Fight the Good Fight

Sometimes, when there seems no other way, we try to do the impossible. That's how it was when I decided to try to find a convict ancestor of mine, named Thomas Smith, by going through all the Thomas Smiths, checking their records and eliminating those which looked unlikely. This was bound to fail. There were 300 odd convicts who shared that impossible name. I rejected the first half dozen and the next one brought me to the end of my search, not because I had found my answer, but that right at the bottom of one the indents I found the words "assaulting and maltreating Ephraim Doe". At that moment, I realised the futility of my search and I had another direction to follow. I eventually found my ancestor Thomas Smith through the "permissions to marry" when I came across his wife's name.
What had caused the incident in 1849 when this other Thomas Smith, convict number 4748 had treated Ephraim so badly and earned himself ten days hard labour? It has taken me several years to frame a theory. Ephraim had, at that time requested permission to marry a convict maid called Ann Connors. She was not the shrinking violet type. Ann was a wily wench, a woman of the town, a prostitute and a drunk. She was certainly not up to scratch for the makings of a good wife. On the very same day of the assault on Ephraim, Ann Connors was charged with making use of indecent language and a fine was levied against her. It seems too much of a coincidence that Ephraim and Ann parted ways at this time, even though they had gained permission to marry. Was there a fight over a woman? In whose direction was Ann's wrath pointed? Ann did not marry anyone and ended her days drunk on the streets of Hobart. Ephraim was back on the market and found himself at the altar at St Lukes, marrying a far different lady the following year.