In the early 1840s, a widow named Mary Christopherson was running the Angel Inn on English Street in Carlisle. Born around 1805 in Cumberland, Mary had previously been married to an auctioneer and furniture broker, but had been widowed for several years by the time she took over the inn.

On Saturday 12th March 1842, disaster struck. A fire was discovered at the Angel Inn, and closer inspection by the police superintendent revealed it had been started deliberately. Mary, along with her daughter and servant, was taken into custody.

The case quickly unravelled, and was reported in the national press. The servant confessed that she had prepared flammable materials at the instruction of her mistress, who intended to claim £400 on her stock and furniture through insurance fraud. There were also whispers that Mary had planned to emigrate to America once the claim had been made.

By the time the trial reached the Cumberland Assizes in July, interest in the case had grown so intense that people were turned away from the packed courtroom. Mary kept her head down as the details were read out. Because the arson had taken place while others were asleep in the building, it was a capital offence. Instead of a fresh start in America, Mary was sentenced to transportation for life.

She was to begin her new life not by choice, but as one of 191 female convicts bound for Van Diemen’s Land (modern-day Tasmania) aboard the Garland Grove. After boarding the ship at Woolwich in September 1842, the women waited to embark. During this time, they were visited by family members, prayed with a Minister, and received books and sewing kits from members of Elizabeth Fry’s reform committee.

Fry had long campaigned for better conditions for women in prison and on convict ships. Thanks to her efforts, two female matrons were appointed to accompany the women on the journey - an important step in safeguarding female prisoners.

The Garland Grove finally set sail on the morning of 29th September 1842. Among its passengers were the 191 women, a crew of 29, and shockingly around 25 children. Mary’s conduct during the voyage was noted as “very good,” and she was described as “worthy of encouragement.” Likely due to her education and middle-class background, she was chosen as one of two schoolmistresses on board, helping women and children learn their letters and improve their writing. Their afternoons included time for reading, and in the evenings they would sing hymns, read Scriptures, and pray together.

It was reported to be an agreeable journey, with most of the women able to go on deck daily. After nearly four months at sea, the ship anchored at Hobart on the evening of 20th January 1843.

Upon arrival, Mary was entered into the convict description book. In an era before photography, such records offer vivid detail: she was 5 foot 2¼, with a fresh complexion, dark brown hair, light blue eyes, a round chin, and a small scar on her left eyebrow. Asked to describe her crime, she defensively added, “it was my own property.”

Convicts with good behaviour were often granted some degree of freedom before completing their full sentence. In 1844, Mary became a 3rd Class Probation pass-holder, allowing her to take up paid work. That same year, she was given permission to work for William Turner of Sandy Bay Road - likely at another inn.

Permission was also needed for a convict to marry, and Mary received it. She married John West on 9th March 1846. Just a year later, on 5th March 1847, she was granted a pardon - her reward for bravely catching and detaining a thief who had stolen from her master.

After little more than four years of a life sentence, Mary Christopherson was free. She had left behind her criminal conviction, and with her new name and husband, was ready to begin again.