Summary
Personal Information
Voyage
Transportation
Sarah Townsend was transported on the Surprize, departing 31st Jan 1794 and arriving 17th Oct 1794 with 95 passengers.
Surprize (generic)References
| Primary Source | Australian Joint Copying Project. Microfilm Roll 87, Class and Piece Number HO11/1, Page Number 197 (99) |
| 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 |
Claims
"Sarah is my 4th Great Grandmother on my maternal line."
Photos
No photos have been added for Sarah Townsend.
Convict Notes
Family connections for Sarah (Townsend) are: TOWNSEND Sarah (Townsend) was born about 1773/77 on the Isle of Wight. She was tried w/1other for highway robbery, on 2 1 1793, stealing wooden medicine box etc of John & Mary (Price) at Old Bailey on 9 1 1793, sentenced to death reprieved to Life, held at Middlesex Gaol Delivery New Prison Clerkenwell & Newgate Gaol & arrived in NSW as a convict on 25 10 1794 after a voyage of 8months on SURPRIZEalso-on which much socialising between soldiers & young female convicts is recorded; she was Protestant 5' fresh complexion dark brown hair hazel eyes. She had a relatinship with William (Neale) private & later married him. She was Free by Servitude by 1801 & with William at Parramatta in 1800 & also in 1801 in Sydney district. She married William (Neale) private on 19 3 1810 at St Phillips CofE Sydney. [Some details taken from this Website] Sarah (Townsend) & William (Neale) was born at Billesden Leicestershire about 1763 & became a baker. He apparantly joined the military in about 1781. He enlisted in NSW Corps at Savoy UK on 21 11 1792 as a private & arrived in NSW as a soldier on 25 10 1794 after a voyage of 8months on SURPRIZE-on which much socialising between soldiers & young female convicts is recorded; he was 5.75' Protestant. In 1795 he was granted 25acres at York Place. In 1798 he was detached to (Abbott)s company. He was stationed at Parramatta from 1808 where he was recorded as a baker; he was 5'9" with long dark complexioned visage dark brown hair grey eyes. In 1809 he was stationed at Hawkesbury, then detached to 1company Sydney from July 1809. He was a private in 1810. He was discharged from NSW Corps on 24 4 1810. In March 1811 he was granted 80acres at Airds district & was recorded as a landholder there in 1814. He was recorded in 1828 as tenant on 10acres at Illawarra. William (Neale) produced 4children: 1.John (Neale) was born on 19 10 1797 & baptised on 24 12 1797 at St Johns CofE Parramatta. He possibly had a first relationship with Anne (Powell).>>> ..Ann/e (Powell) was tried at probably Old Bailey, sentenced to 7years, held at London Gaol Delivery & arrived in NSW as a convict on 8 9 1810 after a voyage of 6months on CANADA. ..[Some details taken from this Website] ..John (Neale) & Ann/e (Powell) produced 1child: ..1.Mary Ann (Neale)) was born on 1 1 1811 & baptised on 27 1 1811 at St Phillips CofE Sydney. She died on 5 2 1811 age4w & was buried at St Johns CofE Parramatta. .. >>>John (Neale) was a farmer at Airds when he married perhaps secondly Sarah (Lee-Nickerson) on 1 1 1816 at St Phillips CofE Sydney. He was recorded in 1827 as an overseer & in 1831 as a farmer. He died on 14 10 1875 age78 father of perhaps 9children. ..Sarah (Lee) was born on 11 5 1799 & baptised on 21 4 1804 age4 at St Phillips CofE Sydney. ..Details of Sarah (Lee)s family are given in entry for John (Lee HMS GORGON 1791) on this Website. ..John (Neale) & Sarah (Lee-Nickerson) produced at least 8children: mostly boys ..1.Elizabeth (Neale) was born on 30 6 1817 & baptised on 27 7 1817 at St Lukes CofE Liverpool. ..2.William John (Neale) was born on 13 6 1819 & baptised on 28 7 1819 at St Lukes CofE Liverpool. ..3.Mary (Neale) was born on 12 7 1821 & baptised on 4 8 1821 at St Phillips CofE Sydney. ..4.John Thomas (Neale) was born on 23 6 1823 & baptised on 10 8 1823 at St Lukes CofE Liverpool. ..5.Alfred George James (Neale) was born on 14 4 1825 & baptised on 8 5 1825 at St Lukes CofE Liverpool. ..6.Richard Thomas (Neale) was born on 10 3 1827 at Lower Minto & baptised on 26 4 1827 at St Peters CofE Campbelltown. ..7.James Henry (Neale) was born on 27 12 1828 & baptised on 28 1 1829 at St Lukes CofE Liverpool. ..8.Thomas Henry James Australia (Neale) was born on 29 10 1830 at Lower Minto & baptised on 2 1 1831 at St Peters CofE Campbelltown. .. 2.William James (Neale) was born on 20 11 1799 & baptised on 25 5 1800 at St Johns CofE Parramatta. He married Mary (Miller) on 23 2 1824 at St Peters CofE Campbelltown. He died in 1859 age about59. ..Mary (Miller) was born about 1794. She was tried at Southampton (Portsmouth borough) Hampshire Quarter Sessions, sentenced to 7years & arrived in NSW as a convict on 20 1 1820 after a voyage of 8months on LORD WELLINGTON. She had her Ticket of Leave by 1820. ..[Some details taken from this Website] .. 3.Sarah Matilda (Neale) was born 12 5 1801 & baptised on 22 4 1810 age8 w/George at St Phillips CofE Sydney. She, as (Metcalfe/Neale), married William (Piper) shipwright on 12 9 1820 at St Phillips CofE Sydney & produced at least 4children. She died on 14 6 1844 age43. ..William (Piper) was born on 4 11 1798 in London. He arrived in NSW with his parents on 14 12 1801 after a voyage of 6months on Fleet ship MINORCA. He was a shipwright in 1820. ..Details of William (Piper)s family are given in entry for Edward (Piper MINORCA 1801) on this Website. .. 4.George (Neale) was born on 13 1 1804 & baptised on 22 4 1810 w/Sarah Matilda at St Phillips CofE Sydney. He married Bridget (Murphy) on 7 10 1830 at St Johns CofE Parramatta. ..Bridget (Murphy) was born on 28 2 1813 & baptised on 18 4 1813 at St Phillips CofE Sydney. ..Details of Bridget (Murphy)s family are given iesin entry for Eleanor (Davis HERCULES 1802) on 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. Pamela Statham 'A Colonial Regiment-New Sources Relating to the New South Wales Corps-1789-1810'
Sainty & Johnson; 1828 Census of New South Wales: Page 283... [Ref N0103] Neale, William, 64, FS, Surprise, 1794, P, Tenant, Illawarra. 10 acres 8 cultivated. [Ref N0104] Neale, Sarah, 51, Fs, Surprise, 1794, P.
With the withdrawal of the NSW Corps to England, Neale obtained a discharge from the army in April 1810 in order to remain in the colony. He was ordered an 80 acre land grant in the Airds district in Mar 1811 and was mustered as a landholder there in 1814, living with Sarah Townsend and three children.
In the colony, Sarah had a long term relationship with William Neale (Convict, Surprize, 1794). This relationship may have even commenced on board ship. By 1796 William Neale was living with Sarah Townsend. In May 1800 their house at Parramatta was burgled by Barnabus Sands, who was charged with stealing two shirts in the break-in and was sentenced to death. In 1801 the couple were recorded living in the Sydney district. In 1806 they were living at Parramatta, with four children (3 male, 1 female, all designated illegitimate by Marsden). Neale was described in 1808 as a baker by trade, aged 45 years 6 months, with 27 years 90 days army service, born Billesdon, Leicestershire, 5'9" tall with grey eyes, dark brown hair, and a long dark-complexioned visage. In 1809 he was stationed at the Hawkesbury, but moved to Sydney in July of that year. The couple were belatedly married at St Philips Sydney on 19 Mar 1810; he signed his name to the register and she made her X mark. Thomas and Mary Day witnessed the ceremony.
Old Bailey transcript: 9 Jan 1793: t17930109-1; part thereof: SOPHIA LANGFORD and SARAH TOWNSEND were indicted for feloniously making an assault, on the King's highway, on Mary Price, spinster, on the 2d of January, and putting her in fear and feloniously taking from her person and against her will, a wooden box containing some powder called medicine powder, value 1 s. the goods of John Price, and one shilling in money, the money of the said Mary Price. )# The record then goes into great detail about the assault and robbery. It was quite violent and comprises several pages of record.) Sarah Townsend and Sophia Langford were sentenced to death by the Recorder of London on 9 Jan 1793 at the Middlesex Old Bailey sessions for highway robbery. After their arrest on 3 Jan they were held in the New Prison Clerkenwell, whence they were transferred to Newgate Gaol on the 4th (see Langford's record for a full account of the trial). Townsend was described as aged 19, single, born on the Isle of Wight, 5' tall, with dark brown hair, hazel eyes and a fresh complexion. Langford was described as aged 20, single, London-born, 5'2" tall, with dark brown hair, grey eyes and a fresh complexion. Both were reprieved to transportation for life at the April sessions and remained in Newgate until 10 Feb 1794, when they were discharged for emabarkation aboard the ship 'Surprize'.