Esther Thornton

3

Peter Lucas on 1st August 2022

Child - Sophia Sherburd b. 28 Dec 1807 Norfolk Is. – d.28 Nov 1899 Kingston, Tas) Could not see her listed above Source Tasmanian Colonial Records - http://portal.archives.tas.gov.au/menu.aspx?detail=1&type=P&id=353930

13

Rosemarie on 18th October 2020

Mistakenly put George instead of William Sherburd

13

Rosemarie on 10th June 2020

Married George Sherburd and settled Norfolk Island then moved to Hobart Town to do the same thing again!

342

Maureen Withey on 1st May 2020

Old Bailey Proceedings Online (www.oldbaileyonline.org, version 8.0, 01 May 2020), April 1787, trial of ESTHER THORNTON (t17870418-43). ESTHER THORNTON, Theft > theft from a specified place, 18th April 1787. 372. ESTHER THORNTON was indicted for feloniously stealing, on the 26th of January last, three half guineas, value 1 l. 11 s. 6 d. sixteen half crowns, value 40 s. and 30 s. in monies numbered, the property of Thomas Murphy , in the dwelling house of Francis Riley . THOMAS MURPHY sworn. I am a mat-maker ; my wife was robbed; the prisoner was taken the 25th of February, at Kennington gravel-pits. MARY MURPHY sworn. In January last, I was robbed of upwards of five pounds; there was sixteen half crowns, three half guineas in gold, and the rest in shillings and sixpences; I was brought to bed but two days; the girl that I had came to my bed side, and took my pocket from under my head, and run down stairs, that was the prisoner; I saw her do it; I screamed out; I could not run after her; I did not know her till my husband hired her in Spital-fields, as a weekly servant; she was taken a month after she went away, on the 25th of February; I never recovered any of my money. How came you to keep all your money in your pocket? - The man that worked for me was coming in and out, and I was obliged to give change; I was obliged to keep my money in my pocket; it was all the money I had in the world; I saw her take this and I screamed out; I could not follow her; I am sure the money was in my pocket; I had it not a quarter of an hour before; I had it in my hand, and put it in my pocket, and the prisoner saw me with the money in my hand; I set up during the time; I keep two men to hawk my mats. Prisoner. I lived with that woman three months; I never took away her money, nor robbed her of any thing; and I went away of a Friday, and they came to me and said I had robbed them. Court to prosecutor. In whose house do you live? - No. 2, Saint Giles's; the house of Francis Riley . GUILTY, Death . She was humbly recommended to mercy to save her life, being only fifteen. The Court ordered the prosecutor an allowance of five pounds. Tried by the London Jury before Mr. Baron HOTHAM . -------------------------------------------------- National Archives. HO 47/9/4 1789 Apr 17 Report of James Adair, Recorder of London. Also includes a list from the Recorder of London enclosing a list of capital convicts respited but who cannot be removed until their pardons are confirmed, they are to receive sentence of transportation as set against their names: Middlesex Esther Thornton. Convicted in April 1787, recommendation: transportation for life.

7

Douglas Smith on 17th November 2017

Thornton married William Sherburd on 30.July 1790 only a matter of weeks after arriving at Norfolk Island NSW

15

Milton Kelly on 30th November 2016

Married 1790 Sydney, sent to Norfolk Island, died Hobart

20

brian holding on 5th February 2013

7 May 1789 a month after her stay of execution, Esther was embarked per the convict transport Lady Juliana. By this time, she was 18 years of age. The ship remained in the Thames for six months loading convicts from Newgate and county gaols before setting sail on 29 July 1789 carrying 226 female convicts. 6 June 1790 Lady Juliana arrived at Sydney Cove just prior to the arrival of the second fleet which arrived at the end of June. Not really part of the second fleet as she sailed independently sometime before the second fleet left England. The Lady Juliana had taken nearly a year to make the voyage. 30 July 1790 Only five to eight weeks after landing at Sydney Cove Esther married William Sherburd the service being conducted by Richard Johnson, Chaplain of the colony. The marriage was recorded in the St Phillip’s Church Register, though no church had been built at this time. They were married by Banns which were twice published, the third publication dispensed with because Esther was draughted off to Norfolk Island. Witnesses to the marriage were Thomas Sargent and Margaret Wood. William and Richard signed their names, Esther and Margaret made their marks. Thomas Sargent and Margaret Woods were also witnesses to the previous wedding (on the same day) and William Sherburd was a witness to Thomas Sargent’s marriage to Jane Taylor, also on the say day. Six weddings were celebrated. In five of these, the marriage took place before the banns had been published three times, as the parties were about to leave for Norfolk Island.Thomas Sargent married Jane Taylor, with William Sherburd and William Thorn as witnesses; John Blundel married Elizabeth Handerson, with William Thorn and Elizabeth Clayton as witnesses, John Young was married to Mary Winspear, with Thomas Till and Mary Davis as witnesses; Martin Searle and Mary Stolz were married and William Sherburd and Esther Thornton, with Thomas Sargent and Margaret Wood as witnesses; William Davis married Jane Reed, in the presence of William Thorn and Mary Mitchell. It is likely that Esther knew William whilst they were in Newgate Gaol together for 2-3 years. This could help explain why they were willing to marry so quickly upon arrival at Sydney Cove. It is even possible that William protected Esther whilst she was in gaol at Newgate. 31 July 1790 William and Esther SHERBURD were transferred to Norfolk Island as husband and wife prisoners to help settle the island colony. They were transported per the Surprise along with 194 mostly female convicts 7 August 1790 arrived at Norfolk Island 13 September 1796 Esther received a conditional pardon on, the same day her husband received his absolute pardon. The pardon reads: Whereas His Majesty by a Commission under the Great Seal of Great Britain having date the eighth day of November in the thirty first year of His Majesty’s Reign has been graciously pleased to give & Grant full Power of Authority to the Governor for in case of his death or absence the Lieutenant Governor for the time being of His Majesty’s Territory of the Eastern Coast of New South Wales, & the Islands thereunto adjacent by an Instrument or Instruments in writing, under the Seal of the Government of the said Territory, or as he or they respectively shall think fit & Convenient for His Majesty’s Service to remit either Absolutely or Conditionally the whole or any part of the Term or Time, for which Felons or other Offenders shall have been, or shall hereafter be respectively conveyed & Transported to the Eastern Coast of New South Wales, or to the Islands thereunto adjacent. By virtue of the Power & Authority vested as aforesaid, I John Hunter Esqr His Majesty’s Captain General & Governor in Chief in & over the said Territory & its dependencies taking into consideration the good Behaviour of Henry Wright, Thomas Lympus, Jasper Harris, James Cham, Esther Thornton & Grace Mattocks, at the recommendation of Lieutenant Governor King, do hereby in consequence of these circumstances, & so enable them to become Settlers, conditionally remit the remainder of the Term or Time, which is yet unexpired of the Original Sentence or order of Transportation passed on the said Henry Wright, Thomas Lympus, Jasper Harris, James Cham, Esther Thornton & Grace Mattocks. -- Provided & on condition that they do continue to reside within the limits of this Government, for owing the Terms of their respective Sentences. – on pain that if the said Henry Wright, Thomas Lympus, Jasper Harris, James Cham, Esther Thornton, & Grace mattocks, so return to & appear within any part of the Kingdom of Great Britain or Ireland during the Terms or Times of their respective sentences, the remission of such Sentences so to them hereby conditional granted shall in such case be wholly Null & Void. Given under my Hand & the Seal of the Territory, at Sydney in New South Wales this thirteenth day of September in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred & ninety six. Signed Jno Hunter Registered in the Secretary’s Office. February 1805 Esther was listed as Hester Thorton, a woman whose sentence had expired, victualled from the stores at Norfolk Island. Her children Mary, John and Elizabeth were listed as children above two years of age on the stores, and her children Ann and William were listed as off the stores. 17 September 1807 the government gave a general order that settlers and their families were to be removed to Hobart Town – William, his wife Esther and five children were among those listed to be removed. The authorities had decided to abandon the settlement at Norfolk Island and remove everyone to Van Diemen’s Land. 3 September 1808 William, Esther, their two sons (William and John) and four daughters (Ann, Elizabeth, Mary and Esther) embarked from Norfolk Island for Hobart Town per City of Edinburgh. The ship’s master was Simeon Patterson The family is listed on the Memorial to the First Fleeters and Norfolk Islanders who came to Van Diemen’s Land during the evacuation 1807-1813 in St David’s Park, Hobart. 21 March 1811 Esther was listed in the 1811 general muster for Buckingham 3 November 1826 Esther died aged 56 years. She was a poor woman when she died, William’s property having passed to her son John on his death four years earlier. Esther was buried with her husband in St David’s Cemetery (now St David’s Park), Hobart Town on 6 November 1826 by William BEDFORD. Her family erected a headstone for the grave in 1826. The headstone gave Esther’s age as 52 years, but the burial register gave her age as 56 years. The headstone no longer exists.