Elizabeth Pulley
GENEALOGY and family history research throws up some fascinating rags to riches and riches to rags stories. One of the best surrounds the Australian dynasty of the ROPE-PULLEY families. It is a story of criminality, transportation and ultimate redemption.
A modest grave in a small churchyard on the other side of the world is key to the story of one of Norfolk and Hethersett’s most notorious residents.
Elizabeth Pulley, who was also known by the names Pooley and Powley, was born in Hethersett in 1763 to John and Anne Pulley. Elizabeth’s notoriety began when she was just 17 and she received her first conviction for theft, although she was acquitted of a similar charge the year before. The Norfolk Chronicle newspaper states that on 1st July, 1780, Elizabeth was committed to Norwich Castle for stealing a variety of goods from a private house. This was only the beginning, however, of what became a one-woman crime wave as Elizabeth came up before the courts time after time.
In July, 1780, she was found guilty of stealing clothes and was sent to Wymondham Bridewell Prison for three weeks, followed by a public whipping in Wymondham Market Place. A year later Elizabeth was before the courts again for stealing from the house of Samuel PIGLETHING, a weaver of Hethersett. This time she stole a cloth coat, a silk handkerchief, a coloured apron and cash amongst other items. She was sentenced to 12 months' hard labour in the Aylsham House of Correction. Elizabeth wasn’t adverse to a spot of festive burglary either. In 1783 she was tried for entering a house at midnight the previous Christmas Eve and stealing cheese, bacon, raisins, flour and a variety of other goods. This time things were very serious for her as she was sentenced to be hanged.
Elizabeth was reprieved and imprisoned in Norwich Castle until November, 1786, when it was ordered that she should be taken to Plymouth and transported on HM Dunkirk, a rotting hulk, for the new settlement of Botany Bay in Australia. On 2nd March the following year, Elizabeth set off for her ‘new life’ but she couldn’t throw off the old one. She was described as one of a batch of five “especially violent women called the Fighting Five – all of whom caused trouble on the voyage.”
Before setting off for Australia the vessel was moored at Portsmouth and Elizabeth was caught “going with the sailors.” She was transferred for the voyage to HMS Friendship. Even on the journey Elizabeth was never far from trouble and at Teneriffe she was one of four women put in leg irons for 10 days for fighting. A Second Lieutenant had few good words to say about Elizabeth: “I am convinced they will not be long out of irons as they are a disgrace to their whole sex,” he stated.
Elizabeth certainly didn’t clean up her act and was then caught “getting into bed with the seamen” for which she was placed back in irons and handcuffed to another woman. Her various punishments made her weak and sickly but by August she was back in irons for fighting yet again. Eventually Elizabeth was one of nine transferred from the Friendship to HMS Prince of Wales in order to make way for livestock. The lieutenant was quick to point out that the animals were much less trouble than Elizabeth: “Thank God all these women convicts are all out of the ship. I am very glad of it for they were a great trouble much more so then men. We find them (the sheep) much more agreeable shipmates than the women".
Elizabeth arrived in Botany Bay on 20th January, 1788, after a journey lasting over 10 months. Even then the locations in and around Botany Bay were found to be unsuitable. Other safer coves were sorted out and eventually they came to what the governor referred to as “the finest harbour in the world”. It had excellent spring water and the ships were able to anchor close to the shore. The governor named the cove Sydney.
On arrival in Sydney Cove, the women were kept on the transports while the male convicts were landed and occupied with setting up a camp. According to Lieutenant Bowes Smyth: "The men convicts got to them soon after they landed". Elizabeth Pulley was reported to have been found under a tree with three men. One of the men, Anthony Rope, seduced Elizabeth. Anthony Rope was born in 1763 in Rochford, Essex. He was employed as a labourer. At the age of 26, he was tried by the Essex Lent Assizes, for burglary and stealing and was sentenced to be transported.
To cut a long story short, Anthony and Elizabeth were married on 19th May, 1788, at St Phillip's, Sydney. They were married by the Rev. Richard Johnson. Elizabeth bore a child, Robert, in 1788 at Sydney Cove. Robert was christened on 2nd November, 1788. The date of Robert's birth is not known, although dates from 5th September to 30th October have been given. It is thought that Robert was the first white child to be conceived and born on Australian soil.
A few months later, Anthony and Elizabeth built their own home - a hut with cabbage tree palm framework and walls of clay and loam mortar, strengthened with wiry grass. A coat of whitewash and a roof of rushes from Rushcutters Bay completed it.
On 11th February, 1789, Anthony was sentenced to 25 lashes for ‘neglecting work.’ He was sentenced to a further 25 lashes on 9th March, 1789, for ‘neglecting work.’ In 1791, Anthony was transferred to the Government Farm at Toongabbie where gangs of starving men had to haul huge trees to clear the ground for more food-growing.
Here, on 31st March, Anthony appeared before a Magistrates Court at Rose Hill and again received 25 lashes for buying shoes knowing them to be stolen. Their second child, Mary, was born in 1791. She was baptised at Parramatta on 31st July, 1791. Anthony was granted 70 acres of land at the Ponds, two miles to the north-east of Parramatta (now Kissing Point Road, Dundas) in 1792.
In the granting of land to convicts whose sentence had expired, Governor Phillip carefully selected those who were likely to prove successful in agricultural pursuits. Their third child, Elizabeth, was born on 7th February, 1794, and baptised at St John's, at Parramatta on 10th February, 1794. Their fourth, John, was born on 22nd December, 1795, and baptised at St John's on 26th June, 1795. Anthony sold the farm sometime in 1796 for 50 pounds 'with crops'.
It appears from the records that Anthony, however, harvested the crops before handing the farm over. On 30th December, 1796, Anthony and Elizabeth settled at Mulgrave Place and their fifth child, Sarah, was born on 1st March, 1798, and baptised at St John's, Parramatta on 26th June, 1798. Their sixth child, Susannah, was born in possibly 1801, and their seventh child, William, was born in 1805, probably in the Windsor area.
From the 1806 General Muster, Anthony was living with his wife and six children (Robert, Mary, John, Susannah, Sarah and William - Elizabeth, born in 1794, was probably deceased by then) on 48 acres that he was renting from James Badgery on the Nepean. The Muster details that Anthony had four acres under maize, 18 acres of pasture and 26 acres fallow. He also had one bushel of wheat and six bushels of maize in hand and had one free man in his employ.
On arrival in Australia, Anthony Rope had been employed at the Brickworks making bricks and he later learned to lay them. Their eighth child, Elizabeth Ann, was born on 24th March, 1808, and baptised at St Matthew's, Windsor, on 15th September, 1811. In a flood of 1817, Anthony and Elizabeth lost their stock, crops and home and were forced to sell most of their farm.
By 1824, Anthony was leasing 20 acres at Evan, on the Hawkesbury River, possibly at a place or location called 'Tumble-down Barn'. In 1824, Anthony sent a Memorial to the Colonial Secretary asking for more land.
In 1826 or 1827, Anthony occupied land on an estate belonging to William Faithful. The land was near the junction of Ropes Creek and South Creek between Shanes Park and Dunheved. They were still farming there in 1828 and at that time had 11 acres of land, all cleared and cultivated, and had five horned cattle. The area is now known as the suburb of `Ropes Creek'.
Elizabeth died in 1837 and is buried next to her son William and granddaughter, Eliza FROST, in Castlereagh Cemetery, Church Lane, Castlereagh (near Penrith). Anthony died on 20th April 1843 at Castlereagh and is also buried at Castlereagh Cemetery. His headstone no longer exists, but that of Elizabeth remains located in the middle of the cemetery.
GENEALOGY and family history research throws up some fascinating rags to riches and riches to rags stories. One of the best surrounds the Australian dynasty of the ROPE-PULLEY families. It is a story of criminality, transportation and ultimate redemption.
A modest grave in a small churchyard on the other side of the world is key to the story of one of Norfolk and Hethersett’s most notorious residents.
Elizabeth Pulley, who was also known by the names Pooley and Powley, was born in Hethersett in 1763 to John and Anne Pulley. Elizabeth’s notoriety began when she was just 17 and she received her first conviction for theft, although she was acquitted of a similar charge the year before. The Norfolk Chronicle newspaper states that on 1st July, 1780, Elizabeth was committed to Norwich Castle for stealing a variety of goods from a private house. This was only the beginning, however, of what became a one-woman crime wave as Elizabeth came up before the courts time after time.
In July, 1780, she was found guilty of stealing clothes and was sent to Wymondham Bridewell Prison for three weeks, followed by a public whipping in Wymondham Market Place. A year later Elizabeth was before the courts again for stealing from the house of Samuel PIGLETHING, a weaver of Hethersett. This time she stole a cloth coat, a silk handkerchief, a coloured apron and cash amongst other items. She was sentenced to 12 months' hard labour in the Aylsham House of Correction. Elizabeth wasn’t adverse to a spot of festive burglary either. In 1783 she was tried for entering a house at midnight the previous Christmas Eve and stealing cheese, bacon, raisins, flour and a variety of other goods. This time things were very serious for her as she was sentenced to be hanged.
Elizabeth was reprieved and imprisoned in Norwich Castle until November, 1786, when it was ordered that she should be taken to Plymouth and transported on HM Dunkirk, a rotting hulk, for the new settlement of Botany Bay in Australia. On 2nd March the following year, Elizabeth set off for her ‘new life’ but she couldn’t throw off the old one. She was described as one of a batch of five “especially violent women called the Fighting Five – all of whom caused trouble on the voyage.”
Before setting off for Australia the vessel was moored at Portsmouth and Elizabeth was caught “going with the sailors.” She was transferred for the voyage to HMS Friendship. Even on the journey Elizabeth was never far from trouble and at Teneriffe she was one of four women put in leg irons for 10 days for fighting. A Second Lieutenant had few good words to say about Elizabeth: “I am convinced they will not be long out of irons as they are a disgrace to their whole sex,” he stated.
Elizabeth certainly didn’t clean up her act and was then caught “getting into bed with the seamen” for which she was placed back in irons and handcuffed to another woman. Her various punishments made her weak and sickly but by August she was back in irons for fighting yet again. Eventually Elizabeth was one of nine transferred from the Friendship to HMS Prince of Wales in order to make way for livestock. The lieutenant was quick to point out that the animals were much less trouble than Elizabeth: “Thank God all these women convicts are all out of the ship. I am very glad of it for they were a great trouble much more so then men. We find them (the sheep) much more agreeable shipmates than the women".
Elizabeth arrived in Botany Bay on 20th January, 1788, after a journey lasting over 10 months. Even then the locations in and around Botany Bay were found to be unsuitable. Other safer coves were sorted out and eventually they came to what the governor referred to as “the finest harbour in the world”. It had excellent spring water and the ships were able to anchor close to the shore. The governor named the cove Sydney.
On arrival in Sydney Cove, the women were kept on the transports while the male convicts were landed and occupied with setting up a camp. According to Lieutenant Bowes Smyth: "The men convicts got to them soon after they landed". Elizabeth Pulley was reported to have been found under a tree with three men. One of the men, Anthony Rope, seduced Elizabeth. Anthony Rope was born in 1763 in Rochford, Essex. He was employed as a labourer. At the age of 26, he was tried by the Essex Lent Assizes, for burglary and stealing and was sentenced to be transported.
To cut a long story short, Anthony and Elizabeth were married on 19th May, 1788, at St Phillip's, Sydney. They were married by the Rev. Richard Johnson. Elizabeth bore a child, Robert, in 1788 at Sydney Cove. Robert was christened on 2nd November, 1788. The date of Robert's birth is not known, although dates from 5th September to 30th October have been given. It is thought that Robert was the first white child to be conceived and born on Australian soil.
A few months later, Anthony and Elizabeth built their own home - a hut with cabbage tree palm framework and walls of clay and loam mortar, strengthened with wiry grass. A coat of whitewash and a roof of rushes from Rushcutters Bay completed it.
On 11th February, 1789, Anthony was sentenced to 25 lashes for ‘neglecting work.’ He was sentenced to a further 25 lashes on 9th March, 1789, for ‘neglecting work.’ In 1791, Anthony was transferred to the Government Farm at Toongabbie where gangs of starving men had to haul huge trees to clear the ground for more food-growing.
Here, on 31st March, Anthony appeared before a Magistrates Court at Rose Hill and again received 25 lashes for buying shoes knowing them to be stolen. Their second child, Mary, was born in 1791. She was baptised at Parramatta on 31st July, 1791. Anthony was granted 70 acres of land at the Ponds, two miles to the north-east of Parramatta (now Kissing Point Road, Dundas) in 1792.
In the granting of land to convicts whose sentence had expired, Governor Phillip carefully selected those who were likely to prove successful in agricultural pursuits. Their third child, Elizabeth, was born on 7th February, 1794, and baptised at St John's, at Parramatta on 10th February, 1794. Their fourth, John, was born on 22nd December, 1795, and baptised at St John's on 26th June, 1795. Anthony sold the farm sometime in 1796 for 50 pounds 'with crops'.
It appears from the records that Anthony, however, harvested the crops before handing the farm over. On 30th December, 1796, Anthony and Elizabeth settled at Mulgrave Place and their fifth child, Sarah, was born on 1st March, 1798, and baptised at St John's, Parramatta on 26th June, 1798. Their sixth child, Susannah, was born in possibly 1801, and their seventh child, William, was born in 1805, probably in the Windsor area.
From the 1806 General Muster, Anthony was living with his wife and six children (Robert, Mary, John, Susannah, Sarah and William - Elizabeth, born in 1794, was probably deceased by then) on 48 acres that he was renting from James Badgery on the Nepean. The Muster details that Anthony had four acres under maize, 18 acres of pasture and 26 acres fallow. He also had one bushel of wheat and six bushels of maize in hand and had one free man in his employ.
On arrival in Australia, Anthony Rope had been employed at the Brickworks making bricks and he later learned to lay them. Their eighth child, Elizabeth Ann, was born on 24th March, 1808, and baptised at St Matthew's, Windsor, on 15th September, 1811. In a flood of 1817, Anthony and Elizabeth lost their stock, crops and home and were forced to sell most of their farm.
By 1824, Anthony was leasing 20 acres at Evan, on the Hawkesbury River, possibly at a place or location called 'Tumble-down Barn'. In 1824, Anthony sent a Memorial to the Colonial Secretary asking for more land.
In 1826 or 1827, Anthony occupied land on an estate belonging to William Faithful. The land was near the junction of Ropes Creek and South Creek between Shanes Park and Dunheved. They were still farming there in 1828 and at that time had 11 acres of land, all cleared and cultivated, and had five horned cattle. The area is now known as the suburb of `Ropes Creek'.
Elizabeth died in 1837 and is buried next to her son William and granddaughter, Eliza FROST, in Castlereagh Cemetery, Church Lane, Castlereagh (near Penrith). Anthony died on 20th April 1843 at Castlereagh and is also buried at Castlereagh Cemetery. His headstone no longer exists, but that of Elizabeth remains located in the middle of the cemetery.