Margaret Colclough

Margaret Colclough (or Coakley) was my 3rd great-grandmother. She was born in about 1812. In January 1831 whe was convicted at Waterford of stealing money - she was 18 years old. She had no prior convictions yet she was sentenced to 7 years transportation to New South Wales, Australia. She arrived at Sydney on 27 September 1831 on the ship "Hooghly" - her convict indent gives much personal description - single, 4 feet 11 and three quarter inches in height, Catholic, could read but not write, ruddy fair complexion, brown hair, blue eyes - she was employed by C. Windeyer - she had "behaved pretty well" on the voyage. Ten months later she was given permission to marry another convict, James Brown - Margaret was aged 20 and James 24 - the Church of England service was conducted through the parish of Maitland. The witnesses were both of Paterson's Plains where James had been appointed as Watch-house Keeper four months before the marriage so this is most probably where the marriage took place. Margaret obtained her Certificate of Freedom on 17 March 1838. It is not known when James died - he was often imprisoned for various offences - but it may have been before 1859 as it is most likely that Margaret married James Hume (1813-1861) though she claimed by be named Margaret Guest, a widow, at the marriage ceremony. She used the name Margaret Guest again when she gave permission for her under-aged daughter Annie to be married in 1863. Margaret died aged 63 at Copes Creek, near Inverell, New  South Wales - she had presumably been living with her daughter Margaret Jane Topper - William Topper, son-on-law, was listed as the informant.