&df=&dt=&di=y

https://catalogue.nrscotland.gov.uk/nrsonlinecatalogue/overview.aspx?st=1&tc=y&tl=n&tn=n&tp=n&k=Elizabeth+mcconchie&ko=a&r=&ro=s&df=&dt=&di=y

Tasmanian Supreme Court (Regristrar's Office), Item number SC195/1/3, Inquest No. 171, https://libraries.tas.gov.au/Digital/SC195-1-3/SC195-1-3-171

National Archives reference HO 11/8 used under license: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

National Archives reference HO 11/8, Page 411

Medical and surgical journal of HM convict ship Francis Charlotte from 28th July 1832 to 15 January 1833 by John Osborne. https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4106608

Female Convicts Female Convicts Research Centre Inc. Website 3. Richmond Goal records - see photos

Conduct registers for female convicts Tasmanian Archive, 1832 - CON40-1-1 Image 341 https://libraries.tas.gov.au/Digital/CON40-1-1/CON40-1-1P341

Summary of Elizabeth McConchie, Libraries Tasmania. https://librariestas.ent.sirsidynix.net.au/client/en_AU/names/search/detailnonmodal/ent:$002f$002fNAME_INDEXES$002f0$002fNAME_INDEXES:1416081/one?qu=Elizabeth&qu=mcconchie

Other sources

About Caledonian Mercury Newspaper: [https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/titles/caledonian-mercury?ds_kid=39700073549676205&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwuJ2xBhA3EiwAMVjkVMX_vUt_ICLnye2P-gtCTxQnmqDIP-kXnENrVEgyThy5-nM3u4fOeRoCWA8QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds https://convictrecords.com.au/convicts/mcconchie/elizabeth/102381]