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Dorothy BROWN
1814 - Yes, date unknown
Has 27 ancestors and 6 descendants in this family tree.
Set As Default Person 
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Name Dorothy BROWN Relationship 
with Teresa Ann GOATHAM Born Aug 1814 Blyth, Earsdon, Northumberland, England 
- Date from baptism register; born Newburn where baptised or Blyth where the family lived? - Blyth according to the Tasmania House of Correction record.
Baptised 10 Oct 1819 St. Michael and All Angels Church, Newburn, Northumberland, England - From transcribed data from PR entry (by Northumberland & Durham FHS, on FMP, 10 Apr 2019)
Shown as Dorothy Brown, daughter of Robert and Barbara
Gender Female Occupation 1841 Northumberland Street, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, England Domestic servant Crime 1848 Background - What happened to Dorothy's first husband is not clear. After marrying in 1833 three children followed at the normal sort of spacing, the last born in 1839, presumably all children of both Dorothy and William. However, the family were not together at the time of the 1841 census. Dorothy was working as a live-in servant, her two surviving children were with her mother, and there is no obvious entry for William - yet neither is there a death registration entry. Maybe he had gone to sea. Perhaps he had died or deserted his family.
No more children followed until about September 1848 when Dorothy gave birth to her daughter Barbara. It seems unlikely she was William's child. (The gap from the birth of her previous child and the lack of any local or obvious entry for William in the 1851 census suggest he was still absent). If Dorothy had still been supporting herself, and probably also giving her mother money for the support of her children, this would have been made more difficult by her pregnancy. When it became obvious she would most likely have been sacked. By May she was probably about 5 months pregnant; maybe it was around then she lost her job. Her only honest option may well have been for herself and her children to enter the workhouse. This prospect may well have been what led Dorothy to turn to crime.
Imprisoned From May 1848 to 7 Oct 1848 The Gaol, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, England Awaiting trial / transportation - I am guessing that Dorothy would have been arrested fairly soon after the crime was committed; she would have been held in gaol awaiting the assizes (which took place twice a year), and again afterwards until moved to London. She gave birth whilst in gaol, to her daughter Barbara.
Crime 4 May 1848 Dean Street, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, England Obtained by false pretences items from a draper's shop - The crime was described in an account of the charge at the assizes:
"Dorothy Orford (28) (with Elizabeth Minto, against whom no bill was found) was charged with having, on the 4th of May, obtained, by false pretences, two yards of flannel, four pairs of stays, ten pairs of stockings, and three silk handkerchief, from messrs Smith, Dean-street, According to the evidence, prisoner went with a written order, purporting to be from Mr Proud, of Carr's-hill, and made such representations as induced the shopman to let the goods be sent as directed, to the Black Bull, Gateshead. Prisoner, in defence, said she found the paper, and never heard of Mr Proud until Minto told her. She was immediately convicted. - His Lordship said that, from the art used, he was of opinion that the prisoner had practised in such offences, and she was also in combination with another person, which aggravated the offence; there was also another indictment of a similar kind, though it would not be gone into. He then sentenced her to be transported for ten years."
(from the Newcastle Courant, 11 August 1848, p. 3, col. 6)
Perhaps an inn in Gateshead seemed a good idea as the place to have her goods delivered as it got them some way from the scene of the crime, but her brother George lived in Gateshead so it could have been quite easy to visit there and have somewhere to stay.
Court 7 Aug 1848 Moot Hall, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, England Tried at the Newcastle Summer Assizes - Dorothy appeared before Mr Justice Erle, who took his seat in the Moot Hall at nine o'clock.
A daughter, Barbara, died aged 11 months a year to the day after the trial, so Dorothy must have been at least 8 months pregnant at the time of her trial.
Although Dorothy wasn't tried until Monday 7th, the Judge Mr Justice Cresswell referred to her case in his opening remarks on Friday 4th. This was reported:
"There were also two charges against two women named Dorothy Orford and Elizabeth Minto, for obtaining goods under false pretences; but, on examining the depositions, he did not find any thing to bring home the charge against Elizabeth Minto. The case in question was not like a charge of stealing goods, when one party received them from the other, and which made both equally responsible; but according to the depositions, the prisoner Oxford obtained the goods, and the only thing against Minto was, that she was in possession of some of them. That, however, would not do unless it was shown that there was a previous concert existing between the prisoners to obtain the goods, and of that fact there appeared no evidence. If that were so in the evidence brought before them they would not return a bill against Minto."
(Newcastle Courant, 11 Aug 1848, first part, p. 3, col. 5)
Imprisoned 5 Oct 1848 Millbank Prison, Westminster, London, England Moved to Millbank Prison - Dorothy's moved from Newcastle Gaol to Millbank Prison was repoted in a local paper:
"The convict, Dorothy Orford, who was found
guilty at the last assizes in this town, on a charge of having
obtained goods under false pretences, and who was sentenced
to ten years' transportation, left this town in charge of the
governor of the gaol, Mr. Thompson, for Millbank prison
on Thursday last."
(from the Newcastle Journal, 7 Oct 1848, p. 2, col. 8; image on FMP / British Newspaper Archive)
An article about Millbank Prison can be found on Wikipedia.
Imprisoned From 17 Apr 1849 Female House of Correction, Tasmania, Australia - Although living in the Female House of Correction Dorothy clearly had contact with men, as she became pregnant in about Dec. 1849. She also married as a convict in 1853.
Transportation to 17 Apr 1849 On the Cadet 2 - A record about Dorothy for her time at the House of Correction shows her arrival date as 17 April, not clear if this is the date the ship arrived or when Dorothy reached the House. (I don't know how long this would have taken).
Died Yes, date unknown Siblings2 brothers and 4 sisters Half-siblings4 half brothers and 2 half sisters (family of Robert BROWN and Mary DARE) Patriarch & Matriarch 
George BROWN, b. Est 1668, d. Yes, date unknown (3 x Great Grandfather)
Barbara HUTCHINSON, b. Abt 1782, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, England, d. 12 Feb 1858, Smith’s Court, Prudhoe Street, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, England (Age ~ 76 years) (Mother) Notes - (Research):Dorothy appears to have been the sole live-in servant in the household of schoolmaster Robert Lee i.e. Robert, his wife and daughter, and two young boarders - presumably pupils of Robert.
Person ID I28577 All Last Modified 22 Aug 2019
Father Robert BROWN, b. Abt 1786, d. 14 May 1846, North Quay, Weymouth, Dorset, England (Age ~ 60 years)
Other Partners: Mary DARE m. 12 Dec 1824Mother Barbara HUTCHINSON, b. Abt 1782, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, England , d. 12 Feb 1858, Smith’s Court, Prudhoe Street, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, England (Age ~ 76 years) Marriage License 10 Jun 1807 - Image of allegation on FamilySearch
"Robert Brown of the Chapelry of Blythe in the County of Northumberland and Diocese of Durham Smith ... of the Age of Twnety One Years and upwards and a Bachelor and intends to marry Barbara Hutchinson of the Chapely of Allsaints in the Town and County of Newcastle upon Tyne and Diocese aforesaid aged Twenty One Years and upwards, and a Spinster ...".
Bonds men were Robert Brown Smith (presumably this one, the groom, as his father had died) and John Taylor of Newcaste, slater.
Married 11 Jun 1807 All Saints’ Church, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, England - From BTs (image on FMP, viewed 17 Jun 2021)
"11 Robert Burn [sic] & Barbara Hutchinson L.[icense]" - under heading 'Married in June 1807'
Family ID F11034 Family Group Page | Family Chart
Family 1 William ORFORD Married 18 Mar 1833 St. John’s Church, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, England - From transcribed data from PR entry (by Northumberland & Durham FHS, on FMP, 10 Apr 2019) and the BT entry on FamilySearch
The latter shows that William Orford and Dorothy Brown were married by banns, they both signed and the witnesses were Henry Cockburn and John S Thompson.
Children3 children Last Modified 13 Apr 2019 Family ID F11037 Family Group Page | Family Chart
Family 2 [ - ? - ], d. Yes, date unknown Married Abt 1848 Married? Not married or evidence to suggest they didn't marry Children 1. Barbara ORFORD, b. Abt Aug 1848, The Gaol, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, England , d. 7 Aug 1849, Australia (Age ~ 0 years)Last Modified 11 Apr 2019 Family ID F11046 Family Group Page | Family Chart
Family 3 [ - ? - ], d. Yes, date unknown Married Abt 1850 Children 1. Mary Ann ORFORD, b. 21 Aug 1850, Tasmania, Australia , d. 9 Aug 1852, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia (Age 1 years)Last Modified 11 Apr 2019 Family ID F11047 Family Group Page | Family Chart
Family 4 Samuel SWAN, d. Yes, date unknown Married 2 Mar 1853 Tasmania, Australia - From convict register (image on Ancestry, viewed 9 Apr 2019)
Shows that Dorothy Offord of the ship Cadet 2 married Samule Swans of the ship D [Donald] Malcolm.
Children 1. Peggy SWAN, b. 1853, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia , d. Yes, date unknownLast Modified 11 Apr 2019 Family ID F11048 Family Group Page | Family Chart
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Event Map Click to hide 
Born - Aug 1814 - Blyth, Earsdon, Northumberland, England 
Baptised - 10 Oct 1819 - St. Michael and All Angels Church, Newburn, Northumberland, England 
Child - James ORFORD - Abt 1833 - Newburn, Northumberland, England 
Married - 18 Mar 1833 - St. John’s Church, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, England 
Child - John ORFORD - 9 Oct 1836 - St. Andrew’s Church, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, England 
Child - Jane ORFORD - Jun Q 1839 - Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, England 
Child - Peggy SWAN - 1853 - Hobart, Tasmania, Australia = Link to Google Earth (if installed; see link below to install) Pin Legend 
