Summary
Personal Information
Transportation
William Prentice was transported on the Neptune, Scarborough And Surprize, departing 30th Nov 1789 and arriving 26th Jun 1790 with 1084 passengers.
Neptune 809 tons built on the River Thames 1779. The largest ship of the Second Fleet.
Neptune, Scarborough And Surprize (generic)References
| Primary Source | Australian Joint Copying Project. Microfilm Roll 87, Class and Piece Number HO11/1, Page Number 32 |
| Source Description | This record is one of the entries in the British convict transportation registers 1787-1867 database compiled by State Library of Queensland from British Home Office (HO) records which are available on microfilm as part of the Australian Joint Copying Pro |
| Original Source | Great Britain. Home Office |
| Compiled By | State Library of Queensland |
| Database Source | British convict transportation registers 1787-1867 database |
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Convict Notes
Family connections for William (Prentice) are: Some amendments added Sep 2025. PRENTICE William (Prentice) was born in 1771 & became a butcher. He was tried for sheep stealing at Chelmsford Essex Assizes in March 1788, sentenced to death reprieved to 14years, held on hulk LION at Portsmouth & arrived in NSW as a convict on 26 6 1790 after a voyage of 6months on Fleet ship SCARBOROUGH; a voyage noted for extreme brutality of prisoners with a high death rate. He is recorded in 1801 as employed by Richard (Cheers/Chear) butcher at Sydney & again in 1806 as a self-empoyed butcher living with Elizabeth (Wicker her second (20f3) relationship) & her child John (Halliday) in Cumberland St. He was Free by Servitude by 1807. He had a relationship with Elizabeth (Vickers-sic/Wicker her second relationship 2of3?). He gave title to his house & property to Elizabeth (Wicker) in 1813. He died on 2 4 1822 age51 & was buried at Elizabeth St burial ground [another recording is-died 4 4 1822 age64 & buried at St Phillips CofE Sydney]. [Some details taken from this Website] Elizabeth (Wicker/Vickers) daughter of Richard (Wicker) & Sarah (Raynor) was born in 1784 & was christened at St Andrews Halstead Essex. She was tried for stealing linen etc at Halstead Essex Quarter Sessions on 19 4 1803, sentenced to 7years & arrived in NSW as a convict on 7 5 1804 afte a voyage of 6months on EXPERIMENT. She had had a first (1of3) relationship with John (Halliday) & produced a child. She was issued her Certificate of Emancipation in 1811. She was Free by Servitude by 1812. She received title to a house & property from William (Prentice) in 1813. She married thirdly with permission James (Cross) Ticket of Leave butcher on 25 3 1828 at St Phillips CofE Sydney is recorded with him at Cumberland St. She died or disappeared before 1837 mother of maybe 7children. [Some details taken from this Website] .. William (Prentice) & Elizabeth (Wicker) produced 6children: 1.Sarah (Prentice) was born on 1 9 1807 & baptised on 19 4 1807 at St Phillips CofE Sydney. She married (firstly? 1?of3) at age16 Charles (Crane) on 4 8 1823 at St Phillips CofE Sydney.>>> ..Charles (Crane) was born about 1802 in England. He arrived in NSW with his mother on 19 1 1816 after a voyage of 6months on MARY ANN/E. He is recorded in 1828 as living at Cumberland St Sydney. ..Details of Charles (Crane)s family are given in entry for John (Crane EARL SPENCER 1813) on this Website. .. >>>Sarah (Prentice) is recorded as having a second relationship with John (Fox) & produced 1child. She died on 21 7 1830 age23 mother of possibly 1child. .[John (Fox) may have been the James (Fox) who was born in 1792 probably at Castle Daly Westmeath Ireland & became a labourer. He was tried at Westmeath Ireland, sentenced to 7years & arrived in NSW as a convict on 26 7 1817 after a voyage of 4months on CHAPMAN; he was Catholic & apparantly known as John (Fox) in Australia. He was assigned to Newcastle on 20 11 1817 & was sent there on 22 8 1821 on MERMAID. He is recorded as a locksmith & bellhanger on 5 5 1823. He was issued his Certificate of Freedom on 6 4 1826. He was recorded in 1826 as a whitesmith & in 1828 he is recorded as a carpenter at R (Cooper)s Distilling Sydney.] .[Some details taken from this Website] .. 2.Elizabeth (Prentice) was born on 14 9 1809 & baptised on 14 1 1810 at St Phillips CofE Sydney. She married Thomas (Ceeney) blacksmith on 26 12 1826 at St Phillips CofE Sydney & produced 8children. She died on 13 6 1878 age68. ..Thomas (Seeney) was born in 1799 & became a blacksmith. He was tried w/22others for coining (forging notes) at Middlesex Gaol Delivery on 9 9 1818, sentenced to 14years & arrived in NSW as a convict on 26 6 1819 after a voyage of 6months on BARING; he was recorded as Thomas (Siney) on board sufferring from rheumatism on board & was 5'5" ruddy complexion black hair hazel eyes. He was known as (Siney) on board & used the name (Ceeney) in Australia. He was Free by Servitude by 1827 & had his Ticket of Leave by 1828 when he is recorded as working as a blacksmith in Cleveland St Sydney. He died on 25 9 1879 age80 at Murrumbah & was buried at Young cemetery. ..[Some details taken from this Website] .. 3.Mary (Prentice) was born on 1 12 1812 & baptised on 17 1 1813 at St Phillips CofE Sydney. She may be 1of2 daughters who married in 1837. She died on 13 3 1855 age42. 4.William Henry (Prentice) was born on 21 6 1815 & baptised on 24 12 1815 at St Phillips CofE Sydney. He died on 30 12 1882 age67. 5.Rosetta (Prentice) was born on 18 5 1818 & baptised on 27 9 1818 at St Phillips CofE Sydney. She may be 1of2 daughters who married in 1837. She died on 20 11 1905 age87. 6.Charlotte (Prentice) was born on 21 4 1821 (also recorded as 10 6 1821) & baptised on 4 5 1821 (also recorded as 15 7 1821) age1 at St Phillips CofE Sydney. She may be 1of2 daughters who married in 1837. She died on 20 9 1875 age54. .. [Noted an Elizabeth (Prentice), daughter of a shoemaker?, is recorded as born in 1830 & died on 18 8 1830 age7m at Goulbourn St Sydney-buried at St Johns CofE Parramatta-no parents given] 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.
At our affixes, which ended yesterday, William Prentice, for sheep stealing, Miles Gage, and Robert Smith, for housebreaking, received sentence of death, but were reprieved before the Judge left town. Stephen Hall, the younger, for housebreaking; Jas. Hewlett, for stealing hop basket, fowls, &c. and Wm. Allen, for stealing four bushels of bread flour, to be transported for 7 years. Ipswich Journal, 15 March 1788.
In the colony, William had a de facto relationship with Elizabeth Wicker (Convict, Experiment, 1804). This relationship probably started about 1804, soon after Elizabeth landed and lasted until his death in 1822. They had 6 children, born between 1807 and 1821. After the death of William, Elizabeth married James Cross (Convict, Ocean, 1816). They had no children.
William Prentice was buried in the Elizabeth Street Burial Ground, Sydney, Australia in April 1822.
An extract from "The Second Fleet. Britain's Grim Armada", by Michael Flynn, relates that: "William Prentice, a butcher aged 17, was sentenced to death at the March 1788 Chelmsford (Essex) Assizes for sheep stealing. He had been accused of several thefts of sheep in the north Essex parishes of Halsted and Black Notley; one involved obtaining sheep by false pretences. After a month under a suspended death sentence he was reprieved to transportation for 14 years and sent to the Portsmouth hulk, "Lion", whence he was embarked on the Scarborough transport on 29 Nov 1789.