Person:Ann Fowler (6)

1792 - Ann FOWLER was tried at Salop, Shropshire on 17 March 1792 and transported to Australia for 7 years on "Royal Admiral". Neither age nor reason for sentence is known at this time.

"Royal Admiral" was a ship of 914 tons and was built in 1777 in the Thames, England. It belonged to Thomas LARKINS and had a length of 120 feet 2 inches and a beam of 37 feet 10 inches. It sailed from Torbay, near the mouth of the Thames River, on 30 May 1792 and took 190 days to reach Sydney on 7 October 1792. There were 297 male convicts and 49 female convicts on board. The Captain was Essex Henry BOND, Navy Surgeon was Richard ALLEY and Ship's Surgeon was John SYME. She was the first ship to have a naval surgeon rather than a naval agent and Richard ALLEY was appointed "to superintend the convicts and assist the surgeon on board."

While the ship was docked at Gravesend, 20 soldiers from the New South Wales Corp joined the contingent on board on 14th May. The ship's log also mentions other passengers. Three "free" women and 2 children boarded on the 10th and another woman arrived on the 14th. On that day the livestock were received on board as well as "seven packages for private trade". On 24th May, at St Helena, 3 men, 3 women and 2 children joined the vessel. These included Mr and Mrs John JAMIESON (he being the Superintendent of Convicts), Mr and Mrs PEAT (he being a Master Carpenter), and Thomas ALLEN (a Master Miller). St Helena was at the time a trading depot for the East India Company.

There was a marked improvement in the treatment of the convicts on board the "Royal Admiral" in comparison to earlier convict trips. It was reported that the ship was regularly cleaned and fumigated and the convicts were well fed and allowed free access to the deck. About three weeks out to sea, the captain suspected that there was a conspiracy of some kind. The convicts were placed in chains which hung around their waists and from these chains hung tethering chains to the ankles. The perpetrators were soon discovered, one convict received three dozen lashes and seven others receieved two dozen - comparatively mild punishment for the time.

Leaving Torbay on May 30, "Royal Admiral" took 72 days to reach Simon's Bay at the Cape of Good Hope. On the way she had sailed south to Tenerife, then west and south to Rio de Janeiro, where they took on fresh supplies. One convict escaped at the Cape. Sailing again on 31 August, the ship made Port Jackson in 37 days.

The ship's log records that eight male convicts and one female convict died on the passage and a man and a woman died after the arrival. Official returns state that there were a total of 10 men and 2 women died, so another man may have died shortly after arrival. Seventy-two men and eleven women were on the sick list on the ship's arrival. Five births were recorded and two children also died.

The "Royal Admiral" brought flour, pork and beef for the settlement at Port Jackson which had been in existence for four years. The ship had also carried some goods to be sold in the stores of the colony, these included wine, essence of malt, and some spirits. When it arrived, all healthy convicts were removed to Parramatta and "adjoining settlements".

(Information from Jennifer CHANDLER and Valerie BLOOMER. Jennifer cites her references as: Log of Royal Admiral (Log 338F, Commonwealth Relations Office, London); Navy Commrs to Phillip, 17 May 1792, Phillip to Dundas, 11 Oct 1792 (Historical Records of Australia 1, i, 356, 397); Collins, 236-8.)

1797 - While in Sydney it is recorded that Ann "cohabited with" Joseph ABBOTT from Gloucester. She apparently had a baby, also Joseph, who appears to have died as an infant in Port Jackson in 1800. There is still some confusion about whether Joseph was a marine or a convict.

1800-01 - Ann went to Norfolk Island around this time. Here she "married" William PRESNELL, although no record of this has been found. In the book "Norfolk Island 1788 - 1813, The People and their Families", J. H. DONOHOE shows Anne FOWLES on Norfolk Island with three husbands: #1 no name recorded, father of child Mary, #2 John ROUGLAS (also spelt RUGLAS, RUGLASS, RUGLESS), who arrived at NI on 13 March 1790, #3 Wm. PRISNELL. However, it appears that he has another convict by the name of Anne FOWLES confused with Ann FOWLER. Anne FOWLES arrived in Port Jackson with the First Fleet on "Lady Penrhyn". Anne was variously known as Elizabeth BREEZE, Ann FOALS, Anne FAIRLES etc. She did have a daughter Mary, who was taken from her in February 1789 to be sent to Norfolk Island; Anne being considered a "woman of abandoned character". However, Anne apparently followed Mary, arriving at Norfolk Island on 13 February 1790. On 15 March 1801, Ann FAIRLES, ticket #523 expired, married John HOLT at Parramatta. Therefore, she was no longer on Norfolk Island, and could not be the wife and mother of the children of William PRESNELL.

There is also some mystery surrounding the relationship between John RUGLASS and Ann FOWLES/FOWLER. He also arrived with the First Fleet, on Scarborough and was apparently a de facto of Anne FOWLES in Sydney. He arrived at Norfolk Island on 13 March 1790. There is a child, Elizabeth ROUGLAS, born on Norfolk Island on 22 December 1801, but her mother's name is not given. This is somewhat unusual, as it was common at this time for children to be registered under their mother's name. Ann FOWLES was apparently now in Parramatta. According to the records, Ann FOWLER had Elizabeth FOWLER/PRESNELL on 20 June 1802. RUGLASS also went to VDL on City of Edinburgh on the same voyage as William and Ann and their family of 3. However, there are no children listed as accompanying RUGLASS - did this Elizabeth die on NI? Is it just coincidence that both children were named Elizabeth? (Much of the preceding information comes from an article "Child of Convicts", by Ian G. SCOTT, which appeared in "The Genealogist", December 1993.)

1808 - Ann and William travelled to Hobart on City of Edinburgh, apparently with 3 children.

1811 - At the time of the General Muster in Hobart on 21 March, Ann is listed as a resident of the county of Buckingham.

1814 - Anne PRESNELL, Royal Admiral, Free, is listed in the female section of the Hobart Muster, probably taken in early October. William and 4 children, Elizabeth, Thomas, Sarah and James, also appear on this muster. (Mitchell Library Film CY597)

1818 - Ann appears in the Muster off stores with three children.

1839 - At the inquest into the death of Sarah PRESNELL, there was reference to Sarah's "mother, who lived in the house with her eldest son". As Thomas, the eldest known son, had died in November 1838, there is still some mystery about whether this is referring to James and why he should be referred to as "her eldest son" (or is it Sarah's eldest son that is being referred to?).

1846 - Ann's death was registered by Elizabeth CHAPMAN, daughter, Argyle St, Hobart, but there has been no record for the burial of Ann found so far.

1. ↑ Tas Death Reg. No. 1846/974.