Mary Ann Bugg
Forbidden love

Bushrangers were generally portrayed as an emotionless lot. While many of the general populace identified with them, or saw them as some sort of revolutionaries, few saw them as men that lived and loved. Frederick Ward, alias Captain Thunderbolt, was one man who history shows did in fact love. The object of his affection was a remarkable woman named Mary Anne Bugg. While most women of her time did little more than sew and farm, Mary Ann found with Ward the opportunity to express her spirit, and live a life of passion.

Mary Ann was born near Gloucester in New South Wales. Her father was a ex-Convict named James Bugg. Her mother was an Aboriginal woman named Charlotte. The blending of Aboriginal and European features in Mary Ann created a very attractive lady, a beauty she would exploit later in life.

In Mary's early years, her mother taught Mary how to survive in the Australian bush. When she was ten, she was sent to boarding school where she learnt to read, write and carry herself like a lady.

At the age of 14, Mary married a shepherd named Edmund Baker and the couple moved to Mudgee. The couple were employed by a Mrs. Garbutt whose son James was involved with a cattle thief named Frederick Ward. It is on the property that Mary probably first met Ward and formed a liaison.

In 1856 Frederick Ward and James Garbutt were sentenced to Cockatoo Island prison for ten years for receiving stolen horses. They served only four years and were released with Tickets of Leave. Ward returned the Garbutt's station for Mary Ann and with her young child, she accompanied Ward to Dungog. (Mary's husband had died while Ward had been in gaol. )

In October 1861, Ward was again arrested for horse theft and again imprisoned on Cockatoo Island. Two weeks later Mary Ann gave birth to their first child; a girl named Marina Emily.

As soon as Marina was weaned, Mary placed both her child in care and moved to Balmain (near Cockatoo Island) where she found employment as a housemaid under the name Louisa Mason. She then swam to Cockatoo island with a file for Ward to cut through his chains. In September 1863, Ward filed through his chains, swam to Balmain and with Mary Anne, the couple moved to the Hunter Valley where Ward became the bushranger Captain Thunderbolt.

Despite having three children by March 1866, Mary Ann was a valuable asset to Ward and the gang. Her knowledge of bushcraft enabled her to find food and shelter in the mountainous terrain. Her training in the refined art of being a lady also enabled her to venture into townships undetected to obtain supplies or information about police and coach movements.

As well as being intelligent, she was also said to be very attractive and extremely proud of her association with Ward. On several occasions she referred to herself as the 'Captain's Lady' and held her head high when she said so. She was also a loving mother and despite being on the run, she endeavoured to spend as much time as possible with her children.

Three times she was charged with receiving stolen goods. On one occasion, Ward rescued her from a station where she was being held. On another occasion, she served three months of a prison sentence before an outcry in Parliament saw her released.

It is not clear exactly how Mary Ann died as two death certificates have been found. One scenario is that whilst in jail, Ward is reputedly to have betrayed her for another women, Louisa Maison. Distraught at his treachery, Mary Ann gave police information to aid his capture and then left the area to marry a man named John Burrows. However 'Louisa Maison' is the name Mary Ann reportedly used whilst working in Balmain. Furthermore, her information to the police proved useless. Thus it was suspected that the story of betrayal was a mere smokescreen that helped Ward evade capture and allowed her to leave the gang to spend time with her children without fear of police persecution.

In 1869, a grieving Ward approached a Mrs. Bradford and told her a woman was dying. Ward asked that Mrs. Bradford care for her and if not, report the circumstances to the police. Mrs. Bradford subsequently found the woman, took her to her house but she died overnight. Soon afterwards the newspapers were reporting that Louisa Mason had died of pneumonia. If Louisa Mason and Mary Ann had indeed been the same person, it seems that knowing she was dying, Mary Ann had left her children to spend her final weeks with Ward in the Australian wilderness.

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