Molly Haydock Research Paper

Molly Haydock was born on May 12, 1777 in Bury Lancashire, England. Molly was the only natural child for parents James Haydock and Jane Haydock (nee Law). In 1780, when Molly was three years old both her parents died and she was raised by her Grandmother. Molly’s name changed and she was considered as Mary Haydock.

Mary attended Blackburn Grammar School, where she was an excellent and clever pupil. Mary’s family were Middle Class landowners and Catholics. When Mary’s Grandmother passed away no other family members wanted her so she was sent to the Dickensian orphanage also known as the School of Female Industry. The children were treated harshly at these orphanages and they slept on the floor on thin mattresses filled with straw. They were

On the ship Mary was surrounded by murderers, pickpockets and women of the streets. Mary who had just turned fifteen, experienced things that normal fifteen year old girls’ wouldn’t have seen. These included things like childbirths, fist-fights and deaths. This would have been pretty confronting for Mary but her early childhood living in the orphanage and her life on the streets would have prepared her a little bit for the overwhelming experience and the harsh realities of convict life. Mary and eighty-seven other female convicts spent most of their time in the hold of the ship without access to any basic amenities such as, washing facilities, food, water, toilets and clean clothes. The food served on the ship was half-putrid or mouldy and the ship was also infested with lice, rats and cockroaches. The convicts had to tolerate terrible smells including body odour, rancid food and human excrement. The convicts were occasionally allowed out onto the top deck to exercise. It was a tradition on convict ships for male crew members to choose a temporary wife. Mary’s strict Quaker upbringing meant she was disgusted by this tradition. She continued to wear the tattered trousers and smock she was sent to prison in and kept herself as unattractive as possible to escape being

Mary and Thomas had seven children these include the eldest Thomas born 6/5/1796, James born 2/10/1798, George born 2/2/1801, Celia born 1/2/1803, Eliza born 16/51805, Jane Penelope born 14/12/1807 and Elizabeth 8/3/1810

Soon after their marriage, the couple were granted some land on the Hawkesbury River. They live there for a while but Thomas preferred sailing than farming so he went back to transporting grain and timber to Sydney by sea, Mary looked after the farm. They later brought more farms around the area and placed managers to look after them. In 1806 Mary moved back to Sydney there she opened a general store in George Street. Thomas opened a bakery which Mary undertook the management of while Thomas still engaged in the Costal Shipping Trade. In 1807 they bought land near what is now known as Macquarie Place and there they built a house. In 1809 Thomas went to India and became very ill, he returned and two years later he was still unwell and died in 1811. Mary was left with a massive responsibility of looking after her seven children as well as properties and businesses. In 1816, was the year Mary became a wealthy women as she owned a house and a store in George Street, Macquarie Place, a store at Cockle Bay, Seven farms across a 1000 acres on the Hawkesbury River Flats, Small fleet of vessels trading along the coast. Mary and her family could not escape the ‘Convict Taint ‘which excluded