Summary
Personal Information
Crime
Voyage
Transportation
Thomas Ashby was transported on the Sir William Bensley, departing 9th Oct 1816 and arriving 10th Mar 1817 with 201 passengers.
Sir William Bensley (generic)References
| Primary Source | Australian Joint Copying Project. Microfilm Roll 88, Class and Piece Number HO11/2, Page Number 300 |
| Source Description | This record is one of the entries in the British convict transportation registers 1787-1867 database compiled by State Library of Queensland from British Home Office (HO) records which are available on microfilm as part of the Australian Joint Copying Pro |
| Original Source | Great Britain. Home Office |
| Compiled By | State Library of Queensland |
| Database Source | British convict transportation registers 1787-1867 database |
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Convict Notes
The additions by Iain Fraser duplicate just about all the material already provided. The whole last paragraph about Esther Morris belongs under her own entry, not here, and merely duplicates material already provided. Lists and lists of names and dates like a family tree are dull and hard to read and are not the purpose of this website. If you must do it (and the last contributor does this increasingly often) at least make it interesting. Please.
Family connections for Thomas (Ashby) are: Some ammendments added Jun 2025. ASHBY Thomas (Ashby) was born about 1770 & became a shoemaker. He married Esther/Elizabeth (Morris) on 24 6 1802 at St Martins Birmingham Warwickshire. He was tried for larceny at Warwick Assizes, sentenced to 7years & arrived in NSW as a convict on 10 3 1817 after a voyage of 6months on SIR WILLIAM BENSLEY; he was sent to Parramatta where he was assigned to Joseph (Bradley); he was apparantly issued with a general pass & set up a shoemaking business. He received his Ticket of Leave for Parramatta on 1 4 1822, in which year he was discovered to not be working as expected as a Government Servant. In the year October 1822 to September 1823 he is recorded as employing convicts. On 5 4 1823 he had an allottment in Parramatta. He is recorded, probably in 1828, with his 2sons as a shoemaker & with 2employees. He died on 28 5 1857 age87 at Parramatta & was buried at St Johns CofE Parramatta with his wife & daughter Mary Anne. [Some details taken from this Website]. Esther/Elizabeth (Morris/Ashby) was born about 1774. She is recorded, in Smee's recordings, as arriving in NSW following her husband with her children on 24 2 1817 after a voyage of 6months on LORD MELVILLE&: &, on this Website, as tried for using counterfeit notes at Warwick Assizes & sentenced to Life. She died on 4 10 1821 age47 & was buried at St Johns CofE Parramatta-with daughter Mary Anne & husband Thomas & Hugh (Hughes). [Some details taken from this Website]. Thomas (Ashby) & Esther/Elizabeth (Morris) produced 8children: 1.Thomas (Ashby) may have been born in 1805. He also may have arrived in NSW with his mother on 24 2 1817 after a voyage of 6months on LORD MELVILLE. He married Ann (Allen age16) on 19 9 1827 at St Johns CofE Parramatta. He was a harnesskeeper in 1829. ..Ann (Allen) was born in 1811 in England. She arrived in NSW with her mother on 24 2 1817 after a voyage of 6months on LORD MELVILLE. She is recorded in 1822 with her parents in Sydney. She had a first relationship (1of3) at age about14 with William Henry (Moore). She married thirdly at age16 Captain Anthony (Lomas) on 17 7 1828 at St James CofE Sydney. She produced 1known child in her lifetime. ..Details of Ann (Allen)s family are given in . ..Thomas (Ashby) & Ann (Allen) produced 1child: ..1.Thomas (Ashby) was born on 26 2 1830 at Parramatta & baptised on 21 3 1830 at St Johns CofE Parramatta. .. 2.Elizabeth (Ashby) was born in 1807 in England. She arrived in NSW with her mother on 24 2 1817 after a voyage of 6months on LORD MELVILLE. She married Hugh James (Hughes) on 12 7 1824 at St Johns CofE Parramatta & produced at least 2children. She is recorded in 1828 with her inlaws & her family at Parramatta. ..Hugh (Hughes) was born on 20 8 1803 & baptised on 10 6 1804 at St Johns CofE Parramatta. He is recorded in 1828 with his parents & his family at Parramatta. He died on 17 7 1865 age61. ..Details of Hugh James (Hughes)s family are given in entry for Hugh (Hughes ALEXANDER 1788) on this Website (more to follow sometime). .. 3.William (Ashby) was born in 1810 in England. He arrived in NSW with his mother on 24 2 1817 after a voyage of 6months on LORD MELVILLE. 4.Benjamin (Ashby) was born in 1812 in England. He arrived in NSW with his mother on 24 2 1817 after a voyage of 6months on LORD MELVILLE. 5.Mary Ann (Ashby) was born on 9 7 1820 & baptised on 24 12 1820 at St Johns CofE Parramatta. She died on 23 4 1841 age20/2 & was buried at St Johns CofE Parramatta with her parents. 6.John (Ashby) was born in 1821 at Parramatta & baptised on 27 5 1821 at St Johns CofE Parramatta. 7.Noted an Eleanor (Ashby) is recorded as born in June 1821-no parents shown. She died on 1 7 1821 age2w at Parramatta & was buried at St Johns CofE Parramatta. 8.??? (Ashby) Family connections for Esther/Elizabeth (Morris) are: Esther/Elizabeth (Morris/Ashby) was born about 1774. She married Thomas (Ashby) on 24 6 1802 at St Martins Birmingham Warwickshire & produced 8children. She is recorded, in Smee's recordings, as arriving in NSW following her husband with her children on 24 2 1817 after a voyage of 6months on LORD MELVILLE&: &, on this Website, as tried for using counterfeit notes at Warwick Assizes & sentenced to Life. She died on 4 10 1821 age47 & was buried at St Johns CofE Parramatta-with daughter Mary Anne & husband Thomas & Hugh (Hughes). [Some details taken from this Website]. Thomas (Ashby) was born about 1770 & became a shoemaker. He was tried for larceny at Warwick Assizes, sentenced to 7years & arrived in NSW as a convict on 10 3 1817 after a voyage of 6months on SIR WILLIAM BENSLEY; he was sent to Parramatta where he was assigned to Joseph (Bradley); he was apparantly issued with a general pass & set up a shoemaking business. He received his Ticket of Leave for Parramatta on 1 4 1822, in which year he was discovered to not be working as expected as a Government Servant. In the year October 1822 to September 1823 he is recorded as employing convicts. On 5 4 1823 he had an allottment in Parramatta. He is recorded, probably in 1828, with his 2sons as a shoemaker & with 2employees. He died on 28 5 1857 age87 at Parramatta & was buried at St Johns CofE Parramatta with his wife & daughter Mary Anne. [Some details taken from this Website]. Craig James Smee 'Births and Baptisms Marriages and Defacto Relationships Deaths and Burials New South Wales 1788-1830' ..a complete listing from church & other records in the early colony.
NSW Census, 1812, Parramatta lists household of Thomas Ashby, 48, (ship, SW Bensley, 1817), a shoemaker, his 2 sons, William, 17, and Benjamin Ashby,16, (both by ship Lord Melville, 1816) and James Blake, age 48, ship Ms Wellington, 1815, occupation, shoemaker, protestant, and another shoemaker, John Leman, (Shipley, 1817) aged 68.
Thomas Ashby married Esther Morris on 24/6/1802 at St Martins, Birmingham - they had 4 children. 20/4/1816 Oxford Journal Oxfordshire, England: WARWICK ASSIZES, Tuesday, April 9 Esther Ashby, for putting off eight counterfeit Bank of England notes; Esther was transported for life and arrived with the 4 children, Thomas, Elizabeth, William and Benjamin arrived per 'Lord Melville' in 1817. Colonial Secretary Papers: ASHBY, Thomas. Per "Sir William Bensley", 1817 1817 Mar 21: On list of convicts disembarked from the "Sir William Bensley" and forwarded to Parramatta for distribution (Reel 6005; 4/3496 p.79) 1822 Apr 1: Ticket of leave to be taken and to be sent to Government labour. On return of proceedings of the Bench of Magistrates, Parramatta (Fiche 3297; X643 p.7) 1822 Jul 30: Re his trial and sentence (Reel 6009; 4/3506 p.103) 1822 Aug 2: Inquiry as to under what authority he had been allowed to be on his own hands for the last five years (Reel 6009; 4/3506 p.124) 1822 Aug 5,12: Assigned to Joseph Bradley in 1817 and not returned to Superintendent's charge (Reel 6055; 4/1761 pp.94, 107) 1822 Aug 9: Request for the general pass under which Ashley had been on his own hands for last five years (Reel 6009; 4/3506 p.162) 1822 Sep 30-1823 Sep 30: Of Parramatta. On lists of persons to whom convict mechanics have been assigned (Fiche 3296; X53 pp.25, 39, 55, 70) 1823 Apr 5: On return of allotments in the town of Parramatta (Fiche 3265; 4/7576 p.18) 1824 c.Apr, Oct 8: On lists of defaulters in payment for assigned convict mechanics (Reel 6061, 4/1778 p.265a; Fiche 3293, 5/3821.1 p.1) Thomas and Esther had 4 more children in Australia. 28/5/1857: Thomas died aged 87 at Parramatta. St. Johns, Parramatta In memory of ESTHER Wife of THOMAS ASHBY Died 4th October 1821 Aged 47 years Also MARY ANNE daughter of ESTHER & THOMAS ASHBY Died 23rd April 1841 aged 22 years Also THOMAS ASHBY Died 28th May 1857 aged 87 years Also HUGH HUGHES Died 17th July 1865 Aged 62 years Also ELIZABETH wife of above & daughter of THOMAS & ESTHER ASHBY Died 25th April 1871 Aged 62 years In the midst of Life we are in death Also HUGH JAMES HUGHES Son of the above
Burial in St Johns Anglican Cemetery, Parramatta, NSW.