Convicts named Steward arriving in Australia

Twenty-five men and three women with the surname Steward appear on the British convict transportation registers. Seven were named William Steward, five Thomas, four John, three Robert, three Charles, two George and one Henry. All the women were Elizabeths. In 1814 a Sarah Steward, the wife of a convict, arrived with her two daughters, Jane and Mary.

Other convicts named Steward arrived under different names. The Colonial-Secretary's Index has an Ann Jemima Steward who arrived on the Morley in 1820, her name recorded as Seward. The 1828 Census records a John Steward who supposedly arrived on the Somersetshire in 1814, but whose name doesn't appear on the British convict transportation registers. At the time of the census he was an overseer assigned to a Mr Barber "at Yass, on the Goulburn Plains".

Others were transported from Ireland. Bridget Steward arrived from Cork on the Almorah in 1824, her name recorded as Stewart. An entry on the Colonial-Secretary's Index noted she was "not be assigned from the Female Factory, Parramatta until the Almorah left Port Jackson". The Samuel Steward who has five entries under his name in the index to the Colonial-Secretary's records may have arrived from Ireland.

At least three convicts named Steward were employed in the Gundaroo area before 1846.

William Steward who arrived on the Countess of Harcourt in 1828 was living in Bathurst when he received a ticket of leave in 1834 and his freedom in 1835. A black Jamaican, he had been tried at Lancaster Quarter Sessions.

Another William Steward who arrived on the Asia in 1833 was in Yass when he received his ticket of leave in 1837.

Thomas Steward arrived in 1836 on the Strathfieldsay and was in Yass when he received a ticket of leave in 1840.

Maria Steward's name doesn't appear in the British convict transportation registers, on lists of convict women or on the Colonial-Secretary's Index.

British convict transportation registers 1787-1867, One Search database (http://onesearch.slq.qld.gov.au), State Library of Queensland
NSW State Records, Index to the Colonial-Secretary's Correspondence
NSW Convict Women on Ships arriving from England and Ireland 1788-1828, http://members.iinet.net.au/~perthdps/convicts/confem66.html

Maria Steward

All that is known of Maria Steward comes from three official documents: her marriage certificate, the baptism certificate of her first child, and a death certificate that may or may not be hers.

Maria Steward married George Faulkner in Gundaroo on 26 January 1846. The minister was Church of England, E. Smith, the witnesses F. Timmins and M. Timmins of Gundaroo. Maria was seven and a half months pregnant. Six weeks later, on 6 March, she gave birth to their first child, George. Frederick was born in 1848, but his birth was not registered.

Maria and George gave consent to the marriage themselves. Maria was not so young she needed the consent of her parents to marry, and nor did she need the consent of the government. She wasn't a convict or a ticket-of-leave holder.

There is a death certificate for a Maria Falkner, without the "u". She died a pauper in Hyde Park Asylum for Infirm and Destitute Women (now Hyde Park museum) in 1883. Her death, on 16 February, is recorded as caused by "senile debility". She was 63. She was buried in Church of England section of Rookwood Necropolis. The death certificate leaves blank her place of marriage, age at marriage, and children. Her place of birth is listed as Gibraltar.

Newcastle barracks

In the early years of New South Wales, general musters were held annually to count the population of each district and record whether they were victualled, or on government rations. In an episode of the television series The Colony, a government officer arrives at the settlement to collect the details of every man, woman and child present - except, if I remember correctly, the Aborigines. In 1828, writes NSW State Records, the first census was conducted "after it was found that the Governor had no power to compel free men to come to a muster".

George Faulkner, his name misspelt Fawlkner, is recorded in annual musters held in 1823, 1824 and 1825 as being in "Govt Employ" in Newcastle.

In November 1828, when the first census was conducted, his residence is "Newcastle barracks".

Short Guide 12 - Muster and census records, 1788-1901, NSW State Records
General Muster Lists of New South Wales for 1823, 1824 and 1825
1828 Census