Australian Royalty

Hannah stated in her trial that she and William Johnson had an illicit encounter resulting in the birth of her son William in 1806. The court convicted her of perjury for this assertion and sentenced her to transportation for seven years.

Arrived 16 Nov 1808 on the ship 'Speke' with 2 yr son William; Tried at Yorkshire Summer Assizes, 4 Mar 1807 for perjury in accusing William Johnson of Kirby Hill, schoolmaster, of being the father of her child, found guilty and sentenced to be transported beyond the seas for the term of seven years

Hannah Alderson, one of 99 convicts transported on the ship Speke, March 1808.
Sentence details: Convicted at York. East Riding Assizes for a term of 7 years.
Vessel: Speke.
Date of Departure: March 1808.
Place of Arrival: New South Wales.

The ship Speke arrived in the colony 16 Nov 1808

York Summer Assizes 1807.
CROWN END.
The King v. Hannah Alderson.
The Defendant stood charged with having committed wilful and corrupt perjury in open Court, at the Quarter Sessions at Northallerton.
MR. SINCLAIR opened the case on the part of the prosecution, of which the following is a brief but correct outline:-
The defendant who is about twenty six years of age, lived as a servant in the family of the Rev, Mr. Johnson, of Kirby-Hill, whose service she left on the sixth of August 1805. This young woman afterwards became pregnant, and applied to the Magistrates for, and obtained an order of filitation against the prosecutor, Mr. Wm. Johnson, son of her late master. Against this order, this gentleman appealed; an upon hearing of both parties at a subsequent Quarter Sessions, held at Northallerton, this order was reversed, and the Court strongly recommended that the present defendant should be prosecuted for perjury.
These circumstances having been given in evidence, Mr Ward, solicitor, proved the deposition of the defendant as taken at the time in the Court, which in substance averred, that William Johnson had had, at two several times, an illicit connection with her, (the time she stated to be about the middle of September) in consequence of which intercourse she became pregnant, and was delivered of a male child on the 4th of July 1806, and of which child the said William Johnson was the father. She further deposed, that the above William Johnson promised her money in case she would charge some other person with being the father of her child. All these assertions, except that relating to the birth of the child, Mr. W. Johnson denied upon oath; and it was distinctly proved, by the evidence of the gentleman and his brother, the Rev. Mr. Johnson, of Brotherton, in Lancashire, that he was absent from Kirby-Hill, from the 12th of August 1805 to the 25th of August the following year. That during the whole of this period, William Johnson resided with his brother at Brotherton, a distance of 120 miles from Kirby-Hill, and was never absent more than two nights during this period; one on a visit to Preston, and the other time on a visit at Wigan to both of which places he was accompanied by his brother.
The prisoner had no counsel, and called no witnesses, but persisted in the truth of what she had before deposed, and affirmed the prosecutor was really the father of the child.
The Judge, in his address to the Jury, said if they did not discredit the evidence on the part of the prosecution, no doubt could be entertained of the guilt of the prisoner, as the material part of her deposition was flatly contradicted by the oaths of the two witnesses; - a circumstance necessary to convict for perjury, it being impossible to convict any person of this crime on the oath of a single witness, and in this case, there would only be equal evidence on both sides.
The Jury, after a few moments deliberation, found the prisoner guilty. And the Court afterwards sentenced her to be transported for the term of seven years.

V18101030 3A/1810 DAYLEY CHARLES ALDERSON HANNAH CC
(St Matthews Church of England, Windsor)

Daley, Charles, free by servitude, Boddington, 7 years, landholder, Windsor
Alderson, Hannah, free by servitude, Speke, 7 years, Windsor
5 un-named children of Hannah Alderson

Alderson, Hannah, free by servitude, Speke, 1808, 7 years, wife of Charles Daley, Windsor
Alderson, Ann, 16, born in the colony, child of Hannah Alderson
Alderson, Mary Ann, 12, born in the colony, child of above
Alderson, Sarah, 10, born in the colony, child of above
Alderson, John, 8, born in the colony, child of above
Alderson, Susanna, 6, born in the colony, child of above
Alderson, Charles, 14, born in the colony, child of above
Alderson, William, came free, Speke, 1808, landholder, Wilberforce
Daley, Charles, free by servitude, Boddington, 1793, 7 years, landholder, Windsor

Dailey, Charles, 60, free by servitude, Boddingtons, 1793, 7 years, Protestant, labourer, Windsor
Dailey, Susannah, 49, free by servitude, Speke, 1808, 7 years
Dailey, Mary, 17, born in the colony
Dailey, Charles, 14, born in the colony
Dailey, Sarah, 12, born in the colony
Dailey, John, 9, born in the colony
Dailey, Susannah, 8, born in the colony

V18541340 106/1854 DAILY SUSANNA AGE 76