Summary
Personal Information
Crime
Voyage
Transportation
Betty Thomas was transported on the Bellona, departing 30th Jun 1792 and arriving 16th Jan 1793 with 18 passengers.
Bellona (generic)References
| Primary Source | Australian Joint Copying Project. Microfilm Roll 87, Class and Piece Number HO11/1, Page Number 191 (96) |
| 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
"Betty Thomas is my 4th great grandmother."
Photos
No photos have been added for Betty Thomas.
Convict Notes
Family connections for Betty/Elizabeth (Thomas) are: Some amendments added Nov 2025. THOMAS John (Thomas) married Susannah (Rowden) & produced perhaps 2children: 1?.Mary (Thomas). A Mary (Thomas) is said to have been tried, w/Elizabeth/Betty (Thomas), for stealing/receiving goods of Mary (O'Brian) & Roland (Rowland) at Exeter Devon Assizes on 27 8 1791, sentenced to 14years, held on hulk DUNKIRK at Plymouth Harbour & Newgate Prison & arrived in NSW as a convict on 11 1 1793 after a voyage of of 6months on BELLONA. ...Mary (Thomas) does not have an entry on this Website: but added by me. 2?.Elizabeth/Betty (Thomas) was born in 1770 & baptised on 7 1 1771 at Stoke Damerel Devon. She was tried, w/a Mary (Thomas), for stealing/receiving goods of Mary (O'Brian) & Roland (Rowland) at Exeter Devon Assizes on 27 8 1791, sentenced to 14years, held on hulk DUNKIRK at Plymouth Harbour & Newgate Prison & arrived in NSW as a convict on 11 1 1793 after a voyage of of 6months on BELLONA. She had a first relationship (1of3), seemingly on board the female-only hulk DUNKIRK, & produced a child:>>> ..[Some details taken from this Website] ..1.Joseph (Thomas) was born on 12 9 1792 at sea on BELLONA & arrived in NSW on 11 1 1793. He was baptised on 25 12 1794 age2 w/William (Minifie) at St Phillips CofE Sydney. He later assumed the surname of his stepfather (Baylis). He married Ann (Craft) on 27 6 1814 at St Matthews CofE Windsor. He died on 29 12 1828 age36 & was buried at St Peters CiofE Richmond. ....Ann (Craft) was born on 14 1 1796 & baptised on 10 9 1796 at St Johns CofE Parramatta. She married Joseph (Baylis) on 27 6 1814 at St Matthews CofE Windsor. She died on 13 12 1841 age45. ....Details of Ann (Craft)s family are given in entry for Samuel (Craft SALAMANDER 1791) on this Website. ....Joseph (Thomas/Baylis) & Ann (Craft) produced 2children: ....1.Joseph (Baylis) was born on 18 5 1815 at Nepean & baptised on 18 6 1815 at St Matthews CofE Windsor. ....2.Samuel (Baylis) was born on 29 9 1816 at Windsor & baptised on 3 11 1816 at St Matthews CofE Windsor. He died on 25 10 1887 age71. .. >>>Elizabeth/Betty (Thomas) had a second relationship (2of3) with Richard (Minifie) & produced 1child.>>> ...Richard (Minifie) arrived in Australia as a convict in 1791 on Fleet ship WILLIAM AND ANN; it appears that he is also recorded in documents as Richard (Hannaphy). ...Richard (Minifie) does not have an entry on this Website as yet, nor does Richard (Hannaphy): but added by me. .. >>>Elizabeth/Betty (Thomas) married thirdly (or merely had an enduring relationship with) John (Baylis) about 1796. She is recorded in 1828 as Free by Servitude w/her husband at Richmond, but recorded incorrectly as from BATAVIA 1793 with sentence 7years. She died on 30 8 1832 age62 mother of 4known children, all boys. ..John (Baylis) arrived in NSW w/NSW Corps on 9 7 1791 after a voyage of 6months on Fleet ship ACTIVE. He is recorded in 1828 as a nailor on 172acres at Richmond. He died on 27 6 1860 age63+. ..Elizabeth/Betty (Thomas) & John (Baylis) produced 2children: ..1.John Thomas (Baylis) was born on 10 6 1797 & baptised on 13 8 1797 at St Phillips CofE Sydney. He married Sarah (Thomas age15) on 14 8 1820 at St Peters CofE Richmond. He was recorded in 1825 & 1827 as a farmer. He died on 27 6 1860 age63+. ....Sarah (Thomas) was born on 15 2 1805 & baptised on 31 3 1805 at St Phillips CofE Sydney. She died on 18 12 1848 age43. ....Details of Sarah (Thomas)s family are given in entry for John (Thomas BARWELL 1798) on this Website. ....John (Baylis) & Sarah (Thomas) produced at least 4children: ....1.Mary Ann (Baylis) was born on 19 10 1821 & baptised on 12 5 1822 at St Peters CofE Richmond. ....2.Ann Maria (Baylis) was born on 18 4 1823 at Richmond & baptised on 25 12 1825 age2 at St Peters CofE Richmond. ....3.John (Baylis) was born on 22 9 1826 at Richmond & baptised on 11 3 1827 at St Peters CofE Richmond. ....4.Thomas (Baylis) was born in 1829. .. ..2.Edward (Baylis) was born on 5 2 1800 & baptised on 1 6 1800 at St Phillips CofE Sydney. He married Matilda (Rollinson) on 27 1 1825 at St Peters CofE Richmond. He was recorded in 1826 & 1829 as a blacksmith. He died on 16 10 1857 age57. ....Matilda (Rollinson) was born in 1803. She arrived in NSW as a child on 20 1 1820 after a voyage of 8months on LORD WELLINGTON. ....Edward (Baylis) & Matilda Jane (Rollinson) produced at least 2children: ....1.Elizabeth Jane (Baylis) was born on 7 6 1826 at Richmond & baptised on 9 7 1826 at St Peters CofE Richmond. ....2.Edward (Baylis) was born on 31 2 1828 at Richmond & baptised on 19 4 1829 age13m at St Peters CofE Richmond. He died in 1905 age about77. [Noted an Emma/Emmelia (Rollinson) was born about 1811. She arrived in NSW as a child on 20 1 1820 after a voyage of 8months on LORD WELLINGTON. She married at age14 Thomas (Cooper) on 17 10 1825 at St Peters CofE Richmond & produced 3children.] [Thomas (Cooper) was born on 12 11 1805 & baptised on 23 3 1806 at St Johns CofE Parramatta. He was recorded in 1826, 1828 & 1831 as a shoemaker. He died on 13 12 1893 age88.] [Details of Emma/Emmelia (Rollinson)s family are given in entry for Charles (Cooper BARWELL 1798) on this Website.] SO WE MIGHT HAVE SISTERS HERE 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'
Betty's son was baptised Joseph Thomas on Christmas Day 1794 in Sydney, together with another son born to Betty on 10 November 1794. This second child, William, was the son of Richard Minifie transported on the 'William & Ann' in 1791.
The Bellona finally sailed from Gravesend on 8 Aug 1792. Elizabeth was 7 months pregnant and in indifferent health until 'delivered of a male child' at sea late in the night of 13 September. The ship's log records Joseph's birth and that 'he was frail but stable' with the baby's survival attributable to the fact that a 'Doctor' was on board. Both Betty and the child were in good health by the time the ship reached Rio a month later, (he was 6 weeks old) although the child had 'weak eyes'.
Betty and Mary were sentenced to 14 years transportation and were initially transferred to the hulk 'Dunkirk' in Plymouth Harbour which was the only hulk to house female prisoners awaiting transportation and which was abandoned for this purpose by 1792. Both Elizabeth and Mary were listed to be transported on the 'Royal Admiral' which sailed in May 1792. Instead Elizabeth and Mary embarked on the 'Bellona' from Newgate on 28 July 1792 with 15 other female convicts and one child (PRO 3554).
Elizabeth, more usually known as Betty Thomas, was the daughter of John Thomas and Susannah Rowden, baptised at Stoke Damerel in Devon on 7 January 1771. On 22 August 1791, at the age of 20, with a Mary Thomas they were convicted at the Exeter Assizes (H.O.11/1) for receiving stolen goods from Mary O' Brian and Robert Rowland. - Mary O'Brian also travelled on the Bellona
https://records-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/primo-explore/fulldisplay?context=L&vid=61SRA&lang=en_US&docid=INDEX1965458 Betty Thomas, Bellona, Tried at Exeter, 22 Aug 1791, 14 years.
In the 1828 Census Elizabeth and John are recorded: [Ref B0723 page 45] Baylis, John, 60, came free Active 1791, nailor, Richmond, 172 acres 172 cleared and cultivated 8 horned cattle. [Ref B0724 page 45] Baylis, Elizabeth, 57, FS, Batavia [sic], 1793 7 years.
Elizabeth, was a convict who was transported aboard the ship 'Bellona' arriving in the colony on 15 Jan 1793. She had been convicted at Devon Assizes for a term of 14 years in 1792. Elizabeth had a son, Joseph, born on 12 Sep 1792 aboard the convict ship 'Bellona'. Joseph's father is unknown. Joseph later took the name Baylis - the name of his step-father. In the colony, about 1796, Elizabeth married John Baylis, (NSW Corps, 1791, "Active"). The couple had two children, John 1797 and Edward 1800.