William Davis

75

iain Frazier on 8th December 2025

Family connections for William (Davis) are: DAVIS William (Davis) was born on 15 9 1765 in Kircudbright Scotland & became an apprentice enameller. He was tried w/1other for highway robbery, on 13 10 1786, & violently stealing a watch etc of Thomas (Rutt) at Old Bailey on 25 10 1786 (quick justice), sentenced to death reprieved to Life, held at Middlesex Gaol Delivery & arrived in NSW as a convict on 28 6 1790 after a voyage of 5months on Fleet ship SCARBOROUGH. He, shown in Smees records as arriving in 1788 on ALEXANDER, married Jane (Read) on 30 7 1790 at St Phillips CofE Sydney Cove Sydney. They were sent to Norfolk Island on 1 8 1790 on SURPRISE, arriving on 7 8 1790. He established a farm at Charlottes Field (later known as Queensborough). He left Norfolk Island in October 1796 with his wife, & perhaps the children, to Sydney. He may have been issued his Conditional Pardon in February 1797. He enlisted in NSW Corps in May 1800 in Sydney as a private & sent to Norfolk Island; his children seem to be still there. He was detached to Rowley)s & (Johnston)s companies He was detached to (Wilson)s company in 1802 & was with Wilson) company at Parramatta in 1804 & Port Dalrymple Tsmania in in 1805; back to Parramatta in 1806 & still with Wilson)s company in 1808, when he wwas detached to (Steele)s company. In 1809 he was granted 100acres at Cabramatt & 72rods at Parramatta in 1809. He was detached to 5Company in 1810 & discharged on 24 4 1810.>>> [Some details taken from this Website] Jane (Reid/Reed) arrived in NSW as a convict on 3 6 1790 after a voyage of 12months on LADY JULIANA-a ship with 228females who easily entertained the whole crew & also sailors at Teneriffe stopover. She was sent to Norfolk Island with her husband on 1 8 1790 on SURPRISE, arriving on 7 8 1790-to Charlottes Field. She may have left Norfolk Island in October 1796 with her husband to Sydney. She perhaps died about 1800 or 1828-but not shown in Smees records. [Some details taken from this Website] William (Davis) & Jane (Reid/Reed) produced 2children: 1.Mary (Davis/Reid) was born on 16 11 1792 on Norfolk Island. She remained with her mother when her father was moved to Sydney in 1796. She was recorded on Norfolk Island in 1803 as Mary (Reed) age>10. 2.Euphemia (Davis/Reid) was born on 12 12 1795 on Norfolk Island. She remained with her mother when her father was moved to Sydney in 1796. She was recorded on Norfolk Island in 1803 as Euphemia (Reed) age>10. She married Samuel (Franklin) on 31 5 1813 at St Johns CofE Parramatta & produced 6children. She was recorded in 1822, as Euphane, with her family at Liverpool. She was recorded in 1825 with her family at Campbelltown. She died on 11 3 1828 age22 & was buried, as (Franklin), at St Peters CofE Campbelltown. ..Samuel (Franklin/land) was born about 1788. He was tried w/1other for breaking into houses & stealing property of Mr Rd (Leatherman) of Caversham & Mr Thomas (Edney) of Shiplake at the Town Hall Reading Berkshire (Oxford circuit?) on 8 3 1809, sentenced to death reprieved to Life, held at Reading Castle & hulk LAUREL from 28 4 1809 & arrived in NSW as a convict on 16 10 1810 after a voyage of 6.5months on INDIAN; he was Protestant. He was recorded in 1822 with Ticket of Leave with his family as landholder at Liverpool. He was recorded in 1825 with Ticket of Leave with his family as landholder at Campbelltown. He was to be issued his Conditional Pardon in November 1825. He was recorded in 1828 as settler with his family on 25acres at Airds. He died about 1860 age about62. ..[Some details taken from this Website] .. >>>This William (Davis), not identified in Smees records, may have had a second relationship with Rosetta (McAllister her first relationship). He is recorded in 1822 as landholder of 210acres with his family- it may be he, with Conditional Pardon, who is recorded lodging with T (Newman) in Sydney. He died on 20 5 1823 age57 at Airds father of perhaps 3children & was buried at St Lukes CofE Liverpool. Rose/etta (Mccollister/McAllister aka Rose (Morgan)) was born about 1787 probably in Liverpool Lancashire. She was tried at Liverpool Lancashire Quarter Sessions on 6 1 1807, sentenced to 7years & arrived in NSW as a convict on 16 11 1808 after a voyage of 9months on SPEKE; she was 5'11.5" fair ruddy complexion brown hair hazel eyes. She married secondly Thomas (Thornby) emancipist labourer on 3 4 1810 at St Phillips CofE Sydney. She was issued her Cerificate of Freedom no.1/1298 in February 1814. She produced 1known child in her lifetime. [Some details taken from this Website] William (Davis named without a christian name) & Rosetta (McAllister) seem to have produced 1child: 1.William (Davis) was born on 11 1 1809 & baptised on 11 10 1809 at St Phillips CofE Sydney. He married Elizabeth (Edwards perhaps her second marriage) on 14 9 1829 at St Peters CofE Richmond. He was recorded in 1830 as a carpenter. ..Elizabeth (Edwards) was born on 18 10 1810 & baptised on 4 9 1814 age3 at St Peters CofE Richmond. She may have had a first relationship & produced a child. She died on 5 11 1870 age60 mother of at least 2children. ..Details of Elizabeth (Edwards)s family are given in entry for Rowland (Edwards ADMIRAL BARRINGTON 1791) on this Website. ..William (Davis) & Elizabeth (Edwards) produced at least 1child: ..1.Ann (Davis) was born on 28 10 1829 at Richmond & baptised on 7 11 1830 at St Peters CofE Richmond. a William (Davis) is recorded as a private with 48th Regiment at Macquarie Harbour from 24 6 1823 to 24 9 1823. Noted that William (Davis CANADA 1801) NSW Corps } who can be found in entry for Emma (Berks NILE 1801) on this Website. & William (Davis SALAMANDER 1791) convict } & William (Davis SCARBOROUGH 1788) convict } could be confused with each other. References: 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. Irene Schaffer & Thelma McKay 'Exiled Three Times Over! Profiles of Norfolk Islanders Exiled in Van Diemens Land 1807-1813' James Hugh Donohoe 'Norfolk Island 1788-1813-The People and Their Families' Reg Wright 'Forgotten Generation of Norfolk Island & Van Diemens Land'

6

Peter Smith on 6th January 2017

Married Jane Reed 30th July 1790 then sent Norfolk Island aboard the Surprize dept. Sydney 1/8/1790 arriving 7/8/1790 where they had 2 daughters, he was granted a conditional pardoned, he then joined the 102nd regiment in 1800 to 1810 when the 102nd was disbanded.

105

Denis Pember on 13th February 2016

On July 24th 1819, William married Ann Daniel (Convict, Wanstead, 1814) at St Lukes. They were recorded in the 1822 Muster; William as a landholder, with 210 cares held by grant, 60 cleared, 24 acres wheat, 4 barley, 2 orchard and garden. He had a horse, 36 cattle, 70 hogs, and 80 bushels of wheat in store. Ann was with him as were two daughters aged 13 and 9, (presumably his children by Amy Burke). William died at Airds, in May 1823. He had been described in 1808 thus: Aged 39 years and 10 months, born in Kircudbright, Scotland. Five feet, seven and a half inches in height, with dark brown hair, green eyes, and a round fair complexioned visage.

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Denis Pember on 13th February 2016

William returned to Sydney before 1806 and is then recorded in the Muster as a soldier and living with Amy Burke (Convict, Nile, 1801). The couple married at St Johns, Parramatta, September 6th 1811. They had 3 children; William 1806, Jane 1810, Sarah 1814. Amy died in 1818.

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Denis Pember on 13th February 2016

William was transported on the "Scarborough", which arrived in the colony June 28th 1790 as part of the second fleet. A little more than a month after landing, William married Jane Reid (Convict, Lady Juliana, 1790). They married 30 July 1790 at Sydney Cove and very the next day, were part of the 194 convict contingent (mostly women) sent to Norfolk Island aboard "Surprize". William and Jane were allowed to cultivate a small piece of land at Charlotte Field, which they cleared and were issued with a government sow. Two children were born to the couple, Mary Reid 1792 and Euphemia Reid 1795. William was granted a conditional pardon in February 1797 and then joined the New South Wales Corps. It appears that Jane must have died C1800, because she disappears from the victualing lists and is not recorded in the Musters. However, the two daughters are recorded and were still there in 1803.

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Denis Pember on 13th February 2016

William was an 18 year old apprentice enameler, when tried at the Old Bailey in 1786. Old Bailey Proceedings Online October 1786, trial of WILLIAM DAVIS WILLIAM RAYNER (t17861025-10). (Only part thereof!!) WILLIAM DAVIS, WILLIAM RAYNER, Violent Theft > highway robbery, 25th October 1786. WILLIAM DAVIS and WILLIAM RAYNER were indicted for feloniously assaulting Thomas Rutt on the King's highway, on the 13th of October, and putting him in corporal fear and danger of his life, and feloniously taking from his person and against his will, a metal watch, with a tortoise-shell case; value 30s. a stone seal set in metal, value 2d. a silk watch string, value 1 d. and four halfpence, value 2d. his property. ## There follows a long (4 page) transcript of the trial attached to this transcript, well worth the read! Witnesses gave good reports of both youths. However, they were found guilty. They were sentenced to death but were humbly recommended to mercy by both the prosecutor and jury on account of their youth.

25

Steve Matthews on 3rd January 2013

Sent on to Norfolk Island on arrival in Port Jackson