Thomas Fowles

75

iain Frazier on 15th October 2025

Family connections for Thomas (Fowles) are: FOWLES Thomas (Fowl/es) was born about 1763. He was tried at Lancashire General Quarter Sessions Manchester in January 1788/90, sentenced to 7years & arrived in NSW on 9 7 1791 after a voyage of 6months on Fleet ship ATLANTIC. He had a relationship with Ann (Davis her second (2of4) relationship) before 1796 (no marriage shown in Smees records). In 1795 he was one of the 50convicts (which included James Bryan (Cullen SCARBOROUGH 1788or1790)) & John (Herbert ROYAL ADMIRAL 1792) who stowed away on ENDEAVOUR at Port Jackson on journey to England; the ENDEAVOUR was unseaworthy & was wrecked/scuttled at Dusky Bay New Zealand & the accompanying ship FANCY together with an abandoned ship PROVIDENCE found on beach at Dusky Bay brought them to Norfolk Island on 16 1 1796. He worked as a labourer & on 14 1 1800 he purchased land from James (Shears)-perhaps Plot no.12 60acres near Phillipsburg eastern side of the island.>>> [Some details taken from this Website] Ann (Davis) was born about 1772 at St George Gloucestershire. She was tried for stealing a gown etc at Gloucester, sentenced to 7years, held at Gloucester Castle Gaol & arrived in NSW as a convict on 3 6 1790 after a voyage of 12months on Fleet ship LADY JULIANA-a ship with 228females who easily entertained the whole crew & also sailors at Teneriffe stopover; she was Protestant. She had a first (1of4) relationship with Samuel (Richards) before 1792 (no marriage shown in Smees records). She arrived on Norfolk Island on 7 8 1790. She had a third relationship (3of4) with Thomas (Williams) in about 1798 & produced 2children. She had her Absolute Pardon by 1799. By 1803 she was almost blind & had been deteriorating since 1797. [an Ann & an Elizabeth (Davis) are recorded as children >2yrs on stores in February 1805 on Norfolk Island] She was Free by Servitude by 1805 & had a fourth relationship with future husband Simon (Mould/s). She left Norfolk Island on 25 12 1807, probably to Derwent Tasmania. In 1810 she petitioned for promised 80acre land grant of husband Thomas (Williams) which did not succeed. She married Simon (Mould/s) on 21 2 1820 at St Johns CofE Parramatta & was living at Toongabbee. She died on 11 3 1854 age82 mother of perhaps 10children at Seven Hills & was buried at St Johns CofE Parramatta. [Noted an Ann (Davis is recorded as dying on 13 6 1826 in Sydney age42 & buried at St Phillips CofE Sydney] [Some details taken from this Website] [In Ref:'People...' Ann (Davis) is referred to as Elizabeth (Davis) on Norfolk Island-otherwise no reference to Ann (Davis) is found] Details of Ann (Davi/es) family are given in entry for Simon (Moulds BARWELL 1798) on this Website. .. Thomas (Fowles) & Ann (Davi/es) produced 1child: 1.Elizabeth (Fowles/Davi/es) was born on 7 7 1796 on Norfolk Island or Port Jackson & baptised, as (Davies), on 25 9 1796-recorded at St Phillips CofE Sydney. She married Robert (Sherringham) on 15 7 1811 at St Matthews CofE Windsor. ..[Noted Smees records show the parents as Thomas (Fowles ATLANTIC 1791) & Elizabeth (Davis NEPTUNE 1790)] ++ ..[Elizabeth (Davis) was tried for theft, on 13 9 1789, of a childs cotton frock of Jane (Matthews) at Old Bailey on 28 10 1789, sentenced to 7years, held at London Gaol Delivery & arrived in NSW as a convict on 26 6 1790 after a journey of 7months on Fleet ship NEPTUNE. She seems to have married James/Joseph (Sticke/Staike/s/Stackes) on 5 5 1791 at St Phillips CofE Sydney. She died in 1809.] ..[Some details taken from this Website] .. [Noted Elizabeth (Fowles/Davis) is recorded in Smees records as born in the colony in 1786 & in her childrens' birth entries &: ] [ at age25 Came Free on MARY ANN 1791 in the entry for her marriage-the MARY ANN sailed in the same Fleet as her fathers ship ATLANTIC.] ++ >>>Thomas (Fowles) had a second relationship with Ann (Coombs her fourth relationship). He is recorded as Free by Servitude settler off stores landowner on Norfolk Island in February 1805. He is recorded with Ticket of Leave in 1806 & 1807 off stores with a wife & 30acres & in 1811. In 1807 he had 30acres & went with his wife to Hobart Town Tasmania as part of the first evacuation (for which volunteers apparantly had been called with appropriate compensation offerred & for which he may have tried to decline as some successful farmers were asked to stay) on 25 12 1807 on HMS PORPOISE, arriving on 17 1 1808, to land granted at Clarence Plains/Roaches Bay, where he is known to have been living with his wife on 35acres at Clarence Plains. On 10 8 1816 an auction of many of his effects was advertised but cancelled after payment of his debts. He was mentioned in notices in perioDs 1816-1819 as supplying meat & wheat etc. He seems to have brought up several orphaned children-at his own expense- & a child born in 1813 (possibly orphaned) was living with him in 1822, shown in school records. He is recorded as living at Elizabeth St Hobart Town in September 1827 when he requested a grant of land. He was fined for drunkennes & disorderly behavious in June 1828. He died on 26 3 1832 age69.. Ann (Coomb/es/Combs nee ???) was born about 1759. She married firstly (1of4) Samuel (Coombes). She was tried for larceny of petticoats etc at Taunton Somerset on 30 3 1786, sentenced to 7years & arrived in NSW as a convict on 22 1 1788 after a voyage of 8months on First Fleet ship CHARLOTTE (according to this Website): or 12months on LADY PENRHYN, SCARBOROUGH or ALEXANDER (also according to this Website): or firstly CHARLOTTE, then FRIENDSHIP then PRINCE OF WALES from Rio de Janeiro (according to Ref:'Exiled...'). She married secondly (2of4) John (Bryant) on 17 2 1788 at St Phillips CofE Port Jackson/Sydney Cove. She was sent to Norfolk Island with her husband on GOLDEN GROVE in October 1788, arriving on 2/13 10 1788. She had a third (3of4) relationship with James Bryan (Cullen his second (2of3) relationship) from June 1794 (the Ref:'People...' states they married on 5 11 1791 (not shown in group ceremony listing for November 1791) & husband was Bryan (Collins)). She is recorded as sentence expired off stores on Norfolk Island in February 1805. It could be she who is recorded with husband Thomas (Fowles) in 1806 & 1807 off stores. In 1807 she went with her husband to Hobart Town Tasmania as part of the first evacuation on 25 12 1807 on HMS PORPOISE, arriving on 17 1 1808 to Clarence Plains/Roaches Bay; & it could be she who is later recorded as living with her husband at Clarence Plains. She was recorded as off stores on 2 10 1818 at Hobart Town. She may have brought up several orphaned children. She is also recorded as living in Hobart Town in 1818, 1819 & 1822. She died in 1834/6 age69 a farmers wife & was buried on 20 9 1834 at Hobart. [Some details taken from this Website] [Noted one of the orphans mentioned here was Eleanor (Gregory) daughter of Thomas (Gregory NEPTUNE 1789) & Sarah (??? LADY JULIANA 1790 died 1807) who was born in 1811 & whose father was sent to Macquarie Harbour (he may have married into the (Fisher) family on Norfolk Island). She was age16 living with Thomas (Fowles ATLANTIC 1791) at Elizabeth St Hobart Town in 1827).] NOTE The veracity of information concerning Ann & Elizabeth (Davis) need further consideration. The statements on this Website that Ann (Davis) married both Thomas (Fowles) & Simon (Moulds) cannot be relied on until consideration of the following: Elizabeth (Davis) is shown in Smees records as arriving in NSW as a convict in 1791 on NEPTUNE-the appropriate ship would be Fleet ship NEPTUNE which arrived on 26 6 1790-& on which an Elizabeth (Davis) does have an entry. She had a relationship with Thomas (Fowles convict Fleet ship ATLANTIC1791) & produce a child-Elizabeth born 1796. Elizabeth (Davis) is shown in Norfolk Island References as arriving in Australia on LADY JULIANA, which arrived in NSW on 3 6 1790-on which she does not have an entry-& later arrived on Norfolk Island on 7 8 1790. She had a relationship with Thomas (Fowles no ship) who arrived on Norfolk Island on 16 11 1796-they produced a child-Elizabeth born 1796. They are both shown as leaving Norfolk Island on on 25 12 1807-the appropriate ship being HMS PORPOISE, the passenger list for which shows him with an unnamed wife. The daughter is not shown as leaving Norfolk Island. The records found for Tasmania do not show any of them. & Elizabeth (Davis) is now also to be found to have married James/Joseph (Sticke/Staike/s/Stackes convict Fleet ship NEPTUNE 1790) in 1791. 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'

105

Denis Pember on 16th January 2016

Verification of Thomas can be located in the Muster Documents for 1806 and 1811 (unable to locate in 1802). Baxter, Carol; 1806 Muster of New South Wales and Norfolk Island: [Ref D0126] Thomas Fowles, TL granted, Convict to Settler, off stores. Baxter, Carol; 1811 General Muster of New South Wales and Van Diemens Land: [Ref 2130], HOBART, Thomas Fowles, Atlantic, tried January 1788, Manchester (PRO V0078)

105

Denis Pember on 16th January 2016

Thomas was tried at Manchester, Jan 1788. He was convicted (crime unknown) and sentenced to 7 years and transported on the "Atlantic". In 1795/1796 he had a de facto relationship with Ann Davis (Convict, Lady Juliana, 1790). The couple had a child, baptised Elizabeth Fowles, July 1796.