Summaries of the Lives of Four Convicts in Australia

Mary Hurley, John Copas, William Guthrick, and, Mary Carey
  
Information from the History Services NSW Databases contained in the following genealogical summaries of the four convicts and their immediate families is shown in italics.

William Guthrick

William Guthrick arrived in the colony of NSW on the 21 October 1819 on the `Grenada' which had sailed from England on 8 May 1819 with a cargo of 152 male convicts. The journey, via Rio de Janiero, took 166 days to complete with the ship arriving in the colony on 21 October 1819. William, who had been a labourer, was court martialled in Cambray, France on 17 June 1818 and given a life sentence.

The following information is contained in the ship’s Indent of the `Grenada' on William Guthrick:

The records of History Services reveal that William was assigned to George Street on
25 March 1822. He had previously been assigned to the Windsor Road Party.

The 1828 Census of NSW revealed that William Guthrick (Guthrie) was employed at
`Grose Farm' and resided at `Longbottom'. These establishments were two of the
three public agricultural establishments of the time. The third public farm was situated
at Emu Plains. On 18 July 1829 William was granted a Ticket of Leave for the Nepean
District. This was altered to Sydney District on 10 September 1829. William was granted
a Conditional Pardon on 21 November 1835.

William's freedom was shortlived. On 8 October 1836 he was sentenced to 7 years
transportation at the Quarter Sessions, Sydney. It appears he applied to marry Mary
Carey soon after this period of transportation had expired.

By January 1847 William Guthrick had died and Mary had moved to the Illawarra area.
During Mary and William's short married life it appears they had at least one male child.

It was in Wollongong during 1847 that Mary Carey, aged 30 years and while still a
convict married her second husband, John Copas alias Coops then aged 43 years.
Mary Carey received a Conditional Pardon on 21 August 1849.

[Source: History Services NSW Convict Database].

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Kevin McGuinness