M: Mary Stephens -Orphan Girl AtoZ Challenge

Earl Grey Orphan Scheme

The Blogging from A to Z April Challenge is an annual challenge put out to bloggers, to publish a post from A-Z, every day in April, except for Sundays. April 1 is A, April 2 is B……….and so on throughout the month. Participants can post on a chosen theme or publish random posts with no theme at all.

Theme
My theme for 2025 is The Earl Grey Orphan Scheme. I became interested in the scheme when I realised that my great great grandmother was an Earl Grey Girl, who came to Australia as part of the scheme. This scheme was a government sponsored program designed to give young, impoverished Irish girls a chance at a better life in Australia

Mary Stephens - Orphan Girl
Mary Stephens was an Earl Grey orphan, who came to Australia on the Inchinnan in 1848. There was trouble during the voyage, which is outlined in the following newspaper articles.

from: from: The Sydney Morning Herald, Thursday March 8, 1849¹

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT
Wednesday, March 7
Before His Honor, Mr. Justice Manning
ASSAULT ON THE HIGH SEAS
Alexander Taylor, late chief officer of the ship Inchinnan was indicted for that he, on the 13th day of December last, on board the said ship, then being on the high seas, on the body of one Mary Stevens, an immigrant by the said ship, did make an assault, by casting and throwing the said Mary Stevens on the deck of the said vessel; and by beating with his hand and a certain stick; and by kicking the said Mary Stevens - to her great damage and injury.

The Attorney General conducted the case for the Crown. Mr. Holroyd, counsel for the prisoner; attorneys - Messrs. Nichols and Williams.

The Attorney General stated the case. The charge against the prisoner was an assault, and therefore only a misdemeanour, and as such punishable only by fine and imprisonment; but nevertheless there were circumstances which gave much importance to this case. They were all aware that immigration on an extensive scale had been recommenced, and that numbers of people, whose only crime was their poverty, were sent out here, to relieve their own state of destitution and to supply the want of labour here.

It was important that these immigrants should be brought out in a proper way, and although it was necessary to a certain extent that the captain and the officers of the vessel should have a control over the immigrants, yet it would be better that immigration should cease altogether than that such ruffianism should be allowed as was charged against the prisoner. The agreement with the contractors expressly stipulated there should be no intercourse whatever between the immigrants and the officers or crew, and the necessity of such stipulation was too obvious to require comment. The learned Attorney General then entered into a brief outline of the facts as detailed in the following evidence.

Mary Stevens, sworn:
Was an immigrant on board the Inchinnan; the prisoner was chief officer of the ship; the immigrants were under the control and direction of the doctor of the vessel; it was the duty of the mate to serve out the provisions every morning; he served them out near the after hatch between decks; remembered one morning about a fortnight before Christmas, calling out about a wrapper; witness got up from her bed while the prisoner was weighing out provisions; her berth was exactly four berths beyond where prisoner was weighing provisions; she called out to ask if any of the girls had her wrapper in their berths, as it was not in her own; the prisoner told her not to raise any noise about her wrapper; she said she had made no noise about it, she had only asked the girls civilly for it; he said he would have no noise about it; witness was up in her petticoat, she wanted the wrapper to put on, and said she would have it; the prisoner then come to her and struck her with a long handled broom, and struck her three blows with it - one on the shoulder, one on the hip, and one on the side; was standing on the deck, about a yard from the table, when he came up to her; was not standing when he struck her; he pulled her down, and she lay on the deck while he struck her; before she could rise from the deck he kicked her in the side; he wore strong shoes; she felt hurt in the side, more from the kick in the left side than from the blow; experienced bad effects from the treatment, and was sick for some days after, and spit blood; the blood spitting had continued ever since up to the present time, but it had been better since she left; mentioned it to the doctor; was sure she gave no provocation to the prisoner beyond what she had told; there were a number of the girls standing round; a girl named Mary Barret was close by, and Jane Monaghan was also near.

Cross examined by Mr. Holroyd :
There were more than 100 girls on board the ship; they were all between decks from one end of the ship to the other; witness's berth was exactly four berths from where he weighed out the provisions; when he weighed out the provisions there was generally a great concourse of girls around him; there was on the morning in question; there were two girls slept in each berth; her berth was about six or eight yards from the place where the provisions were weighed out; was struck with the broom handle on the left shoulder, side, and hip, and kicked on the left side; they were pretty hard blows, and hurt her; she cried; she made no complaint to the Doctor till she got sick, a few days after; the assault took place about a fortnight before Christmas ; it was a few days after that she was put on the sick list for spitting of blood; it was not more than a fortnight after he struck her that she complained to the Doctor of spitting blood; it was about ten or twelve days after she was struck that she first was put on Doctor's list; did not show the Doctor the bruises on her shoulder, hip, or side; the Doctor never examined her undressed; she showed the bruises to Jane Mahon and Mary Barret the same morning she received them; did not remember ever tumbling down a ladder; never got a fall while on board the ship; knew Biddy Farrell, of Ballinasloe; never told her that she had fallen down the ladder and hurt herself, either on board or since she had been landed; there was no little love affair between prisoner and myself, and no jealousy; was struck with the lower part of the sweeping brush; spit blood immediately after, and complained to the Doctor ten or twelve days after; did not think she complained to the Doctor six days after; knew a girl named Kitty McKegg; she was there at the time; she slept in the next berth but one to witness; the Doctor took her to the police office to give information of the assault; the prisoner did not say, when witness asked about the wrapper, "make less noise, and go on deck;" he did tell her to make less noise; Kitty McKegg must have seen the prisoner kick and strike her if she did not shut her eyes; did not go up on deck immediately after; went up about 8 o'clock for Mrs. Martelly's tea water; the Doctor did not urge witness to bring this matter forward; knew that the prisoner and the Doctor had had a quarrel on board the ship.

Re-examined. - The Doctor took witness to Mr. Merewether, and she was sent from there with an inspector to the Police Office; knew nothing about the quarrel between the mate and the Doctor; told Mrs. Martelly before she told the Doctor of the assault; told her the same day; don't know that Mrs. Martelly saw the assault this day; had no particular acquaintance with Kitty M'Kegg; had not spoken to her much about the matter; the defendant always called Kitty to assist in serving out the provisions; did not know whether she was a favourite of his or not.

Mary Barret, another immigrant per Inchinan, sworn:
Knew the prisoner Taylor; he was chief mate of the ship; remembered Mary Stevens asking about a wrapper; she asked the girls of her own mess if they had her wrapper; the mate was serving out the provisions and asked what noise was that; she said she was only asking for her wrapper from her own girls; he said she should not make a noise; she said she was not making a noise; he came to her with the broom and struck her several times on the left side; she went crying to her berth, and got on the form, when he came and pulled her down off the form on to the ground, and while there kicked her on the side; he said he would make her a tame girl before she got to Sydney; never knew Mary Stevens ill before this beating; she was taken ill some days after; about a quarter of an hour after, Mary Stevens showed her some black marks on her hip; she took to her bed a few days after the assault; he pulled her down from the form and threw her down; was standing close by Mary Stevens when the assault took place; there were many girls there.

Cross examined by Mr. Holroyd:
Did not recollect when the assault took place, but it was shortly after it that Mary Stevens took to her bed; it might be a week after, but it was not a fortnight after; Mary Stevens was a quiet girl; Kitty McKegg was present weighing out the provisions; she was called the third mate; never knew Mary Stevens to complain of bowel complaint; never asked the mate to give her a glass of brandy for Mary Stevens because she had a bowel complaint; she showed witness the marks on her left hip; saw no marks on the side; it was after the prisoner had struck her with the brush that he pulled her off the form and kicked her.

Re-examined:
After Mary Stevens took to her bed, the mate came and was very attentive to her, and offered to get any thing for her she might want.

Jane Mahon, another immigrant, gave much the same version of the story.

Mrs. Martelly :
Was one of the late matrons of the emigrants on board the ship Inchinnan; knew Mary Stevens, she acted as servant to witness part of the voyage; remembered a quarrel about a wrapper; was in her berth at the time; heard the mate's voice and Mary's voice; looked out of her berth and saw a crowd, and tussling going on; could see that the prisoner was beating Mary Stevens, and then the latter disappeared in the crowd ; Mary Stevens came into witness's berth some time after; she cried a long time, and complained of being hurt; she was ill after that morning, and was unable to attend to witness's child, as she had hitherto done; she went about from place to place, lying down where she could; she complained of being very sore; saw her spit blood at intervals for some weeks after; witness called the attention of the doctor to her after the second assault.

Cross-examined :
Remembered Mary Stevens complaining of bowel complaint after both first and second assault; she had a cough after the assault ; she had no cough before; there was a mark of a bruise on her shoulder.

Wilson Ramsay, surgeon-superintendent of the immigrant ship Inchinnan, was a member of the London College of Surgeons; remembered the date when Mary Stevens complained to witness of injuries; did not remember the date when the assault took place; the mate told him of it; he said he had thrashed her about some and; had not seen any assault before, or heard of any from the mate; remembered attending Mary Stevens for illness; it was on the 23rd January she first complained to witness; she complained of spitting blood.

Mrs. Hickey complained to me of her being ill before; she was put on the sick list on the 23rd January; she had complained to witness ten days before; it was after the mate said he had thrashed her that she complained; thought it was some time in December that the mate told him so, but could not say whether it was before or after Christmas Day: on the 23rd January she was very ill, spitting blood; believed the spitting blood to have arisen from external violence on the side and breast, they were sore; examined her chest and side, she was seriously ill for some days; she had a recurrence of similar symptoms on the 5th of February; thought she would likely be subject to similar attack, still; she was not removed from her own berth, but was waited on there by Mary Barrett, and also saw Mrs. Martelly with her. First saw her spit blood on the 23rd January; did not examine her side or hip. Blows on the hip would not produce spitting of blood; did not call Mary Stevens a girl of plethoric temperament; considered it extraordinary for a girl like her to spit blood; it would depend a good deal on the patient whether blows inflicted on the side on the 13th December would cause spitting of blood on the 23rd January; it would be more likely to cause immediate spitting of blood.

The blood was from the lungs; it might arise from incipient consumption, sometimes without illness at all; she might have blood spitting without having suffered any violence; blood spitting was more likely to take place in a young girl than in an old person; the spitting of blood in this instance was not accompanied by fever; she complained of pain in the side; she came under my care again on the 15th of February, and then again complained of pain in her side; never saw blood spit by Mary Stevens but once; was not on good terms with the prisoner during the voyage, or at present; they had words and disputes; he could not call them quarrels.

Re-examined :
Was on good terms with the the mate the first part of the voyage; was not on ill terms with the mate on any personal grounds, but for reasons entirely unconnected with himself; the first dispute arose on the 25th November.

Eliza Hickey:
Was head matron on board the Inchinnan, and knew Mary Stevens; remembered her complaining of being unwell; she complained of spitting of blood and pains in her bones; Mary Stevens sent for witness to tell her; she complained at, two different times; did hear of a quarrel about a wrapper.

Cross-examined:
Always found the prisoner a kind man, and humane, and attentive to his duties; when she heard of the assault on Mary Stevens she reported it to the doctor, but did not make any enquiry into the circumstances.

Dr. Ramsay, recalled:
The ship was on the high seas beyond the Cape when the assault took place.

Cross-examined:
The prisoner once charged witness with being drunk.

Re-examined:
It was on the 31st January, immediately after witness had charged prisoner with serving out a short allowance of provisions.

This was the case for the Crown.

Mr. Holroyd addressed the Jury for the defence, commenting on the discrepancy in the evidence of the various witnesses.

Catherine McKegg:
Was an immigrant by the ship Inchinnan; knew the prisoner and Mary Stevens; was called the third mate on board as a nickname; remembered a dispute about a wrapper made by Stevens; witness was serving out the provisions, and Stevens was asking for a wrapper; the prisoner told her to hold her noise and go on deck till the provisions were served out; she said she would not; the mate took her by the shoulders and pushed her to the steps, and told her to go on deck; witness was only a few steps from them: the prisoner used no violence; Stevens said she would not go up, and fell down on the deck; Taylor had nothing in his hand; he had no brush in his hand; and witness never saw him strike her; was present all the while till the provisions were served out, and Taylor never had a stick or a broom in his hand at all; she fell down just at the bottom of the steps; Taylor did not either kick or strike her while she was down; was not a sweetheart of the prisoner's; had no particular acquaintance with any party; before the mate and Dr. Ramsay fell out, the mate had the charge of the provisions, that was till about a month before they landed; the affair about the wrapper took place about six or seven o'clock in the morning; never heard anything about Stevens's spitting blood, till she heard it at the Police court; Stevens was close to witness when she fell down; there were only one or two girls between them; did not see the mate lift Stevens's clothes; must have seen him if he had done so; when Mary Stevens asked for the wrapper she was standing on the deck; had seen the mate very attentive to the girls when they were sick.

Cross-examined by the Attorney General:
Did not know whether he was attentive to all the ladies; the mate and a man named Simkins first served out the provisions, till a row took place, and then the captain ordered witness to assist the mate; assisted in serving out the provisions for about six weeks; always got full allowance; some of the girls complained that they did not get full allowance, and said that the mate served out more to some than he did to others; knew Mary Stevens was ill after the fall; it was immediately after; the prisoner spoke to witness at the window of the Courthouse during the adjournment of the Court; did not hear a word he said; believed he said something about "stairs;" when the mate told Stevens to go on deck she had not a wrapper; Mary Stevens was standing by the berth, about four or five yards from where they were serving out provisions; he went down to where Stevens stood to lay hold of her, and witness followed him; they both left the provisions and passed through some girls standing between them and Stevens; Stevens was standing on the deck with her face to the berth; she was quarrelling with the girls about her wrapper; the mate took her by the shoulders and pushed her towards the steps; never saw Stevens fall before; the mate did not say anything to her while she was on the ground; he did not say he would make her a quiet girl before she got to Sydney; he said she was a very stubborn girl; the mate pushed her about one yard when she fell; the mate was close to her when she fell; never saw the mate down at 12 o'clock at night; saw no sweeping brush about that morning; there was no particular place for the sweeping brush.

Re-examined :
Stevens was a stubborn girl; the mate did not use any violence when he put her to the stairs; he did not push her down.

Bridget Farrell:
Was an immigrant from Loughrea by the Inchinnan; neither saw nor heard a disturbance on board about a wrapper; remembered Stevens being ill on board; she was confined to her berth; she complained of a hurt in her side, caused by falling down the hatchway.

Cross-examined:
There was no one present when Mary Stevens told witness this; she was in Martelly's room; it was before Mary Stevens was ill; she never told witness she was hurt by Taylor; had heard of a row between her and Taylor; did not see it, but would swear that she was not hurt by Taylor.

Sheridan Craddock:
Was a passenger by the ship Inchinna; Taylor was chief mate on board the vessel; he appeared to be kindly disposed: was rather irritable and hasty in temper; he was kind to the immigrants.

Cross-examined:
His general reputation for temper among the immigrants was that he was rather hasty.

Henry Pearce:
Was captain of the ship Inchinnan; the prisoner was kind and humane to the sick all the way out; he was rather hasty in his temper; the first he heard of any assault on Stevens was from Dr. Ramsay, who took Stevens out of the ship with him. Other evidence to the same effect was given.

The Attorney General replied. His HONOR summed up at great length.

The Jury retired for about half an hour, and returned with a verdict of guilty, recommending the prisoner to the favourable consideration of the Court. The prisoner was remanded for sentence. The Court adjourned till this morning at ten o'clock, when two Courts will sit.

from: The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW: 1842-1954), Monday 12 March 1849, Page 2 ²

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT
SATURDAY.
BEFORE their Honors Mr. Justice DICKINSON and Mr. Justice MANNING.
ASSAULT ON THE HIGH SEAS
Alexander Taylor, chief officer, convicted on Wednesday last, of a common assault on one Mary Stevens, on board the ship Inchinnan, was placed at the bar.

Mr. Justice MANNING, in passing sentence, commented on the unmanliness of the action for which the prisoner stood before him, and the necessity there was for the repression of such outrages, particularly on those who were helpless, and unprotected. It appeared however, that the assault was one of a trifling character and that provocation had been given, which with the general good character given to the defendant, induced the Jury to recommend the prisoner to the merciful consideration of the Court. The Court had bestowed every attention to the recommendation, and taking all the circumstances into their consideration, the sentence of the Court was that the prisoner do pay a fine of £5 to the Queen.

ASSAULT ON THE HIGH SEAS
Alexander Taylor was again placed at the bar to receive sentence for another offence of the same description. Mr. Justice DICKINSON pronounced sentence that the prisoner do pay a fine of £5 to the Queen.

from: The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW: 1842-1954). Monday 12 March 1849, Page 2³

THE IMMIGRANT SHIP INCHINNAN.
To the Editors of the Sydney Morning Herald.
Gentlemen, - In consequence of some remarks which the learned counsel for the defence, in the cases of Mary Stevens versus Alexander Taylor, chose to make with respect to my character, I feel called upon in my own defence to request that you will be so kind as to publish a true copy of an address which was presented to me some time before I arrived in this port, and which was subscribed to in another but different form, in my government journal by the cabin passengers, and which I beg to enclose for your perusal.

I am, Gentlemen,
Your obedient servant,
WILLIAM RAMSAY,

Late Surgeon Superintendent, ship Inchinnan Sydney, March 8.
Ship Inchinnan, January 30, 1849

Sir, We, the matrons, sub-matrons, and emigrants, now on our way to Sydney, beg respectfully to tender you our most grateful and cordial acknowledgments for the courtesy and kindness with which you have treated us, and for the unwearied, anxiety to promote our health and comfort which you have evinced since the first moment of our coming under your charge, to the present time; and we confidently anticipate a continuance of the same indulgent and friendly solicitude for our health and welfare, which you have hitherto impartially shown towards all of us.

With regard to your habits, deportment, and in every respect your conduct as a gentleman, we, who have had opportunities of seeing you all day, and very many times in the middle of the night, attending to your duties on sick patients, and being also competent observers of the admirable and exemplary manner in which you hare discharged the other multifarious duties which your situation on board imposes on you, do confess our surprise and indignation that any person could be so reckless (even when under the influence of an ungovernable temper,) as to assert that you had been drunk, even once since you have been on board this ship, a calumny which we most solemnly assert to be totally and ludicrously false.

[Here follow the signatures.]
To Doctor Ramsay, H.M. Emigration ship Inchinnan.

*Please note: Punctuation and paragraphs have been added to the above transcriptions for ease and speed of reading.

An Earl Grey Orphan Scheme researcher sent me further information about Mary. I have included the link in the sources.⁴

1. 1849 'CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.', The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), 8 March, p. 2. , viewed 30 Nov 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article12909555

2. 1849 'CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.', The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), 8 March, p. 2. , viewed 25 Jan 2025, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article12909555

3. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12913662#

4. STEVENS, Mary, Mayo Orphan Girl: https://mayoorphangirls.weebly.com/mary-stephens.html