Summary
Personal Information
Transportation
George Best was transported on the Active, Albermarle, Atlantic, Barrington, Britannia, Mary Ann, Matilda, Salamander And William And Ann, departing 31st Dec 1790 and arriving 9th Jul 1791 with 1265 passengers.
The Third Fleet consisted of 11 Vessels. Active, Albermarle, Atlantic, Barrington, Britannia, Gorgon, Mary Ann, Matilda, Queen (from Ireland) Salamander and William and Ann. These vessels were provided by a private company; Camden, Calvert and King to ship convicts to the colony.
Active, Albermarle, Atlantic, Barrington, Britannia, Mary Ann, Matilda, Salamander And William And Ann (generic)References
| Primary Source | Bateson, Charles; The convict Ships 1787-1868. Sainty & Johnson; 1828 Census of New South Wales. The Convict Stockade; Online Database. |
Claims
"George Best is my great great great grandfather. I am descended from his last son, William."
Photos
No photos have been added for George Best.
Convict Notes
Family connections for George (Best) are: Some amendments added Jun 2025. BEST George (Best) was born about 1758 in Kent & became a labourer. He was tried for burglary, on 24 11 1789, of a watch etc of William (Cheeseman) of East Peckham at Kent Lent Assizes Maidstone, sentenced to death commuted to Life & arrived in NSW on 9 7 1791 after a voyage of 6months on Fleet ship WILLIAM AND ANN; he was Protestant. He married Martha (Chamberlain) on 17 9 1797 at St Johns CofE Parramatta & farmed at Toongabbie. He was issued his Conditional Pardon in 1800 & his Absolute Pardon in 1804. In 1814 he was assigned convict John (Mills). In 1828 he had >800acres. He died on 2 7 1836 age78. [Some details taken from this Website] Martha (Chamberlain) was born about 1774. She was living at St Giles Middlesex when tried w/1other for stealing cloth coat of John (Cox) at probably Old Bailey on 17 1 1795, sentenced to 7years, held at Middlesex Gaol Delivery & arrived in NSW on 30 4 1796 after a voyage of 6months on INDISPENSABLE; she was Protestant. She was Free by Servitude by 1803. She died on 14 3 1833 age59. [Some details taken from this Website] [Martha (Chamberlain) is recorded on this Website as daughter of William (Chamberlain) & Mary (???) born on 6 11 1776, baptised on 8 12 1776 at St Benets Pauls Wharf London & buried on 18 5 1777 age6m:] [OR as daughter of William (Chamberlain) & Mary (???) born on 13 10 1780 & baptised on 12 11 1780 at St Benets Pauls Wharf London-perhaps this is she.] .. George (Best) & Martha (Chamberlain) produced 11children: 1.Robert (Best) was born on 14 3 1797 & baptised on 21 4 1797 at St Johns CofE Parramatta. 2.Thomas (Best) was born on 20 6 1799 at Parramatta & baptised on 28 7 1799 at St Johns CofE Parramatta. He married Mary (Beckett sister of James) on 16 2 1818 at St Johns CofE Parramatta. He became a farmer & accomodated his sister Mary after her marriage & husband John (Mills) in 1818 & later gave evidence in John (Mills)s trial in 1821. He was recorded as free on 50acres in 1820. He was recorded as a farmer at Baulkham Hills in 1828 & at Dura Hill in 1829. He died on 26 1 1874 age74. ..Mary (Beckett) was born on 31 7 1800 & baptised on 6 4 1801 at St Johns CofE Parramatta. She is recorded in 1814 at Parramatta. She died on 2 12 1857 age57. ..Details of Mary (Beckett)s family are given in entry for James (Beckett SURPRISE 1790) on this Website. ..Thomas (Best) & Mary (Beckett) produced 7children: ..1.Hester (Best) was born on 7 4 1818 & baptised on 14 6 1818 at St Johns CofE Parramatta. ..2.Mary Ann (Best) was born on 18 3 1820 & baptised on 21 5 1820 at St Johns CofE Parramatta. She died on6 4 1876 age56. ..3.Thomas Samuel (Best) was born on 3 7 1822 at Seven Hills & baptised on 4 8 1822 at St Johns CofE Parramatta. He died on 31 12 1893 age71. ..4.George (Best) was born on 4 12 1824 at Parramatta & baptised on 26 12 1824 at St Johns CofE Parramatta. He died in 1854 age about29. ..5.Peter (Best) was born on 25 9 1827 at Baulkham Hills & baptised on 17 2 1828 at St Johns CofE Parramatta. He died on 27 4 1828 age7m & was buried at St Johns CofE Parramatta. ..6,Sarah (Best) was born on 20 5 1829 at Dura Hill & baptised on 26 7 1829 at St Johns CofE Parramatta. ..7.Elizabeth (Best) was born in 1832. .. 3.George (Best) was born on 29 11 1801 & baptised on 3 1 1802 at St Johns CofE Parramatta. He died on 26 6/9 1824 age22 at Parramatta & was buried at St Johns CofE Parramatta. 4.Mary (Best) was born on 3 10 1803 & baptised on 28 10 1804 age1 at St Johns CofE Parramatta. She married firstly at age15 John (Mills) on 22 6 1818 at St Johns CofE Parramatta & produced 2children.>>> ..John (Mills) son of John (Mills) was born about 1799 & became a farm labourer. He was tried w/his father who was acquitted & 1other for stealing pigs at Maidstone Kent Assizes in March 1813 (age14), sentenced to 7years, held on hulk RETRIBUTION from 19 4 1813 & arrived in NSW on 7 2 1814 after a voyage of of 6months on GENERAL HEWETT; he was assigned to George (Best) farmer at Toongabbie at which time he was off stores; he was 5'3.25" fair pale complexion light brown hair hazel eyes. He was issued his Ticket of Leave in 1817 & was Free by Servitude by 1821. He was living with a ??? (Martin) when he married Mary (Best) on 22 6 1818 at St Johns CofE Parramatta & moved to farm of her brother Thomas (who later gave evidence in his trial). He took on the pursuit of bushranging & was tried w/9others including perhaps Samuel (Beckett) for stealing clothes on Windsor Rd Baulkham Hills, on 3or4 February 1821, of Mary (Young) & William (Clayton), on 16 7 1821, sentenced to hanging & died by hanging on 24 7/8 1821 age24 at Castle Hill. ..[Some details taken from this Website]-[Smees records show John (Mills) as age72 (therefore born about 1846) at his marriage to Mary (Best); could he have been the father? of John (Mills). or is there an error] .. >>>Mary (Best) married secondly James (Beckett brother of Thomas) on 21/31 3 1823 at St Johns CofE Parramatta & produced 11children. She died on 6 4 1876 age56 or 13 2 1870 age66 mother of 13children. ..James (Beckett) was born on 15 7 1793 & baptised on 11 8 1793 at St Johns CofE Parramatta. He is recorded in 1814 at Parramatta as a labourer. He was recorded as farmer at Seven Hills in 1827 & at Dura Hill in 1830. He inherited the 30acre property at Toongabbie which he sold in 1843. ..James (Beckett)s family are shown in entry for James (Beckett SURPRISE 1790) on this Website. .. 5.Elizabeth (Best) was born in 1806. She married Timothy (Power) of Seven Hills on 29 7 1823 at St Marys RC Sydney & produced at least 5children. She died on 23 11 1875 age about68. ..Timothy (Power) was born in 1805. He died on 1 6 1873 age about67. ..Details of Timothy (Power)s family are given in entry for Morgan (Power BRITANNIA 1797) on this Website.. .. 6.Sarah (Best) was born on 26 6 1809 & baptised on 27 1 1811 age29m w/John at St Johns CofE Parramatta. She died on 11 5 1882 age71. 7.John (Best) was born on 11 12 1810 & baptised on 27 1 1811 w/Sarah at St Johns CofE Parramatta. He died on 18 10 1861 age50. 8.Robert Holt (Best) was born on 27 8 1812 & baptised on 27 9 1812 at St Johns CofE Parramatta. He died on 26 9 1853 age41. 9.Samuel Robert (Best) was born on 27 8 1812 also. He died on 9 3 1814 age7m & was buried at St Johns CofE Parramatta. 10.Peter (Best) was born on 8 11 1814 & baptised on 4 8 1816 at St Johns CofE Parramatta. He died on 13 2 1878 age61. 11.William (Best) was born on 9 4 1816 & baptised on 4 8 1816 at St Johns CofE Parramatta. He died on 3 10 1902 age86. REFERENCE 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.
Sainty & Johnson; 1828 Census of New South Wales: [Ref B1105] Best, George 72, absolute pardon Wm & Ann, 1792 life, Protestant, settler, Seven Hills, 805 acres 340 cleared, 70 cultivated, 19 horses, 340 horned cattle and 1140 sheep. Best, Martha, 53, free by servitude, Indispensible, 1796, 7 years, Protestant Best, Sarah 20 born in the colony Best, John 17 born in the colony Best, Robert 16 born in the colony Best, peter 14 born in the colony Best, William 13 born in the colony
In the colony, George married Martha Chamberlain (Convict, Indispensible, 1796) in 1797 at Parramatta. George Best of the parish of Parramatta and Martha Chamberlain of the parish of Parramatta were married in this church by banns this seventeenth day of Se[ int he year one thousand seven hundred and ninty [sic] seven by me Samuel Marsden Both George and Martha signed the register with their X mark In the presence of Joseph Souter and Mary Phillips who both signed the register.
On 24 Nov 1789 he burglarised the home of William Cheeseman the elder in East Peckham, Kent, and stole a watch, its case, chain and key as well as a steel seal. The indictment records that he was a labourer of the Parish of East Peckham. He was tried at the Lent Assizes in Maidstone Kent in 1790 and sentenced to death. The sentence was commuted to transportation for life. He was transported aboard the ship 'William and Ann' which sailed from Plymouth, Devon, England in 1791 and arrived in Sydney on 28 Aug 1791 as part of the Third Fleet. The master was Ed. Bunker. George received a conditional pardon in 1800 and an absolute pardon in 1804.