Mary Ann Bugg and her husband Edmund Baker
Mary Ann Bugg was born in 1834, the daughter of James and Charlotte Bugg. For information about her early years, see James and Charlotte Bugg and their family.
1807-10 Edward Baker (see Who was Edmund Baker?) born Kent ENG; 1830: protestant, illiterate, unmarried shepherd who could also plough, reap and mill; 23 Apr 1830: convicted at Canterbury, Kent, Quarter Sessions for stealing rabbits and sentenced to 7 years’ transportation (no previous convictions); 4 Mar 1831: arrived per convict transport Lady Harewood; physical description on arrival (and also on Certificate of Freedom): 5’1½”, sallow pock-pitted complexion, brown hair & eyes, scar on outer part right wrist, tattoo of woman on left arm, dark mole left side of nose; 1831: assigned to Major Sullivan at Williams River; 31 Aug 1835: Port Macquarie Bench approved Ticket-of-Leave for Williams River district; 3 Oct 1835: Ticket-of-Leave granted for Williams River district at which time noted as 5’4” with ruddy complexion, brown hair, hazel eyes, & with woman and mermaid on left arm; 1837: held Ticket-of-Leave in Dungog district; 9 Nov 1839: received Certificate of Freedom on which ‘Dungog’ added as a side notation [1]
1848 Jun 1 Mary Ann Bugg and Edmund Baker, both single of the Port Stephens district, married on the estate of the A.A.Co, County of Gloucester, on 1 Jun 1848 by Rev William M. Cowper; Mary Ann signed; Edmund made his mark; witnesses: William Masters Snr of Stroud (S) and Patrick Conolly of Stroud (his mark X)[2]
1849c Mary Ann apparently had a daughter named Helena, presumably fathered by Baker given the timing (for further information see Searching for Mary Ann Bugg’s children)
1849/50 Mary Ann’s relationship with Baker ended.
NB. No trace of Edward/Edmund Baker has been found after their marriage raising the possibility that he died before civil registration (1856) and was buried in the bush, or that he died later in NSW without his death being registered or being identifiable for some reason, or that he died in another state or country – perhaps having sailed for the Californian gold-fields as a consequence of the gold-rush there in 1849. Mary Ann told Magistrate Thomas Nicholls in 1866 that Baker had died at Mudgee but there is no evidence that Baker ever went there. Mary Ann was living with John Burrows at the Turon River (near Sofala) in 1851 and the pair did not move to Mudgee until the mid-1850s. It appears likely that Mary Ann and Baker separated for some reason and that her claim in 1866 regarding his death was to lend credence to her claim that she had afterwards remarried. Otherwise she would have had to admit that she was not just a ‘bushranger’s wife’ but his mistress.[3]
1850 circa Mary Ann began a new relationship with John Burrows[4]
See Mary Ann Bugg and her "husband" John Burrows
Sources:
[1] Convict Indent – Lady Harewood, 1831: Edward Baker [SRNSW 4/4016 p.77; Fiche 678]; Ticket of Leave: Edward Baker [SRNSW 4/4099 No.35/811; Reel 923]; Butlin Return of Convicts 1837 Entry 744; Certificate of Freedom: Edward Baker, 1839 [SRNSW 4/4353 No.39/2002; Reel 1004]
[2] Marriage: Mary Ann Bugg [RBDM Vol.33 No.518]; also found at [SRNSW Vol.33 No.518; Reel 5010]
[3] Death Certificate: Mary Ann Burrows [RBDM 1905/5831]; Baptism: James Burrows [SRNSW Vol.37 No.2296; Reel 5012]; CSIL: Re Mary Ann Ward, 1866 [SRNSW 4/573 File 66/1844]
[4] Death Certificate: Mary Ann Burrows [RBDM 1905/5831]; Baptism: James Burrows [SRNSW Vol.37 No.2296; Reel 5012]
1807-10 Edward Baker (see Who was Edmund Baker?) born Kent ENG; 1830: protestant, illiterate, unmarried shepherd who could also plough, reap and mill; 23 Apr 1830: convicted at Canterbury, Kent, Quarter Sessions for stealing rabbits and sentenced to 7 years’ transportation (no previous convictions); 4 Mar 1831: arrived per convict transport Lady Harewood; physical description on arrival (and also on Certificate of Freedom): 5’1½”, sallow pock-pitted complexion, brown hair & eyes, scar on outer part right wrist, tattoo of woman on left arm, dark mole left side of nose; 1831: assigned to Major Sullivan at Williams River; 31 Aug 1835: Port Macquarie Bench approved Ticket-of-Leave for Williams River district; 3 Oct 1835: Ticket-of-Leave granted for Williams River district at which time noted as 5’4” with ruddy complexion, brown hair, hazel eyes, & with woman and mermaid on left arm; 1837: held Ticket-of-Leave in Dungog district; 9 Nov 1839: received Certificate of Freedom on which ‘Dungog’ added as a side notation [1]
1848 Jun 1 Mary Ann Bugg and Edmund Baker, both single of the Port Stephens district, married on the estate of the A.A.Co, County of Gloucester, on 1 Jun 1848 by Rev William M. Cowper; Mary Ann signed; Edmund made his mark; witnesses: William Masters Snr of Stroud (S) and Patrick Conolly of Stroud (his mark X)[2]
1849c Mary Ann apparently had a daughter named Helena, presumably fathered by Baker given the timing (for further information see Searching for Mary Ann Bugg’s children)
1849/50 Mary Ann’s relationship with Baker ended.
NB. No trace of Edward/Edmund Baker has been found after their marriage raising the possibility that he died before civil registration (1856) and was buried in the bush, or that he died later in NSW without his death being registered or being identifiable for some reason, or that he died in another state or country – perhaps having sailed for the Californian gold-fields as a consequence of the gold-rush there in 1849. Mary Ann told Magistrate Thomas Nicholls in 1866 that Baker had died at Mudgee but there is no evidence that Baker ever went there. Mary Ann was living with John Burrows at the Turon River (near Sofala) in 1851 and the pair did not move to Mudgee until the mid-1850s. It appears likely that Mary Ann and Baker separated for some reason and that her claim in 1866 regarding his death was to lend credence to her claim that she had afterwards remarried. Otherwise she would have had to admit that she was not just a ‘bushranger’s wife’ but his mistress.[3]
1850 circa Mary Ann began a new relationship with John Burrows[4]
See Mary Ann Bugg and her "husband" John Burrows
Sources:
[1] Convict Indent – Lady Harewood, 1831: Edward Baker [SRNSW 4/4016 p.77; Fiche 678]; Ticket of Leave: Edward Baker [SRNSW 4/4099 No.35/811; Reel 923]; Butlin Return of Convicts 1837 Entry 744; Certificate of Freedom: Edward Baker, 1839 [SRNSW 4/4353 No.39/2002; Reel 1004]
[2] Marriage: Mary Ann Bugg [RBDM Vol.33 No.518]; also found at [SRNSW Vol.33 No.518; Reel 5010]
[3] Death Certificate: Mary Ann Burrows [RBDM 1905/5831]; Baptism: James Burrows [SRNSW Vol.37 No.2296; Reel 5012]; CSIL: Re Mary Ann Ward, 1866 [SRNSW 4/573 File 66/1844]
[4] Death Certificate: Mary Ann Burrows [RBDM 1905/5831]; Baptism: James Burrows [SRNSW Vol.37 No.2296; Reel 5012]