How fortunate we are to have journals, diaries, letters, reports and logbooks written by officers who arrived with Captain Arthur Phillip in 1788. Without these scribes our knowledge of the voyage, the settlement, and its people would have passed into history unknown.David Blackburn (1753–1795) HMS Supply, Master A party of gentlemen with their servants and 4 soldiers were walking to Botany Bay … met with a body of 300 natives all armed with spears and targets. They did not seem too Continue Reading »
Maria Nash (Haynes)
Her story, told by descendant Rosemary SMITHRosemary joined the First Fleet Fellowship in September 1987 and holds certificate number 181. When asked how and when she found out that she was a descendant of First Fleeters, she seemed a little surprised by the question and said “I guess it’s something we’ve always known.”Here is the story of her ancestor. "This is the story of my four times grandmother, as we, her descendants know it. A lot of Australian histories Continue Reading »
Andrew Goodwin : Lydia Munro
ANZAC Day marks the anniversary of the first campaign that led to major casualties for Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War, 100 years ago. The acronym ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, whose soldiers were known as ANZACS. Australia is commemorating this most important centenary period 2014 to 2018.The ANZAC centenary is a time for all present First Fleet descendants from Andrew Goodwin and Lydia Munro to honour their past descendants Continue Reading »
Henry Waterhouse
Midshipman Henry Waterhouse arrived with the First Fleet aboard HMS Sirius. He was the eldest son of William and Susanna (Brewer) Waterhouse, born 13 December 1770 and christened 28 December 1770 at St James Middlesex. William had be page to the Duke of Cumberland who was Henry’s god-father. He entered the navy at an early age (16) and on 20 November 1786 joined HMS Sirius as midshipman (having been recommended to Captain Phillip), raising to the rank of acting third lieutenant on 28 Continue Reading »
Laurence Richards and Family
Private Marine Laurence Richards from Tiverton Devon, and his pregnant wife Mary, boarded the Prince of Wales for their voyage to Sydney Cove. Son Samuel was born on 9 October 1787 five days out from the ship’s arrival at the Cape of Good Hope.At Port Jackson, Richards was amongst a number of Marines who served in the detachment of Captain John Shea. In 1791 he decided to become a settler, sailing to Norfolk Island by Atlantic in October 1791 with Mary, Samuel and a second son Continue Reading »
First Fleet Surgeons
John WHITE (c1757–1832)–Surgeon-General Entered the Navy in 1778 as third Surgeon’s mate, receiving his promotion to Surgeon on 9 October 1780, aged 23. He held Surgeon’s appointments in numerous Naval ships until being appointed Surgeon-General of the expedition to Botany Bay under Captain Arthur Phillip: his salary was £182.10s a year. White had three Assistant Surgeons, each on half his salary. A hospital built on the west side of Sydney was described by White as very 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 »
Rachel Early
Variations of her surname on official records are Hurley, Earley, Harley, Arily. Rachel was born on 23 April 1769 at Lambourne Berkshire England. Her mothers’ name is given as Christian Early, no fathers’ name is recorded. Rachel was unemployed of St Giles London, when she was tried at Reading on 24 July 1786 for stealing an ounce of tea, tabacco and sugar, 3 yards of silk ribband and a linen cap with a value of 3 Shillings, (30 cents today). Sentenced to 7 years Continue Reading »
Munday Family
John Munday was a private marine in the 18th (Plymouth) Company who came to New South Wales on the First Fleet, bringing with him his wife Ann and son Edward.John was a cloth worker from Berkeley, Gloucestershire, before joining the Marine Corps at Plymouth. It is uncertain which ship the family sailed on to New South Wales, suggestions being the Sirius or Alexander. At Port Jackson John served in the company of Captain Shea.Ann Munday had a daughter Elizabeth at Port Jackson, Continue Reading »
Watkin Tench
was a soldier and writer, who was born at Chester on 6 October 1758 in the county of Cheshire in England. He joined the Royal Marine Corps, Plymouth division, as a Second Lieutenant in 1776, and served in the American War of Independence, during which he was a prisoner-of-war for some months.In December 1786, Tench’s offer to re-enter the Corps for a three-year tour of Botany Bay was accepted, and he sailed aboard Charlotte. Before sailing with the Fleet, he arranged with a London Continue Reading »