Mary Spencer was the 1st love of James Squire "Charlotte" 1788 after he arrived in the colony. MARY SPENCER (c1768-) Mary Spencer b c 1768 from Formby, Lancaster charged Wigan on 9 October 1786 with theft at Crosby of one cotton and one black silk handkerchief a green quilted Tammy (glazed material party wool) petticoat and a black silk cloak. She received sentence of only five years transportation, and a contrite clerk wrote on 25 January 1787 to Lord Sydney to correct his error in recording it as seven years. "I could not forgive myself I to be the instrument of the poor Woman's being deprived of her liberty even for a moment. Mary was only 18 when she embarked directly on "Prince of Wales" at Portsmouth by the turnkey of Lancaster gaol on 8 April 1787, together with Ellen Wainwright and Eleanor Fraser (qqv). On the shop she bore a daughter Mary (qv) who would survive until 5 April 1788 and be buried at Sydney Cove. In November 1789 Mary was sent to Norfolk by Supply. There in February 1791 she was provide with a sow for her herself and her son Francis (born August 1790, fathered by James Squire, qv), and sold a sow from the litter on 7 May 1792. On 21 September that year she left Norfolk Island by Atlantic, evidently leaving her son behind. David Collins (qv) wrote on 30 March 1793 to Captain Francis Grose, then in control at Port Jackson, saying there was no objection to the child remaining where he was since he was likely to receive better care there than at Port Jackson. In 1796 the child Francis was marked "not on the supply list" as in fact he was not. The boy was sent to Sydney where he enlisted in the NSW Corps in June 1797. By September 1808 he was described as being dark complexion and hazel eyes, light brown hair, 5ft 11ins, aged 18 years and one month. His natural father James Squire, remained interested in the boy, mentioning him in his will. Mary married John Palmer, private in the NSW Corps (per Neptune1790), at St. Phillip's, on 10 August 1797, following the birth of their daughter Ann in Sydney on 4 June 1796. A second daughter Elizabeth was born in Sydney on 12 October 1799 surviving to May 1800. Palmer transferred to the Invalid Company in 1810 and was living alone in 1828. He died in1832. No record of his wife after 1800 has been confrimed but she was described as deceased in James Squire's will of April 1822. Cheers Rhonda