Francis Harris

74

iain Frazier on 3rd October 2023

Family connections for John (Harris) are: HARRIS John (Harris) was born about 1771 & became a chimney sweep. He was tried at Surrey Sessions of Peace, sentenced to 14years & arrived in NSW as a convict on 26 6 1790 after a voyage of 6months on Fleet ship NEPTUNE/SCARBOROUGH/SURPRISE. [..The biographical details recorded in this entry on this Website agree with details in para.A. just ABOVE.] Ann (Poulter) was born about 1774. She married firstly (1of4) Benjamin (Cook) in 1799 in Surrey. She arrived in NSW free as wife of a convict & perhaps embarking with an unborn child on 20 11 1800 after a journey of 8months on ROYAL ADMIRAL also. She married secondly (2of4) Antoine/Anthony (L'Andrin/L'Andre) on 17 2 1800 at St Johns CofE Parramatta. She married thirdly (3of4) a William (Cook) at Hobart. She married fourthly? John (Harris emancipist) on 3 6 1813 at St Phillips CofE Sydney. She died on 20 3 1827 age27 mother of 7children at Hobart Town & was buried at St Davids CofE Hobart. Ann (Poulter) & John (Harris) produced 2children: 1.John (Harris) was born on 27 1 1814 & baptised on 23 11 1818 age4 w/Thomas at Christ Church Castlereagh. He died on 29 11 1877 age63. 2.Thomas (Harris) was born on 3 10 1816 & baptised on 23 11 1818 age2 w/John at Christ Church Castlereagh. .. ..Noted a John (Harris) is recorded as having a relationship with Elizabeth (Portney her first (1of3) relationship): ..Elizabeth (Poultney/Portney) was born about 1793. She was tried at Warwick Quarter Sessions on 10 1 1809, sentenced to 7years & arrived in NSW as a convict on 18 8 1809 after a voyage of 6months on INDISPENSIBLE.>>> ..Some details taken from this Website] ..John (Harris) & Elizabeth (Portney) produced 1child: ..1.John (Harris) was born on 11 1 1812 & baptised on 2 4 1812 at St Phillips CofE Sydney. He died on 16 4 1812 age7m & was buried at St Phillips CofE Sydney. .. >>>.Elizabeth (Portney) married secondly (2of3) John (Rowcliff) on 18 7 1814 at St Johns CofE Parramatta. She was free by Servitude by 1821.>>> ...John (Rowcliffe) was born about 1782 & became a butcher. He was tried for assault & theft at Hampshire Assizes on 1 3 1803, sentenced to Life, held on hulk CAPTIVITY at Portsmouth & arrived in NSW as a convict on 7 5 1804 after a voyage of 6months on COROMANDEL. He was issued his Absolute Pardon on 31 1 1818. He was Free by Servitude by 1822. ...[Some details taken from this Website] ....Elizabeth (Portley) & John (Rowcliff/Rockliffe) produced maybe 1child: ....1.George Henry (Rowcliff/Rockliffe) was born on 2 4 1822 & baptised on 28 4 1822 at St Johns CofE Parramatta. .. >>>.Elizabeth (Portney) had a third relationship with George (Rose)-during her marriage with John (Rowcliffe). She produced perhaps 3children in her lifetime. ....George (Rose) was tried at Warwick Assizes, sentenced to Life & arrived in NSW as a convict on 8 3 1817 after a voyage of 5months on FAME. ....[Some details taken from this Website] ....Elizabeth (Portney) & George (Rose) produced 1child: ....1.George (Rose) was born in 1821. 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.

46

Heather Stevens on 14th September 2019

On 25 May 1788, John Harris, a chimney sweep, and an accomplice John Place, knocked down a man and stole a silver watch, some money, a neck handkerchief and a pocket handkerchief. On the following day, the watch was pawned for 25 shillings and on 27 May 1788, Harris and Place were arrested. Harris was indicted under the name of Francis Harris at the June 1788 Old Bailey Sessions. Both men were found guilty and sentenced to death. Harris was sent to Newgate Prison under a suspended death sentence, remaining there until September 1789, when he, along with more than 100 other capital convicts, were called to the bar of the Old Bailey and offered a pardon on condition of transportation for life. Harris and Place had been lodging at Buckeridge Street, St Giles, London, according to the Old Bailey trial. On 10 November 1789, Harris was embarked on the Scarborough, part of the Second Fleet which sailed for NSW on 19 January 1790. After stopping at Cape Town, the Scarborough arrived in Sydney on 28 June 1790. In December 1800, Francis Harris joined the New South Wales Corps and was thereafter known as John Harris. He received a conditional pardon in January 1801. After bouts of ill health, Harris was discharged from the corps in April 1803. On 30 June 1803, he received a 90 acre grant at Evan and took up farming. The grant is Portion 49, Parish of Castlereagh, County of Cumberland. It is on the Nepean River (about 8 km north of Penrith). In December 1803, the northernmost 30 acres of his grant was assigned as a deed of grant from John Harris to Robert Guy 'in consideration of the Love, Goodwill, and affection which I have and do bear to Robert Guy'. At the end of five years Robert purchased the land for £30. [Gyford] The house 'Minnaville' was later built on this portion of land. Australia's first full length talkie motion picture 'On Our Selection' was filmed here in 1931. Minnaville was pulled down in 2002 for the following reason: “DUAP [Department of Urban Affairs and Planning] and PLDC [Penrith Lakes Development Corporation] explored the possibility of retaining Harris’ Cottage (“Minnaville”) but this was found not to be practical as it would have meant the relocation of a flood weir and subsequent loss of an opportunity for a (sic) international sailing course" In 1806 he was living with Ann Carney, who had arrived aboard the Marquis Cornwallis in 1796. Harris was listed as employing a convict and two free men. Around 15 acres of his property had been sown in wheat, barley and potatoes. Harris also held 8 bushels of wheat and maize in store and owned a horse and 14 hogs. Shortly afterward [?shortly before as the flood was in March and the muster was in August], Harris suffered losses in a flood including 100 bushels of wheat and 15 acres of corn. On 3 June 1813, Harris married Ann 'Laundrin' by banns at St Phillips Sydney by William Cowper; (both marked with a cross), witnesses George Wood(?) and Elizabeth Taylor (x). Ann Landrin (nee Poulden or Polter) was a free settler who had arrived on the Royal Admiral in 1800. Her convict husband Benjamin Cook had died on the voyage, leaving her with a young child and a baby. In 1801, Ann married Antoine L'Andre/Landrin, a French prisoner of war and there were four children from this union. L'Andre died in 1811 possibly resulting from a centipede bite. Ann bore Harris two children: John (1814) and Thomas (1816). Before the marriage, they took the unusual step of making a prenuptial agreement: Undertaking 3 June 1813, registered 19 June 1813. 'John Harris of the Nepean and Ann Landrin of Sydney widow of the late Anthy Landrin dec'd... dwelling house at 2 Clarence Street and and also a mare, cart and harness.... to secure the property to Ann Landrin to be at own sole disposal after the marriage. Witnessed by Thomas Broadhust and George Wood.' [Old Register] 25 Oct 1813 Court of Civil Jurisdiction Proceedings, Judge J A Bent: A civil case, Crossley v Harris, regarding a broken agreement regarding wheat. Harris was to supply all his wheat to Crossley, or forfeit £100, but Harris did not supply to Crossley. Court rules in Harris's favour. Ann's son Benjamin Cook junior testified that after John Harris's wheat was threshed, he took 45 bushels of wheat to Sydney in different lots to his mother's house (2 Clarence Street). In 1817 John Harris mortgaged the farm to Samuel Terry for an undisclosed sum of money. [Gyford] By 1820, Harris had been granted an absolute pardon, according to his petition to Governor Macquarie dated 17th May 1820. He petitioned the Governor to be granted a number of cattle from the government herd, citing his military service, seven young children and 'numberless domestic privations'. Local magistrates John Jamison and Henry Fulton endorsed the petition with "pet'r is an hard working industrious man". Another petition was lodged in 1824, asking for more land for his growing herd of 50 cattle. [Flynn] In 1828, Harris was recorded as still living on '90 acres' (should be 60 acres) at Evan, and owned 64 cattle and 5 horses. With wife Ann Harris and John Harris 14, Thomas Harris 12, Ann Landrin 21, and four labourers (1 Ticket of Leave and 3 Free by Servitude) Harris died on 24 January 1838 and was buried at Castlereagh on 26 January 1838. His wife Ann, predeceased him in 1835 and her gravestone is at Castlereagh Cemetery. He was probably buried with his wife at Castlereagh Cemetery as it is a large plot Sources: Biographical Information on Land Grantees H-K: John (Francis) Harris (c1771-1838) http://www.penrithcity.nsw.gov.au/index.asp?id=1474 accessed 2011 Old Bailey trial https://www.oldbaileyonline.org/browse.jsp?id=t17880625-14-defend195&div=t17880625-14#highlight Flynn, M.C. 1993. The Second Fleet : Britain's grim convict armada of 1790 by Michael Flynn., Sydney: Library of Australian History. Archaeological and heritage assessment : RES site 15 "Minnaville" : Penrith Lakes scheme area, Castlereagh, NSW, 1996, Siobhan Lavelle in association with the Nepean District Historical Archaeology Group for the Penrith Lakes Development Corporation. Gray, J.A., 1988. Magnificent Minnaville, Sydney: Jean A. Gray. In search of the early Nepean pioneers, 2003, Nepean District Historical Archaeology Group: Chapter 12 'John Harris' researched by George Gyford Development Application (No. 4), Point 2, Business Paper Ordinary Meeting, on http://bizsearch.penrithcity.nsw.gov.au/businesspapers/bp/981012bp.htm, accessed on 8/08/2008 Wong, R, 'Minnaville Homestead' in Nepean News 17 September 2015 https://issuu.com/nepeannews/docs/nepeannews_17sept2015

4

April on 27th February 2017

This is my great grandfather I know he was policeman and was given land at the Castlereagh Penrith Nsw where he was a potato farmer and raised his children .Infact my great grandfather loved Penrith that he call my grandfather Reuben Penrithi I will update more information soon

105

Denis Pember on 20th September 2015

Married Ann L'Andre (Poulter) the widow of Antoine L'Andre. Ann had come to the colony as a free woman accompanying her husband Benjamin Cook, who was a transported convict, on Royal Admiral in 1800. Benjamin had died on the vayage leaving Ann as a widow with a small child. She remarried and when again widowed, she in late life, married John Harris. John was about 42 when he married Ann and she was about 39, with 5 young children.

105

Denis Pember on 20th September 2015

JOHN PLACE, FRANCIS HARRIS, Violent Theft > Highway Robbery, 25th June 1788. JOHN PLACE and FRANCIS HARRIS were indicted, for that they, on the 25th of May , in the king's highway, in and upon John Billing did make an assault, putting him in corporal fear and danger of his life, and taking from his person a steel watch chain, value 8 d. a steel watch key, value 1 d. a base metal watch-key, a cambrick handkerchief, value 18 d. a linen pocket handkerchief, value 6 d. a silver watch, value 40 s. a crown piece, and 6 s. 6 d. in monies numbered , the property of the said John Billing.