William Bennett

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Sandie McKoy on 24th August 2024

William was born in 1809 at Gilmorton, Leicestershire, England, to parents William Bennett and Ann Bywater. He was baptised on 6 November 1809, at All Saints Church in Gilmorton. Described as having a dark ruddy complexion, dark brown hair, and hazel eyes, as an adult William stood 5 feet 6 inches tall. On 17 July 1831, he married Sarah Falkner at All Saints Church in Peatling Magna, with both residing in Great Peatling at the time. Shortly after their marriage, the couple moved back to Gilmorton, where William worked as a framework knitter. Together, they had three children: John, Miles, and William. On 13 January 1839, William was accused of stealing a sheep at Bitteswell, the property of Joseph Froane of Little Ashby. At the time of his offending, he was working as a stable hand. His trial took place at the Leicestershire Epiphany Session on 5 March 1839. The evidence against him was compelling, with his unique shoe print matching those found at the crime scene and in the trail of blood leading from the scene to his house, and the carcass and wool of the stolen sheep discovered in a well near his home. Although it was his first offence, the court showed no leniency, sentencing him to 15 years of transportation. William embarked from Sheerness on the convict ship Barossa with a total of 336 male prisoners. The ship surgeon Robert Wylie cared for the prisoners and despite a measles and herpes outbreak, few died during the 127 days at sea. Upon arriving at Port Jackson on 8 December 1839 William and his fellow prisoners were marched to Hyde Park Barracks, where they were addressed by Governor Sir George Gipps. A week later, William, along with the other convicts from the Barossa, was transferred to Cook's River Station. There, under the supervision of Mr. Jones, the former Assistant Chief Constable of Sydney, they laboured on government projects such as the construction of the Cooks River Dam. William received his Ticket of Leave on 13 December 1845, allowing him to work initially in the Wellington area, then in Campbelltown in 1846, and later in Bathurst in 1847. On 15 June 15 1854, just three days after obtaining his Certificate of Freedom, William married Mary Mochie at Liverpool Plains. Mary, a Scottish immigrant, had been widowed in 1850. The couple settled in Paddington, where they had two daughters: Louisa, born and sadly passed away in 1855, and Louisa Agnes, born in 1856. Later, they moved to Wodonga, Victoria, where they welcomed two more daughters, Annie Elizabeth, born in 1858, and Ellen Rebecca, born in 1860. William was a well-known butcher in the Albury-Wodonga regions, where he had built strong connections within the community. In 1866, he entrusted the goodwill of his Wodonga based butchering business to David Reese, the husband of his stepdaughter Margaret. David went on to purchase the business, while William's wife took on the role of superintendent, actively managing and working in the shop. Tragically, William passed away on 14 November 1867 at the butcher's shop. He was laid to rest two days later in the Wodonga Cemetery. Sources Baptism of William Bennett, baptised 6 November 1809, in Leicestershire Baptisms, DE2753/3, Record Office for Leicestershire, Leicester & Rutland, Find My Past. William Bennett, Barrosa [Barossa], 1839, annotated printed indent, New South Wales State Archives, NRS 12189, pp 104–105, in New South Wales, Australia, Convict Indents, 1788 1842, Ancestry.com. Marriage of William Bennett and Sarah Falkner, married 17 July 1831, in Leicestershire Banns, DE4314/5, Record Office for Leicestershire, Leicester & Rutland, Find My Past. ‘Sheep-Stealing’, Leicester Chronicle or Commercial and Leicestershire Mercury, 9 March 1839, p 1, Newspapers.com. William Bennett, Barossa [1839], Home Office: Criminal Registers, England And Wales, 1805-1892, The National Archives (UK), HO 27/58, in Criminal registers, England & Wales, 1805-1868, Find My Past. Convict ship Barossa (1), 1839, Free Settler or Felon, Jen Willetts, https://www.freesettlerorfelon.com/convict_ship_barossa_1839.htm ‘Country News’, Australasian Chronicle (Sydney), 20 December 1839, p 4, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article31727067 William Bennett, Barrosa, 1839, New South Wales State Archives, NRS 12202, 4/4204, in New South Wales, Australia, Tickets of Leave, 1810-1869, Ancestry.com. William Bennett, Barrosa, 1839, Butts of Certificates of Freedom, New South Wales State Archives, NRS 12210, 1027, in New South Wales, Australia, Certificates of Freedom, 1810-1814, 1827-1867, Ancestry.com. Marriage registration of William and Mary Barr, married 19 June 1854, Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, New South Wales, V253473C/1854. ‘Advertising’, Albury Banner and Wodonga Express, 26 May 1866, p 3, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article264157612 ‘Advertising’, Albury Banner and Wodonga Express, 14 July 1866, p 3, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article264157912 Death registration of William Bennett, died 14 November 1867, Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, Victoria, 9866/1867; Death certificate of William Bennett, died 14 November 1867, purchased from the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, Victoria, by Sandie McKoy. Research by Sandie McKoy.