Sarah Davis

Level 75

iain Frazier on 24th September 2025

Family connections for Sarah (Davis) are: DAVIS/DAVIES Sarah (Davis/Davies) was born about 1761 & became a glovemaker. She was tried for shop lifting at Worcester on 2 8 1783, sentenced to 7years & arrived in NSW on 22 1 1788 after a voyage of 12months on First Fleet ship LADY PENRHYN. She was sent with her husband to Norfolk Island on 2 3 1789 on SUPPLY. She married Thomas (Risdale/Crowder his firsrt marrage) on 1/7 6 1788 at St Phillips CofE Port Jackson Sydney & perhaps produced 1child. She died on 16 6 1794 on Norfolk Island. Sarah (Davis/Davies) does not have an entry on this Website as yet; added by me. Thomas Risdale/Ristell/Ristol/Russell (Crowder) was born about 1755/58 & baptised at St Martin in the Fields Middlesex in 1758 & became a seaman. He was tried as Thomas (Risdale) for breaking entering stealing money & goods at Bristol Gloucestershire on 29 3 1785, sentenced to death reprieved to Life & arrived in NSW on 22 1 1788 after a voyage of 12months on First Fleet ship ALEXANDER. He was sent with his wife to Norfolk Island on SUPPLY, arriving on 2 3 1789. He became an overseer. On 3 11 1792 he was emancipated & appointed constable & became settler on 14acres (he is recorded in 1796 with plots no.26-28 of 12, 14 & 14acres on southeast of the island near Kingston & no.49 of 60acres in centre of the island near Phillipsburg). In January 1794 he had a fracas with a sergeant, was arrested & taken to Sydney in March 1794; he was returned to NI. He had a second relationship with Mary (Cowcher/Christmas her second relationship) from 1794 & married her on 22 12 1799 on Norfolk Island-the same day as the birth of one of their children-can't be right? was Free by Servtude by 1796 & a prosperous farmer by 1799. On 25 12 1807 he moved with his family 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) to Derwent Van Diemens Land (Tasmania) on HMS PORPOISE, arriving on 17 1 1808. In 1813 he was appointed Superintendent of convicts/carpenters at Hobart Town & took on work as master carpenter, bricklayer & surveyor; he was suspected of inaccuracies in recording of convicts & eventually given a pension - serving out his days as caretaker/verger of St Davids CofE church Hobart. He owned 100acres in Sussex area. He died on 29 11 1824 age66 father of perhaps 5children at his home Elizabeth St Hobart & was buried at St Davids CofE Hobart. [Noted a Thomas (Crowder convict age50) is recorded as dying on 15 4 1806 & buried at St Johns CofE Parramatta]. [Some details taken from this Website] 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'