John Williams

Level 75

iain Frazier on 23rd April 2026

Family connections for John (Williams) are: WILLIAMS/MILLER John (Williams/Miller) was born as William (Miller) & became a servant. He was tried as John (Williams alias Miller) with his cousin William (Williams/Crew) for highway robbery at Old Bailey, sentenced to death reprieved to Life, held at Middlesex Gaol Delivery & arrived in NSW as a convict with his cousin on 9 7 1791 after a voyage of 6months on Fleet ship ALBERMARLE/ADMIRAL BARRINGTON. In December 1794 he was granted 3,000acres (as was his partner in crime cousin William (Williams alias Crew)) on the flats at upper Port Jackson (Concord). He entered a relationship with Ann (Martin) in 1794. He was Free by Servitude by 1798. [Some of this information is taken from this Website: as is the revelation that the highway robber William (Williams) may not have been sent to Australia after all] Ann (Martin), daughter of John (Martin) & Sara Ann (How), was born about 1769 & baptised on 22 12 1769 at Bethnal Green Middlesex, & became a servant. She was tried w/1other for stealing handkerchiefs, on 13 12 1786, from John (Tenant) of Rotherhithe London at St Margarets Hill Southwark Surrey Quarter Sessions on 9 1 1787, sentenced to 7years & arrived in NSW as a convict on 22 1 1788 after a voyage of 12months on First Fleet ship LADY PENRHYN. On 23 8 1788 she was charged with being drunk & sentenced to 1month making pegs. On 30 3 1789 she was charged with creating a disturbance & sentenced to 25lashes. She was sent to Norfolk Island on SUPPLY; she was returned to Port Jackson in September 1792 on ATLANTIC; no mention found in NI Refs. seen. She was an emancipist by 1801. She died in 1806 age37 at Parramatta & was buried at St Johns CofE Parramatta. [Some of this information is taken from this Website] William (Miller) & Ann (Martin) produced a child: 1.Sarah (Miller) was born on 4 9 1795. She had a first relationship at age16 with James (Cox) in about 1812 & produced 1child. She died on 10 9 1841 age46 at St Albans Hawkesbury.>>> ..James (Cox) was born about 1786. He was tried at Lewes Assizes Sussex on 5 8 1809, sentenced to Life, held at Horsham & on hulk LAUREL at Portsmouth from 26 8 1809 & arrived in NSW on 16 12 1810 after a voyage of 5.5months on INDIAN; he was Protestant. He was issued his Ticket of Leave in February 1824 in Parramatta. He was recorded in 1828 as shepherd for George (Bowman) at Richmond. ..[Some details are taken from this Website] .. >>>Sarah (Miller) married secondly Christian William (Sternbeck) on 12 7 1813 at St Matthews CofE Windsor Hawkesbury & produced 4children. She died on 10 9 1841 age46 at St Albans NSW mother of 5children. ..Christian (Sternbeck) was born about 1781. He was tried, as (Stirnback), w/3others for house breaking, on 1 3 1799, & stealing rings etc of Emanuel (Hutchings) at Old Bailey on 28 5 1800, held probably at London/Middlesex Gaol Delivery & found not guilty. He was tried again, as (Stirnback), w/2others for house breaking, on 26 1 1800, & stealing blankets etc of Mary (Matthews) at Old Bailey on 17 9 1800, sentenced to death reprieved to Life, held probably at London/Middlesex Gaol Delivery & arrived in NSW as a convict on 10 8 1802 after a voyage of 7.5months on PERSEUS. He became a farmer. He died on 6 2 1860 age about78 & was buried at St Matthews CofE Windsor. ..[Some details are 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'

Level 221

D Wong on 9th July 2014

Old Bailey: JOHN WILLIAMS, WILLIAM WILLIAMS, Violent Theft > highway robbery, 9th December 1789. JOHN WILLIAMS otherwise MILLER and WILLIAM WILLIAMS were indicted for feloniously assaulting Richard Capper , Esq . on the 19th of November , on the king's highway, and putting him in fear and danger of his life, and feloniously taking from his person and against his will, a watch, with the outside case made of base metal, and the inside case base metal and fish skin, value 20 s. a stone seal set in gold, value 10 s. a brass key, value 12 d. a ribbon, value 12 d. a hook, value 6 d. and two guineas, and ahalf guinea, and thirty shillings, and ten six-pences, his property. He was referred to as William Williams otherwise Crew. Prisoner. Our distressed situation prevents us from speaking; I have wrote a few lines, if you will permit the clerk to read it. Court. Is it your hand writing? - Yes. (Read.) "It was not from any desire in us to evade justice, that we, at our arraignment, pleaded not guilty; but from a wish that every circumstance attending the commission of the offence with which we stand charged, might be made known to the Court and the Jury; and that we might have an opportunity of informing your lordships of our conduct and character in life, previous to that day, when we unhappily first thought of resorting to so unjustifiable a means of procuring money. Our situations in life, since we left home, have been that of servant s to different gentlemen, in which character we faithfully endeavoured to discharge every duty, of which, we hope, those whom we served, will now bear testimony. We are not old offenders. We are not, I assure your lordships, hardened in iniquity; and the grief under which we at present labour, is not because we are detected thus early in the commission of our crimes, but because we have so widely strayed from that golden rule, which from our infancy we weretaught, of doing to others, as we would they should do to us. We fear it is now too late to hope for such an extension of the royal mercy, as to afford us an opportunity of convincing this part of the world, of our contrition of mind, and the reality of our repentance. But we do humbly presume to hope, that the gate of mercy will not be wholly shut against us. We have made no bad connections; we are not experienced in the practices of vice; we are very young men. The distress we have occasioned our parents and friends, is a source of the most painful reflection to us. Every possible lenity and indulgence we have experienced from those who are under the necessity of prosecuting us; and we hope to meet their forgiveness for the injuries we have done them. Should mercy be extended to us, our future conduct shall, as far as it is possible, atone for those offences which have reduced us to the disgraceful situation in which we now stand." The prisoners alledged, that their trial coming on sooner than they expected, their witnesses were not present. JOHN WILLIAMS , alias MILLER, aged 19, WILLIAM WILLIAMS , alias CREW, aged 20, GUILTY, Death . Prosecutor. I beg leave to recommend the prisoners to mercy; one of them I know has respectable connections; they used no particular violence . Court. Had they the appearance of being drunk, when they robbed you? - They behaved with no particular violence. You have reason to believe that they have been reputably brought up? - Yes, my lord. Jury. We wish to join in the recommendation, on the same ground. Mr. Wells. My lord, I saw several gentlemen yesterday, who said they would come to speak for them. No date of death found. John WILLIAMS alias William MILLER had been born with the name William MILLER and he was a blood relative of William CREW – being a cousin

Level 18

Rosenne on 7th March 2013

There are few records for William Miller as he was known in the Colony. William was granted 30 acres of land at Upper Port Jackson (Concord) in December 1794. His English partner in crime his cousin (William Williams) now known in the colony as William CREW was also granted 30 acres adjoining William MILLER's land. William had a relationship with Ann Martin convict of the First Fleet aboard the 'Lady Penrhyn'. They had one child before Ann died in 1806 at Parramatta. I have been unable to find further records for William.