ARRIVES AT SYDNEY COVE HORRIFYING CONDITIONS says Chaplain JohnsonLong awaited ships from England have arrived bringing with them a load of problems far outweighing their aid to the Colony. Lady Juliana, arrived June 3, 1790, was found to carry not food but female convicts, mainly elderly and infirm. Justinian, arrived June 20, brought food and news that the principal store ship, Guardian, had foundered off the Cape of Good Hope. The ships carried the first detachment of the New Continue Reading »
John Small and Mary Parker
The Reverend Richard Johnson, Chaplain to the colony married convicts John Small and Mary Parker on 12 October 1788. The witnesses were convict Thomas Akers and servant to the Reverend Johnson, Samuel Barnes. As chaplain’s clerk, his name appears numerous times as witness to Port Jackson weddings. Mary Parker’s sentence did not expire until April 1792. John Small was not alone when he committed the crime that original carried the sentence Guilty. To be hanged. A Royal Continue Reading »
Elizabeth Cole
It is an amazing coincidence that there were two young women who came to Australia on the First Fleet and were named Elizabeth Cole. This was at first most confusing, but eventually we found proof of which one was ours and her whole story fitted together. We have been told that our Elizabeth Cole was baptised on 25 May 1762 in the Parish Church of the small Devon village of Lamerton, not far from the western edge of Dartmoor and her parents were Thomas and Elizabeth Continue Reading »
James Squire
Was sentenced to transportation for seven years at the General Sessions of the Peace for the Town and Hundred at Kingston upon Thames on 11 April 1785. His crime was theft of four Cocks, five Hens and divers other Goods and Chattels the property of John Stacey. He was held in Southwark gaol until the end of March 1787, when he was sent to Portsmouth, ordered to Friendship but embarked on Charlotte. This was the second time James Squire/s had been transported. James Squire's Continue Reading »
Ann Daly : John Seymour
Port Jackson November 1788, convict girls Ann Daly (Warburton) and Amelia Levy were sharing a hut together. A fire was kept lit between their hut and Ann Farmer; sometimes in the evenings John Ryan and Bartholomew Reardon took advantage of the warmth from the fire. During the evening of 11 November a man had come into the girl’s hut and taken some clothing. Ann claimed that she was lying awake in her hut when the door opened and a man came in. She thought the man had come in after Continue Reading »
Thomas Prior : Rebecca Davidson
In the Anglican Section of the Old Sydney (Devonshire/Sandhills) Burial Ground, was a very small headstone that marked the grave of Thomas Prior. The stone was embellished with several Masonic emblems and inscribed with the wording: Sacred to the memory of THOMAS PRIOR, who departed this Life, July 24th, 1836, Aged 88 Years, who Arrived in the first fleet 1788. Freemasonry has been associated with the British discovery and settlement of New South Wales from the beginning. Thomas Prior Continue Reading »
Walter Batley : Martha Baker
Convict Walter Batley whose aliases were Walton Batley or John Rowse, Rouse or Rous, was aged 28 when he was discharged into Friendship. Ralph Clark noted that he was a bricklayer born in Norfolk. At the Old Bailey Sessions which began on Wednesday 29 October 1783, Walter Batley was indicted for feloniously stealing on the 24 September 1783, seven woollen sailor’s jackets value 20s, two woollen sailor’s jackets value 10s, seven white flannel jackets value 3s, six pair of breeches value 12s, Continue Reading »
John Baughan : Mary Cleaver
John Bingham or Baughan, alias Innis Baffin, cabin maker, was convicted at Oxford England, in 1783 for having stolen five woollen blankets being the goods of John Shorter. Sentenced to seven years transportation to America, he was delivered aboard the ship Mercury on 22 March 1784 with 21 other convicts. The ship was seized by the convicts off Torbay Cornwall; he was one of 66 recaptured and held on Dunkirk Hulk until being transferred to the First Fleet transport Friendship. The Reverend Continue Reading »
The Second Fleet
The Second Fleet Arrives at Sydney Cove Horrifying Conditions says Chaplain Richard Johnson Long awaited ships from England have arrived bringing with them a load of problems far outweighing their aid to the Colony. Lady Juliana arrived June 3, 1790, was found to carry not food but female convicts, mainly elderly and infirm. Justinian, arrived June 20, brought food and news that the principal store ship, Guardian, had founded off the Cape of Good Hope. The ships carried the Continue Reading »
John Arscott : Catherine Prior
John Arscott was a carpenter and a native of Truro, Cornwall, England, being baptised on 22 March 1767, as the probable son of Samuel Arscott and Mary Barnes. John was sentenced at Bodmin Assizes Cornwall, on 18 August 1783 to seven years’ transportation to America, for three crimes: (a) For burglariously breaking and entering the dwelling house of Philip Polkinghorne about 1 in the night and stealing 2 silver watches value 40s. (b) For burglariously breaking and entering the dwelling house of Continue Reading »