Mary Broad Bryant

[sam1]

I have been informed that Mary Broad Bryant is an ancestor of mine. I would love to find out for sure, but don't know where to start!
she was transported to Australia in 1700's, escaped, was recaptured and sent back to UK, where she received a free pardon.

Does anyone have any information they could share with me and advise me on where to start and how?!

Thanks

[Sandra Parker]

If you think she was transported to Oz in 1780's, she may have been part of the 'First Fleet'. Try searching https://firstfleet.uow.edu.au/ and https://www.convictcentral.com/index.html which may give you a few clues.
Sandra

[Pam Downes]

If you're searching the First Fleet URL given by Sandra you will need to search under Mary Braund. (Many thanks for that link Sandra.)
Having watched 'The incredible journey of Mary Bryant' I was also interested in anything I could find. Couldn't find her under Mary Broad so searched for William Bryant instead, where I found the link to Mary Braund.
Can't find anything about her in the Times Digital Archive. Bit disappointed about that as the programme gave the impression that she was the talk of London on her return and I thought that there might have been something about her being granted a free pardon.
Pam

[Peter Goodey]

This was discussed on s.g.b today and the consensus was that nothing is known about her life after her return to Cornwall. There's a challenge for you!

It was suggested that her baptism at Fowey in 1765 is on the IGI.

[Diane Grant-Salmon]

This was discussed on s.g.b today and the consensus was that nothing is known about her life after her return to Cornwall. There's a challenge for you!


It was suggested that her baptism at Fowey in 1765 is on the IGI.

Sorry to be a pest Peter, but what does s.g.b. stand for please? I watched the TV programme too and I thought that they had pardoned her, because then she would be a 'nine day wonder' and quickly forgotten, rather than making her a martyr ...... looks like this is what happened!

[Peter Goodey]

Sorry. s.g.b = soc.genealogy.britain - a newsgroup. Worth keeping an eye on. When they manage to stop slagging each other off, some pretty knowledgable people hang out there.

The Mary Bryant threads can also be seen via Google at -

https://tinyurl.com/gu54b

and, because some people haven't mastered the technology, at -

https://tinyurl.com/hfcuo

[Diane Grant-Salmon]

Many thanks Peter ...... I'll have a look at the links you posted.

[John]

Blarst, I recently read a book about escaping Australian convicts, mary Bryant was covered in some detail.What luck, it's on the shelves at the moment.

The book is called Great Convict Escapes in colonial Australia. written by Warwick Hirst it is published by Kangaroo Press and the ISBN 0 7318 1202 6

A fascinating read even if you have no convicts in your family.

John

[Burrow Digger]

I'm going to be the devils advocate here.

What proof do you have that you are a descendent? Have you followed the certificates from your birth all the way back to one of her children that specifically names her as their mother? Thats how you start.

Being informed that you are a descendent doesnt mean that you are one without the proof.

BD

[Peter Goodey]

"What proof do you have that you are a descendent"

Well, quite. It needed saying.

Sam1 says he or she doesn't know where to start. Well, there's a simple answer. Start with yourself! Work backwards - parents, grandparents, great grandparents and so on until you reach a point where you've either proved or disproved this family legend.

Please see what I reported before to the effect that "nothing is known about her life after her return to Cornwall" (I've no idea whether it's true or not). You could stand to make quite a name for yourself here!

There could be a second TV series in this with Sam1 as consultant.