Thomas Saunders

5

Shirley Ickeringill on 10th August 2024

Sailed on Ship "Matilda", part of the Third Fleet

74

iain Frazier on 14th July 2023

Family connections for Thomas (Saunders) are: Some amendments addeed Oct 2025. SAUNDERS Thomas (Saunders) was born about 1768. He became a labourer at Walthamstow London. He was tried, for stealing a pig of George (Mitchell) in Essex on 27 7 1786, at Chelmsford Essex Lent Sessions, sentenced to 7years, held on hulk LION in Portsmouth Harbour & arrived in NSW as a convict on 9 7 1791 after a voyage of 6months on Fleet ship MATILDA. He was a free man by 1794 & was granted 30acres on south side Hawkesbury River near Pitt Town. He married Mary (Boucher/ier) on 19 12 1796 at St Johns CofE Parramatta. He gained more property & a bakery at The Rocks. He died on 3 9 1846 age81. [Some information taken from this Website] Mary (Boucher/ier) was born about 1753/61. She became a banquet cook. She was tried for stealing silverware of Mrs Peter (Boileau) at Old Bailey on 19 2 1794, sentenced to death commuted to Life, held probably at London/Middlesex Gaol Delivery & at Newgate prison & arrived in NSW as a convict on 30 4 1796 after a voyage of 6months on INDISPENSABLE. She was Free by Servitude before 1804. She died in 1852 age about91. [Some information taken from this Website. Thomas (Saunders) & Mary (Boucher) produced perhaps 9children: 1?.an Elizabeth (Saunders) was born on 12 12 1795 & may have died in 1796 age about1. 2.Elizabeth (Saunders) was born on 22 10 1797 & baptised on 7 8 1798 at St Johns CofE Parramatta. She married James (Jenkins) stonemason on 12 12 1815 at St Phillips CofE Sydney & produced 6children. She died on 2 10 1874 age77-. ..James (Jenkins) brother of William (Jenkins) was born about 1774. He & his brother were tried for stealing 7sheep of Edward (Smith) at Wiltshire Assizes in 1797, sentenced to death commuted to 7years, were held on hulk FORTUNEE, where he perhaps learned stonemasonry, at Langstone Harbour near Portsmouth & arrived in NSW as a convict on 14 8 1802 after a voyage of 7months on COROMANDEL. With his brother he became farmer boat builder property developer. After death of his brother in 1814 he cared for his sister in law Sarah (Jenkins nee Chivers) until after her second marriage. He was a stonemason in 1815. He was Free by Servitude before 1816. In 1823 he was at North Harbour, 1824 at Broken Bay & 1825 at North Harbour. He was recorded in 1826 as a farmer & in 1830 as a grazier. ..[Some information taken from this Website] ..Details of James (Jenkins)s family are given in entry for James (Jenkins COROMANDEL 1802) on this Website. .. 3.Thomas (Saunders) was born on 3 9 1799 & baptised on 1 12 1800 at St Phillips CofE Sydney. 4.Virginia (Saunders) was born on 4 6 1802 & baptised on 12 6 1803 at St Phillips CofE Sydney. She died on 9 10 1865 age63. 5.Sarah (Saunders) was born on 9 5 1804 & baptised on 25 12 1804 at St Phillips CofE Sydney. 6.William (Saunders) was born on 25 11 1806 & baptised on 18 8 1811 age4 w/Mary at St Phillips CofE Sydney. He died on 18 9 1820 age14 & was buried at St Phillips CofE Sydney/St Johns CofE Parramatta. 7.Mary (Saunders) was born on 25 12 1808 & baptised age2 w/William at St Phillips CofE Sydney. She married William (Duggan or Tarlington?) on 17 11 1829 at St Marys RC Sydney. She died on 1 8 1886 age77 mother of at least 1child. [Smees recirds show Mary (Saunders) married William (Tarlington) in 1829 & had her child with William (Duggan].] [William (Tarlington) is also shown as having a child with Mary (Sanders born 1808 in colony) whom he married in 1829 at St Marys RC Sydney.] [1.Sarah (Tarlington) was born on 23 12 1829 at Prospect & baptised on 31 12 1829 at St Marys RC Sydney.] [A mixup seems to have occurred.] .. ..William (Duggan) was born in 1806/7 in the colony. He was recorded as living in Sydney in 1829. ..Details of William (Duggan)s family are given in entry for Elizabeth/Betty (Johnson CANADA 1810) on this Website. 8.perhaps Joseph (Saunders) who was born in 1809, died on 30 12 1819 age10 & was buried at St Johns CofE Parramatta. 9.Maria (Saunders) was born on 1 2 1812 & baptised on 29 2 1812 at St Phillips cofE Sydney. She died on 11 3 1812 age4w. 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.

54

Phil Hands on 30th July 2017

Tried and convicted on 12th March 1787 at the Chelmsford, Essex for the theft of a pig valued at 40 shillings, sentenced to 7 years transportation. Served 4 years on the Prison Hulk 'Lion' which was moored in Portsmouth Harbour. Left Portsmouth on 27th March 1791. Ship:- the 'Matilda' sailed with 230 male convicts on board of which 25 died during the voyage. Arrived on 1st August 1791. Thomas Saunders, aged 22, described as a labourer of Walthamstow was charged with stealing a sow pig, valued at 40 shillings, the property of George Mitchell. The theft occurred at Essex on 27th July 1786. He stood trial at the Essex Lent Assizes at Chelmsford on 12th March 1787 and was sentenced to seven years transportation. Serving the first years of his sentence on the prison hulk "Lion" moored in Portsmouth Harbour, he was eventually transported on the convict transport "Matilda", a ship of 480 tons, Captain Matthew Weatherhead, which departed Portsmouth on 27th March 1791 and arrived Port Jackson on 1st August the same year. In 1794, his sentence completed and now a free man, Thomas Saunders was granted 30 acres on the south bank of the Hawkesbury River near Pitt Town, New South Wales, where he established a small farm. Two years later Thomas Saunders of Hawkesbury and Mary Bouchier of Parramatta were married at St John's Church, Parramatta, by Rev. Samuel Marsden, they had 7 children between 1797-1812. Thomas made his mark while Mary signed her name with a flourish, indicating that she had some education. While Thomas and Mary experienced all the ups and downs of farming in the early days of the colony, they generally prospered and eventually extended their interests to include several other properties as well as a bakery at the Rocks, Sydney. In the 1805 Muster, Thomas Saunders was recorded as a settler on 30 acres at the Hawkesbury. He had 23 acres planted with wheat, 3 acres maize, 2 acres barley, 1/4 acre peas and beans, 1 acre orchard and gardens and 3/4 acre of pastures. He owned one boar pig and one sow pig and 40 bushels of wheat were on hand. He, his wife and four children were 'off stores', and he employed three free men and two ticket of leave convicts. Mary Bouchier, a banquet cook, was tried at the Old Bailey on 19th February 1794. She was charged with stealing some silver spoons and other items from an employer, Mrs. Peter Boileau. Mary pleaded not guilty and claimed that the items had been given to her in a bundle of clothing to mind for another servant, Ann Goostry. Mary's story was not believed and she was sentenced to death and sent to Newgate Prison. Five months later Mary was offered clemency provided she was prepared to accept transportation to New South Wales for the rest of her life. Mary accepted and was transported as one of 133 female convicts on the "Indispensible", a ship of 351 tons, under Captain Wilkinson, which arrived at Port Jackson on 30 th April 1796, after a voyage of about six months.