At the age of 17 years, Maria Israel was arrested in London and indicted for the theft of two pieces of muslin valued at three pounds, from a haberdasher’s shop near Leicester Square on the 6th April 1789.
She appeared before Mr Baron Hotham at the Old Bailey Sessions of 22nd April 1789.She had no defence counsel at her trial but she sharply questioned the prosecutor in the witness box, attempting to discredit his evidence. She claimed she had paid for her goods and, as she was leaving the shop, the shopman came out with some muslin in his hand, and accusing her of stealing it. In spite of this, she was found guilty of stealing and sentenced to seven years transportation.
On 7th May, barely two weeks after her conviction, she was embarked on the Lady Juliana, which was moored in the Thames, London. She remained on board for nearly three months prior to departure to Australia, sailing from Plymouth on 29th July 1789.
Soon after her arrival at Botany Bay, Maria was among 194 convicts sent to Norfolk Island aboard the Surprize arriving on 7 August 1790, along with her future partner, Thomas Chaffey (b. 1762, tried Old Bailey per Scarborough).
In August 1791 she was issued with a pig in her own right. At about the same time she was living with Thomas Chaffey on a farm at Cascade (Phillipburgh). (For further information see biography of Thomas Chaffey).
Maria Israel died on 19 October 1849 at Hobart, age given as 88, only 17 days after her husband’s death. The Chaffey family are buried in St David’s Cemetery, Hobart.
Acknowledgements
Talbot, Terence A, “A Brief History of the Chaffey’s Point Chaffeys”, ISBN 0 646 26729 9.
Copyright © 2003 Pam Ellis & Thomas Chaffey