David Andrew Roberts and Cathy Dunn, ‘Directory of the Norfolk Island First Settlement, 1788-1814’, Open Access Dataset, University of New England, March 2024, DOI: 10.25952/x2y6-sw49 https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/57760
This project identifies the majority of individuals associated with the ‘First Settlement’ phase of the colonial occupation of Norfolk Island, from the arrival of the small advance party on the Supply from Port Jackson in March 1788 to the final evacuations of the Island in February 1814. The population of the island is believed to have peaked at around 1,150 persons between May 1792 and July 1794. However, based on extensive archival research, we have identified a little under 3,650 unique individuals in over seventy key historical documents, suggesting a highly fluid population and a preponderance of short-term residents.
Those individuals are named here, with our preferred spelling and each given a unique alphanumeric identifier (UID). This is intended to facilitate the development of a relational database for students and community researchers interested in employing big data approaches to the study of this unique and intriguing colonial enterprise. A range of options are currently being explored for public facing outputs to showcase the value of the Directory and the document transcriptions which have informed it.
This research was undertaken with support from the University of New England, with some input from students and volunteers (including Hayley Odgers). Broadly, our Directory owes much to years of granular (and relatively manual) research undertaken by Australian History Research, some of it published in numerous works since 2012. [Picture left: Footstone for ‘T E’, c.1833 or 1835, believed to be a recycled headstone from the First settlement period]
Our effort expands the pioneering work of historian, Reg Wright, whose studies of what he called ‘The Forgotten Generation’ of Norfolk Island and Van Diemen’s Land remain highly regarded for their detailed investigations of the people and places of the Island’s early history. Wright’s remarkable ‘List of Residents of Norfolk Island 1788–1814’ was included in Raymond Nobbs’ Norfolk Island and its First Settlement (Sydney, 1988, pp. 186-209). That list named 2,773 individuals. The prodigious Biographical Database of Australia (BDA), by ‘adding in aliases and cross referencing of connected individuals mentioned’, has expanded Wright’s list to 3,187. James Donohoe’s Norfolk Island 1788-1813: The People and Their Families (Sydney, 2011) claims to have located ‘3000 people and their families on Norfolk Island to late 1813’.
Significantly, we have extended Wright’s list by some 30%, adding around 870 new names. This was achieved mostly by consulting a greater range of materials. The best and most used sources for reconstructing the population of Norfolk Island are the so-called ‘Victualing Books’. There are records of this type for the years 1788, 1792 to 1796, and for 1802 and 1803, and then for every six month-period until March 1810. Unfortunately, there are no surviving books for the years 1797–1801. There are in addition a number of ‘general musters’ held in the State Archives and Records Authority New South Wales, and numerous ‘lists’ of settlers and convicts that were sent, for various purposes, to the Colonial Office in London. Some of these were also used by Wright (and the BDA), although again there a notable gap for the years immediately either side of 1800.
Our research, however, is drawn from records (some of the digitised and online,) found across a greater range of repositories, including:
- National Library Australia
- State Archives and Records Authority New South Wales
- Mitchell Library Sydney NSW
- State Library NSW
- Tasmania Archives Heritage Collection
- The National Archives (UK)
Subsequently, we have incorporated shipping records, population and landholder lists, and data gleamed from accounts kept by Lieutenant-Governor Phillip Gidley King, the convict clergyman Reverend Henry Fulton and the ‘First Fleet’ officer and diarist Ralph Clark. Our work includes the first known use of the Papers of Thomas Jamison, 1797-1809, held in the Records of the Chancery and now available online via the National Library of Australia. Amongst these papers is a list of farmers on Norfolk Island (free men and expired convicts) who between 1797 and 1798 supplied pork and maize for commercial trade. These records have provided new identities ― marines, NSW Corps, prisoners, families and settlement staff ― not noticed in the standard sources.
Of particular value are the Royal Navy Ships’ Musters, maintained by The National Archives (for England and Wales) in the Admiralty series in (ADM36), also available via the National Library of Australia. These record the presence of persons on board a number of ships that moved people and goods between Sydney and Norfolk Island, notably the Supply (1 and 2), Reliance, Porpoise, Buffalo and Lady Nelson. We have not exhausted this body of records, focusing for now on shipping lists which identified new individuals for database, but yielding over 1,800 rows of data pertaining to 1,334 individuals, including 77 individuals who worked in the settlement’s ‘boat’s crews’ between 1796 and 1805. These Ships’ Musters can only be described as messy and chaotic in places, but they nonetheless highlight, among other things, the fluidity and movement of the population of early Norfolk Island.
Extract from the Royal Navy Ships Musters for the Supply, Port Jackson to Norfolk Island on March 1790, recording the mustering of supernumeraries, in this case Marines from 'The First Fleet'..
We have also used a newly discovered record (in the Tasmanian Colonial Secretary’s Correspondence) of the late East Indiaman sloop/barque Hunter, which was shipwrecked on Norfolk Island in 1799, depositing a number of stranded seamen who became settlers. There is more to gleamed from these records about the coming and going people from the Island. Some of these records are also important sources of information on a period, notably between 1796 and 1800, which many historians have thought to be largely bereft of documentation.
There are other exciting documents retrieved from the General Correspondence of the Colonial Secretary’s Office in the Tasmanian Archives, detailing the embarkation of Norfolk Island residents on vessels bound for the Derwent in 1807 and 1808. Further, we have consulted a General Muster of Norfolk Island taken on 14 August 1811, that was missed by Wright, and also a ‘List of persons left at Norfolk under the direction of Mr William Hutchinson Superintendent’ in 1813, located in State Archives and Records New South Wales, believed to be one of the last surviving records from the First Settlement of Norfolk Island. The latter contains the names and status of 34 men, some with wives and children, who were left behind ‘to assist in the final evacuation’. It was critical to the research undertaken by Dunn and Lambert and published as The Inhabitants of Norfolk Island Late 1808–1814 (2021).
The key challenge, once every name in every record set was compiled into a spreadsheet, was to establish a set of unique identities, determining, for example, the exact number of individuals who shared a name, and taking into account variations in spelling. This process at times required laborious cross-referencing, and considerable patience, given that, for example, there were at least 10 different individuals named John Smith, 9 named William Smith, 8 by the name of John Jones, and another 7 called Thomas Jones (just to note the more egregious examples). There were also identification problems arising from the use of aliases, and multiple variations in the spelling of names such as GODWIN v GOODING.
Further, it was necessary to combine or distinguish entries that were problematically similar — for example, establishing ABRAHAM JOHN as distinct from ABRAHAMS JOHN, KING FRANCIS from KING FRANCES, and GRIFFIN ELIZABETH from GRIFFITH ELIZABETH. (We have indicated many of these cases in a separate column in the Directory, mostly to confirm that the distinction has been checked and confirmed).
The quest however has been substantially advanced by even the most basic use of digital techniques. By converting documents into well-organised spreadsheets, the ability to display, manipulate and cross-reference data has enhanced our ability to distinguish and trace individuals across different record sets and through time.
In the final product, individual names are usually rendered using the spelling found most consistently across the records (SURNAME / FIRSTNAME) although we have also aimed to ensure that each name is uniquely spelt. Sometimes we have taken account of multiple surnames and aliases, where they were used interchangeably — FISHER EDWARD (aka William Blatherhone) for example, a First Fleet convict who went by both names) or, more commonly, names that were changed on account of marriage (like ANSTEY MARY who became STANLEY MARY on her marriage in 1791).
Where there are multiple individuals with the same name, our Directory distinguishes them with a numeral in parenthesis. In some cases, where multiple individuals of the same name are known to have been present in the population at the same time but a document does not relate sufficient information to determine which is which, we have used the symbol (+) after a name. This also allows also for the occasional possibility that there may be another, as yet unidentified individual using that name. For example, we use HERBERT JOHN (+), because in a number of records we cannot distinguish between HERBERT JOHN (1), a convict who arrived on the HMS Sirius in 1790, and HERBERT JOHN (2), one of the prisoners who escaped Sydney on the Endeavour in 1795.
Occasionally we have used the same symbol where a record contains only a surname and no other distinguishing data — as in ANDERSON (+), which acknowledges the recording of two individuals listed in an ‘Account of stores and Slop Clothing from His Majesty Stores’ in 1802, by surname only, when there were 10 distinct individuals, 9 men and 1 woman, known to have that surname. Sometimes the practice reflects damaged documents where a full name can no longer be deciphered, such as the list of ‘Present proprietors of the Allotments on Norfolk Island, October 1796’ in the Colonial Office papers, although manual research frequently allows us to fill such gaps. Frequently the approach is applied to children such as BOND (+) recorded in the 1792-1796 Victualling Book as a ‘convict’s child [on] 1/2 rations’, who may be the child BOND ISAAC (recorded on the previous page of the same book), although we cannot be certain of that.
Thus, with a greater range of documents and more advanced technologies now available for compiling and analysing date, we have become more expansive, more granular and precise than our predecessors in identifying unique individuals. That includes, in some cases, distinguishing more people by a given name. For example, where Wright had two men called William Jones (which he identified as convicts per the Coromandel and Britannia), we can see three adults by that name, and another two children. Wright did not capture the individual we label JONES WILLIAM (2), a convict by the Pitt who appears in the victualing record from 1792. Further, there was a JONES WILLIAM who appears as an emancipist landholder in an 1805 list of residents ‘off the stores’, who was a convict of the second fleet ship Mary Ann and who in 1808 left Norfolk Island on board the Estramina schooner for Hobart Town.
Our closer analysis has also corrected previous misidentifications. We ascertained, for example, that Wright’s FROST MARY #3 was in fact the same person we identified as FROST-TIMMS MARY, who from the records after 1810 we know was in a relationship with Martin Timms. This and other confusions appear to have arisen from the known factual errors in the 1792–1796 Victualling Book which misattributed the ship upon which some women had arrived.
Fresh analysis based on new documents and digital techniques will continue to provide more precision and clarity in our Directory, resulting in the location of more double entries and revealing new names missed in this stage of our research. With more information, on departures and deaths especially (more data is need of the period October 1796 to January 1802 especially), we will likely be able to better distinguish between individuals with the same or a similar name.
We know also of individuals who were children on Norfolk Island but were not named in the records we have used (and to the best of our knowledge do not appear in the Norfolk Island paper trial at all) – especially children of soldiers of the NSW Corps who were not recorded in the Victualling Books. These are omitted from our Directory, for the time being. Others, like the convict Sarah Pitcher, was at Norfolk Island, according to a return of persons left on the island in 1813, although she is not actually named in that return, or in any other extant records that we have consulted, and so is presently omitted from the current version of the Directory.
The searchable and sortable database below contains the unqiue ID and preferred spelling of each individual, followed by the first and last date and event recorded in our datasets for each individual.
I am a descendant of Patrick and Elizabeth Geary, uneNFIS_G052 and uneNIFS_050 respectively. I notice that on Patrick’s enrty for 1801, the direction of travel is incorrect (he was returning from Norfolk Island on the Porpoise – his wife is correct).
Their child Mary Geary, uneNIFS_051 was born in Parramatta on 30 December 1798, so must have been a baby when she travelled to Norfolk Island with her parents. Patrick was a private in Captain Rowley’s Company of the NSW Corps. Patrick and Elizabeth had a second child, Catherine Geary, who was born on Norfolk Island in 1800. She is probably listed on the return journey on the Porpoise with her parents, but Mary is not. So I presume that Mary died as an infant on Norfolk Island.
Given that you are not listing the children of soldiers at this point, I presume you may not be aware that Mary was the daughter of Patrick, and that is why she is listed and Catherine is not.
If you are interested, Catherine Geary married Robert Henderson in Sydney. Their story is well recorded. Some nore details if you are interested:
Patrick Geary, born Ireland c 1763, died Brisbane Water 1827
Elizabeth Geary, born ? died Sydney 1803
Mary Geary born Parramatta dec 1798, died Norfolk Island abt 1800
Catherine Geary born Norfolk Island 180 died Brisbane Water 1868 married Robert Henderson Sydney 1817
Hi Bruce, thanks for the feedback, and you are of course correct. That voyage is from Norfolk island to Port Jackson. We’ll fix that right away.
We haven’t included the children of soldiers at this point, unless they are named in the documents we have used thus far. If you have any archival resources naming individuals who are NOT in our list, we’d be happy to absorb that info.
thanks Bruce
dr
Thanks David,
There are no other members of the Geary family that I am aware of, just Patrick, Elizabeth, Mary and Catherine. I would be really interested to hear if there is any record of little Mary’s death on the Island, because she was not with the family when they returned to Sydney. I resume that she died there.
BW
Hi Bruce
there is no actual record of Mary’s death on Norfolk Island. As her death time period Nov 1799 – Mar 1801 , there are no Burial/Death records of references Oct 1796 to May 1801.
What a wonderful resource – thank you to the researchers and compilers.
I have been hunting for some time for references to the possibility that a convict ancestor was on Norfolk Island in the 1813/1814 period – his name was John Dobson (per Indian 1810). I have found your entry for John Dolson and think this is probably him ?? are you able to provide any more specific references to the info in your database for JD ??
thanks
Diana Gray
Hi Diana, the record of List of persons left at Norfolk under the direction of Mr William Hutchinson Superintendent, to assist in the final evacuation,1813 SANSW, 4/1169: 418 records him with the name of Dolson. And yes he is DOBSON, John, Convict, Indian Dec 1810. who arrived on Norfolk Island per Phoenix Apr 1813 with working team on convicts for cleanup operations, departing Kangaroo Feb 1814. At the time of the issuing of his conditional pardon on 31 Jan 1814, Dobson was described as a native of London, turner by trade, aged 32 years, height 5’ 8½”, ruddy complexion, sandy hair and hazel eyes.
Thanks Diana. We have corrected and he is now DOBSON JOHN uneNIFS_D116. Still only record of him on Norfolk Island though, as Cathy notes, assisting with the final evacuation in 1813.
dr
Hi Cathy were you able to find anything on the Antonio listed for 1807 uneNIFS_A064ANTONIO free Man Apprentices prisoner of war? Have ordered your book as this is a favourite topic of mine = trying to articulate the lives of our family females who were very very resilient
Thanks again in anticipation
Patricia
You have Elizabeth Early as daughter of Samuel Marsden and Rachel Alley, but next entry is Rachel Early, the more common version of Rachel’s name and how Elizabeth got to be Early!!
Rachael EARLY lived on Norfolk Island with Samuel MARSDEN for a short period, their child Elizabeth was born 28 January 1794 Norfolk Island, she was baptised 19 April 1802 on Norfolk Island by Rev. Fulton who recorded the surname of ALLEY. In 1805, Rachael Early was mustered on Norfolk Island as Woman from sentence expired, off stores and her daughter Elizabeth as Eliz Earley, child of all descriptions. Rachel Early is not listed by her name in any shipping manifest, nor recorded in the Norfolk Island 1808 Victualling Book, but she was aboard the City of Edinburgh as the unnamed wife of William Harris, an individual holding land, with a wife and no children. There are also records as Elizabeth Early and Hurley. August 1811 Muster: Elizabeth Hurley: with the notation of born Norfolk Island. She travelled to Hobart at some time after May 1812
The Morrisby family does rather complicate the records with the children of Ann Brooks and of Ann with James Morrisby recorded variously as Brooks, Lavender, and Morrisby. You might note:
(1) William B270 is understood to be the son of Ann Brooks, fathered in England;
(2) Richard Brooks B266 is almost certainly Richard Brooks/Lavender B277;
(3) The George Brooks B260 is almost certainly George James Lavender L024, aka George James Morrisby;
(4) Grace Lavender L025 is almost certainly Grace Morrisby baptised 1797 [NSW];
(5) That Dinah Brooks B259 is almost certainly Dinah Lavender L023 and the Diana Morrisby baptised in 1799 [NSW]
(6) Henry Lavender L026 is almost certainly Henry Morrisby baptised 1803 [NSW]
You might note also:
(1) That John Morrisby baptised 1805 [NSW], therefore born on Norfolk island doesn’t appear to have been recorded;
(2) That descendants of James Morrisby via Grace Morrisby and John Morrisby have been matched via Ancestry DNA Thrulines, as have descendants of Ann Brooks via Richard Larsom, Garce, Dinah, and Henry
(3) Simon Lavender L027 has been posited as parent of Richard Larsom, though conception would have taken place in Port Jackson
Hi Ian
4. Grace MORRISBY, born 28 January 1797, Norfolk Island, she was baptised 19 April 1802 Norfolk Island by Rev. Fulton. uneNIFS_L025 LAVENDER GRACE aka MORRISBY GRACE
5. Diana MORRISBY, born 4 December 1799, Norfolk Island, she was also baptised 19 April 1802 Norfolk Island by Rev. Fulton. uneNIFS_L023 LAVENDER DINAH
John MORRISBY, born 10 June 1805, Norfolk Island, he was baptised 27 March 1806 Norfolk Island by Rev. Fulton. is recorded as BROOKS JOHN uneNIFS_B259
John Brooks B259? – a duplicate, and I am uncomfortably aware of how easy it is to make mistakes with your kind of detail! It really is terrific!
Hi Ian
uneNIFS_B262 John Brooks yes is a duplicate
The other John Brooks is a Soldier, Pte of 73rd. Arrival on Norfolk Island: Lady Nelson 9 Feb 1810. Departure: Minstrel 18 Feb 1813. This will be amended. Thank you for pointing this out. Cathy Dunn
Well done John. I believe that is now fixed. let us know if you spot anything else
david r
B263 noted. Thankyou. Ian!
I am a decendant of George Wood, First Fleet, Ship Alexander and Mary Oakley, ship The Juliana, referred to as the Floating Brothel. They married and were sent to Norfolk Island, had children but both George (1763-1796) and Mary (1770-??) died on Norfolk. I believe the children returned to Tasmania.
Hi Lynette
uneNIFS_O001 OAKLEY GEORGE Individual not holding land, departed per City of Edinburgh September 1808.
uneNIFS_O002 OAKLEY ISABELLA left Norfolk Island for Sydney sometime after 21 September 1804; she was a possible attendee at the Sydney Female Orphan School
uneNIFS_O004 OAKLEY MARY (2) – child also known as Mary NASH travelled on the City of Edinburgh to Hobart Town in September 1808
Hi, James Pellinger should be James Pillinger. He married Elizabeth Wood 2 daughter of Elizabeth Wood 1
Elizabeth Wood 1 met and married Edward Westlake on Norfolk Island.
Hi Colleen He is in the directory as uneNIFS_P094 PILLENGER JAMES 1802 free people from sentences expired, on stores for 113 days in 1802 (since January) 1817 at Hobart Town. The directory has used the most common used spelling from the records which is PILLENGER. Yes he was also known as PILLINGER JAMES
Hi again Cathy, there is another Antonio listed as prisoner of Apprentices 1807. I’m wondering about this one as well. Any chance you will be able to throw some light on this for us. Thank you in anticipation- Patricia
Thanks Colleen. There’s a variety of spellings for many names in this period, reflecting the largely aural and semi-literate culture of the nineteenth century working classes. We use whatever spelling is most common throughout the various records we have used. What is important, and how we overcome the problem, is through assigning a unique ID number (uid). That uid can then be applied across all record sets, regardless of spelling variations. Thanks for the tip
dr
Thanks team. The child John Thomas (2) unique id uneNIFS_T036 is the correct age to be the son of Elizabeth Thomas (uneNIFS_T028) arrived Sirius 1790 and, purportedly, Thomas Hill (uneNIFS_T028). This database is the first evidence that I have seen that John Thomas might still be alive in 1806. Is there any other information about the child ?
Yes THOMAS JOHN (born 1793 Norfolk Island son of Elizabeth Thomas) is listed in the Feb 1805 Muster under his brother James as a Child above two years on the stores, brother William Thomas is recorded as a Child above two years on the stores. however his younger brother Thomas Thomas (born 1802) is not listed in the Feb 1805 Muster. So did Norfolk Island admin get confused John Thomas and Thomas Thomas for the Feb 1805 Muster. The UNE complete research database allows unique research and comparison across all records. The Norfolk Island UNE Project has also highlighted movement and some admin confusion with actual names. Prior to collating all records with this UNE project: Directory of the Norfolk Island First Settlement, 1788-1814, research had shown John Thomas most likely died on Norfolk Island between October 1796 – 1801. Cathy Dunn
Thanks Cathy. Young John was not on the Estramina when the family was evacuated to Hobart so we have always presumed that he died on NI>
Hi all, thank you for such a good job in making this info accessible like this. My query regards 2 uni numbers. NIFS_AO62 and 65. Name Antonia and Antonio is it possible these are the same person? Could either read and write. My gģ grandfather lived in Tasmania we cannot find when he first arrived there. He is recorded as being associated with Edward Lord both in Sydney 1811 and then arriving in Hobart 1813 as a servant. He is recorded as being allocated a land grant in Sorell area (100 acres). I have more info if you want it. It appears from dna tests that he was partly Indian sub continent heritage. Is it possible you could help with more information?
Patricia
I have been doing a bit more digging and find that NIFS_AO62 Antonia may be kissed in the ship Porpoise 1807 embarkation as Antoni a servant. Is it possible that this is one and the same. What was this person occupied with on Norfolk Island. Was this person a servant? Where did they come from? If a servant on Norfolk whose servant?. Looking forward to your information. Patricia
The above post contains the word kissed. It was replaced for listed. Don’t know how
Thanks you very much David and Cathy for this amazing directory. May I point out however that I am using an iMac (MacOSX Ventura 13.6.1). Unfortunately the research function at the top right of the first page of the directory does not work. The search function at the top of the entries themselves does work. I am unable to print off individual entries however, e.g.
uneNIFS–G163 GRIFFITHS, JOHN (2) (actually Jonathan GRIFFITHS who arrived on the Surprize in August 1790) and uneNIFS–M117 McDONALD, ELENOR 1792, entered into Victualling Book, female convict from/per Pitt. Norfolk Island per Reliance. Actually Elinor or Eleanor McDONALD (McDANIEL), one of the 22 female convicts who arrived at Port Jackson (Sydney) on the Queen from Cork, Ireland in 1791 (see Barbara Hall, The Irish Vanguard: The Convicts of the Queen, Ireland to Botany Bay, 1791, self-published 2009. (Botany Bay was abandoned as a site for the colony of NSW within a few days of the arrival of the First Fleet, as you would be aware).
I am writing up details of both these convicts, related to our family through marriage. If you wish I can share details and more sources for both convicts.
Also related to our family, though the marriage of a first cousin (sadly deceased) to a Morrisby, are James Morrisby and related families who were also sent to Norfolk Island’s first settlement and for whom there are quite a few entries.
Hello all, am now wondering what happened here. We had NIFS_AO62 as a servant listed for the Porpoise to depart. That person is not on your list now. 😒
Hi Patricia. We’re doing a little research in light of your posts. We’ll get back to you soon. I expect you’ll hear from Cathy who is checking the documents for us
Thanks for you input!
david r
Will await with great anticipation – thanks
Hi Patricia … The first record on Norfolk Island for “Antonia” on Norfolk Island is as a free man, off the stores in Feb 1805. He is recorded in the List of settlers with their families on Norfolk Island who remove to Port Dalrymple and Hobart Town on the terms proposed by Government as stated in the General Order of the 17 Sep 1807 as Antonio with no first name. Bastian Antonia is not to be confused with either Antonio Buckall or Bastain Suez who are also listed in the same record, all with the intended destination of Hobart. Bastian Antonia departed Norfolk Island as being the servant of seaman settler William Mitchell per HMS Porpoise Dec 1807, recorded in the shipping muster as “Antone”. In Apr 1809, Bastian Antonia is recorded as a settler at New Norfolk with 60 acres, with no wife of children. 1816: Antino Bastian (sic), came free, on the stores, invalid with leprosy, and an object of charity. Sep 1817: 30 acres at New Norfolk on charity. 1818 and 1819 Hobart Muster: Nil listing for Bastian Antonia. There is recorded in the 1822 Hobart Muster: Charles Antonia, came free, per James Hayes 1813 and Thomas Antonio, came free with no ship recorded. There no listing for Antonia Bastian in the 1822 Muster, nor a death record under any name variation, Since his last record being 1817 and no record 1819/1819, his death would be in 1817/1818 time period.
Hi Cathy, the Charles Antonio/Anton/Antoni/Antoine is the ancestor that I originally wrote about in my questions to you. Arriving on the James Hayes was not the first time in Australia as he was recorded with Edward Lord leaving from Sydney for Britain in 1811 (as written in 1st query). Our thoughts here are that, before this departure record, he was working for Lord in some capacity and had travelled with Lord from Tasmania to Sydney (as an aside – what a colourful character is Edward Lord).
Anyway you have given us a better lead for where he came from to Tasmania. We will now have to make the connections to prove that one of the Antonia/o is our GG grandfather. I have a little about him on ancestry.
Thank you again – Patricia
Thank you very much. Now I have to work out how this fits in with my info. and the possibilities it gives me. Again thank you for your attention
thanks Cathy. It is a wonderful job that you people are doing. I’m sure that I will find the links that open up our family story. I will have to discuss with others in the family and see what we arrive at for our further action. Again thank you very much
Dear Cathy, Is this you – Love and land : female landholders Norfolk Island 1788 – 1814 / Cathy Dunn. Will just HAVE to read. Congratulations. Patricia
Yes Love and land : female landholders Norfolk Island 1788 – 1814 / Cathy Dunn https://heritagetourismau.rezdy.com/566142/love-and-land-female-landholders-norfolk-island-1788-1814
What an amazing resource! Thank you for all of your dedication in compiling it. Is there a list of the key historical documents used to populate the data?
I’m descended from Second Fleet soldier uneNIFS_B227 BRACKENRIG JAMES.
The one record for Second Fleet soldier uneNIFS_B227 BRACKENRIG JAMES. is his shipping to Norfolk Island aboard HMAT Supply; shipping record TNA-ADM36-10981-365-04 March 1791. He did return to Port Jackson per Queen November 1791. Over 110 different sets of records were consulted as part of the Directory of the Norfolk Island First Settlement, 1788-1814 research Cathy Dunn
An amazing resource. I’m a descendant of John and Ann MUNDAY, I think there has been a typo in relations to their daughter Elizabeth MUNDAY uneN/FS- M312. 1791 – entered into Victualling book, child of civil military and free, from/per Altantic – 1805 – Child of MUNDAY Anne, baptised father Peter WILSON. Elizabeth MUNDAY had a daughter Anne (Mary Anne) with Peter WILSON. Hope that all makes sense.
uneNIFS_M310 MUNDAY ANNE: Anne MONDAY, born 20 April 1805 Norfolk Island, she was baptised 19 May 1805 Norfolk Island, by Rev. Fulton with father recorded as Petter Wilson. Mother was recorded as Eliz. Monday. uneNIFS_M312 MUNDAY ELIZABETHL First record – 1791 entered into Victualling Book, child of civil military and free, from/per Atlantic, 1805: free woman off the stores. The records of Norfolk island use both MUNDAY and MONDAY. the last record for Elizabeth 1805: child of (Elizabeth Munday), MUNDAY ANNE baptised, father Petter Wilson. The original baptism record has two tt for Peter Wilson who is uneNIFS_W213 WILSON PETER.
Thank you
Hi David and Cathy, you have uneNIFS_A045 – John Anderson as a settler and free person, does this mean he had already received his ticket of leave?
Hi Andrew, uneNIFS_A045 ANDERSON JOHN (1) arrived as a convict per Golden Grove October 1788, entered into Victualling Book, settler and free person, gave his ground up employed as a Sawyer, from/per Golden Grove: He did not die on Norfolk Island; but departed Norfolk Island for Port Jackson per HMS Reliance as a free man; he received his free pardon in c1800 – 1801. Most convicts on Norfolk Island in the early time period of the settlement, actual served out their time (hence never held a ticket of leave). In a record for 20 December 1792-30 January 1793, uneNIFS_A045 ANDERSON JOHN (1) is recorded as a free man. Cathy
Hi Cathy Great information thank you
Is this John Anderson(1) who married Elizabeth BRUCE please?
Cheers
jill
An outstanding contribution to understanding NI history! uneNIFS_F116 Elizabeth Fowler was baptised on 20 JUN 1802 having parents Wm BRESLAW & Anne FOWLER. Wm. BRESLAW has been thought to have been a misspelling of PRESNELL (PRESNAL, PRISNELL). William PRISNELL is recorded leaving NI per the City of Edinburgh with a wife & 3 children. The 3rd child is otherwise unrecorded on NI. A 4th child, James FOWLER, was baptised in Hobart on 20 JAN 1811. The confirmation of William PRESNELL having 4 children: Elizabeth, Thomas, Sarah & James is found in a historic deed 01/3859 dated 28 AUG 1834 which effectively made Elizabeth his executor. However, despite an extensive investigation of the DNA of 3 cousins (with data on Ancestry, FTDNA & MyHeritage) no confirmation has been found that confirms that William PRESNELL was Elizabeth FOWLER’s father. The BRESLAW/PRESNELL attribution seems incorrect. Further, an ongoing investigation suggests that Elizabeth & Sarah likely had different fathers. Elizabeth had children by 3 different partners, 1st husband George William ROBINSON, John VINCENT (NPE) & William Henry VALE, but not by her 2nd husband which may have been a marriage of convenience.
Hi Daniel … The 3rd child is unrecorded on NI. The City of Edinburgh shipping muster does not contain children’s names, thus Sarah PRESNELL, born c1807 – 1808 Norfolk Island is not in the Directory of the Norfolk Island First Settlement, 1788-1814 as there is no paper trial with her name amongst the Norfolk Island records. There is no William BRESLAW as per the actual record or variation of any other man on Norfolk Island other than PRESNELL (PRESNAL, PRISNELL). Rev Fulton is known for being an atrocious speller in his baptism, marriages and burial records. another example is in 1802 he spelt Edward Westlake as Edward Welfick.
Thanks for your reply Cathy. Having been deeply immersed in DNA investigations for more than 6 years now, I have recently become alarmed that I am unable to confirm the identity of Elizabeth FOWLER/PRESNELL. I am unquestionably a descendant and with the cooperation of 3 other cousins I have compiled a list of at least 105 DNA descendants of Elizabeth. But I and 2 others have yet to match any descendants of her sister, Sarah. Indeed, one of Sarah’s descendants does not have a match with any of the 105+ descendants of Elizabeth. I understand the vagaries of DNA but I’ve come to trust it more than I do the written records our forbears left behind. Questions abound…
Hello Cathy and Davie – Thanks so much for this wonderful resource – what a masterful piece of research!
I have several questions re. George Patterson who I believe was the man who married (Frances) Ann Hussy nee Hughes in V.D.L. This man was listed in the BDA as follows: 1807 Oct
George Patterson, Ship of arrival Cornwallis First arrived at Sydney 10 Oct 1807; Arrival Status: Crew, Departed Norfolk Island 11 Nov 1807 [Biog Item No. 120211190] Norfolk Island Residents 1788-1814
The date of his arrival doesn’t fit the information listed by you, stating he was on stores for 42 days or 84 days before his departure. (uneNIFS_P031 PATTERSON GEORGE 1807 free man Apprentices, Gunner Mate, 42 days on stores 1807 free man Apprentices, Gunner Mate, 42 days on stores.) I’m unsure whether you have posted his arrival and departure as one event or two and the day and month of both entries would clarify things for me.
If he first appeared 42 days before his November departure, I think he may have been one of the Cornwallis seamen who were shipwrecked on the Minerva Reefs on 19 September 1807 in the Spanish prize the Rosalía. Remarkably they sailed to Norfolk Island in the ship’s boat, arriving in early October. And, that might explain where Antonio came from, if his dates coincide with George Patterson’s – he may well have been made a POW when the Rosalia was captured off Peru to help sail the boat back to Port Jackson.. (uneNIFS_A064 ANTONIO 1807 free man Apprentices, Prisoner of War, 42 days on stores 1807 free man Apprentices, Prisoner of War, 42 days on stores)
, leaving five other crewmen I haven’t found yet – I tried going through everyone on your list to find the rest but gave up after going through several hundred!. I wonder whether you actually have a crew list – I know the captain, John Garland, stayed with Commandant Piper and isn’t included here, but there were seven crew in all apart from him.
S many questions – sorry,
Best wishes
Carol Brill.
Secondly – can you explain what doesthe word ‘Apprentices” means in this context?
Dear Cathy and David – Apologies for all the typos, the first and worst being Davie.
Best wishes, Carol.
Dear Cathy and David, I’ve been trying to locate the Cornwallis in Sydney NSW for ages after reading this in the B D A: “George Patterson, Ship of arrival Cornwallis First arrived at Sydney 10 Oct 1807; Arrival Status: Crew, Departed Norfolk Island 11 Nov 1807 [Biog Item No. 120211190] Norfolk Island Residents 1788-1814.”
I’ve just realized it referred to Sydney, Norfolk Island. Moreover October 10 was the date Captain Piper gave for the arrival of the Cornwallis sailors who’d been returning the Spanish prize, the Rosalia, to Sydney NSW before they were shipwrecked.
What an epic story!
Best wishes,
Carol Brill.
PS I wrote earlier that the Rosalia was captured off Chile – I was wrong. It was Peru.
Hi David and Cathy,
what a massive job, so well done.
I am a descendent of two convict families – Edward Garth/Susannah Gough and Jacob Bellett/Ann Harpur (Harper)
I’ve noticed that Jacob Bellett/e is noted as Billett on the list with the event as 1790. In your listings, will you be adding alternate spelling?
He was on the Scarborough in 1788, not sure of the original spelling, most documents seem to have him as Bellett although I do see Billett a lot. On the Tasmania archives it has his name as Bellette arriving in 1808 with his wife (Ann) and 8 children.
I will be visiting Norfolk Island in March and will aim to see the house ruins of Jacob and Ann in Music Valley.
Many thanks for all your work and for the publications, of which I have a few already.
Cheers
Keryn
Hi Cathy and David, Thanks for such a terrific resource, I’ve been delving into it for days since I found it. I am descended from Mary Spencer uneNIFS_S184 and have been trying to pin down which ship she was on going up to Norfolk Island. The entry in the catalogue has her arriving 1789 per Supply with a second event year of 1803. Her date of return on the Atlantic, Sep 1792 does not appear to be in question. However, on https://hmssirius.com.au/love-children-of-hms-sirius-1790/, Mary Spencer is listed as being on board the Sirius in March 1790. Is possible to clarify this? Thanks, Nina Kelly
Hi Nina: Mary Spencer who was pregnant arrived on Norfolk Island aboard HMS Sirius in March 1790, embarking on HMS Sirius at Port Jackson on 5 March 1790, disembarking at Cascade Norfolk Island on 15 March 1790. The 1792 – 1796 Victualling Book gives Mary as arriving on Norfolk Island in December 1789, however Mary Spencer name is listed on HMS Sirius March 1790 ships muster. She departed Norfolk Island per the Atlantic in September 1792, leaving her infant son Francis (born 1 Aug 1790) on the Island. Once back in Sydney Mary Spencer married John PALMER, Corporal NSW Corps, Neptune 1790. an adjustment will be made to the directory re the 1803 Mary Spencer who is uneNIFS_S185 SPENCER MARY ANN. Thank you Cathy
Thank you for some new information on my four times great grandparents, John Harris (uneNIFS_H079 ) and Mary Green (uneNIFS_G144). They had two children on Norfolk and another after they returned to Sydney. Their story, especially John’s, in New Holland, Norfolk Island and England, both before and after his time here, is quite extraordinary.
Is it possible for me to retrieve the information you have on them? I am happy to share what I have with UNE.
Hi Owen. Will get back to you re Harris, because that identity is a little more complicated.
On Mary Green, we have several references. here are two that are online:
https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-1689837773/view
https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-1690000935/view
Thanks David. I look forward to JH’s complexity. His name is quite common and so we have to be careful we know which one we are talking about. I’ve used David Collins’ and John Levi’s writings for inputs to my writeup on JH and MG. This is additional material to which I didn’t have access. Cheers Owen
John Harris Convict, Scarborough 1788 arrived on Norfolk Island per HMAT Supply in January 1790. On Norfolk Island he formed a relationship with Mary GREEN, Convict, Prince of Wales 1788. She arrived on Norfolk Island per HMAT Supply in December 1789. https://heritagetourismau.rezdy.com/566327/hm-supply-norfolk-island-december-1789-and-january-1790-ebook
Thanks so much for this wonderful resource. I am a descendant of Thomas Cheshire une nifs C090. I know he was in the NSW corps. He was married with four children. Am I correct in assuming that his wife and children did not accompany him to Norfolk Island as they are not listed in your data base
Hi Rhonda, Thomas Cheshire une nifs C090 was very briefly on Norfolk Island with NSW Corps, departing per HMS Porpoise (Norfolk Island to Port Jackson) in January 1801. You are correct that his wife and their four children did not travel to Norfolk Island.
What a great resource, thank you. I noticed a couple of things regarding the data: 1. Thomas Lucas (2) H268 appears to equal (3) H269 and H269 has birth marked as Norfolk Island and it should be Sydney.
2. Ann Howard H258 is also spelled Anne. Which is most common?
3. John Barnes and Martha Edwards were witnesses to marriage of Thomas Lucas L105 and Ann Howard H258. Is there documentary evidence of this which can be added to the data base?
4. James Edwards (1) and (2) E019 and E020 appear to be the same (data is duplicated) ?
What a fantastic resource. Hoping for clarification for a relative of my family. James McCORMICK / McCORMACK is listed as James LYNCH (child above 3 on 1803 victualling list) and mustered 1819 Hobart. Details of his claim as Norfolk Island native in Colonial Secretary correspondence https://libraries.tas.gov.au/Digital/CSO1-1-307/CSO1-1-307-7382-3 when requesting land at Kangaroo Point. Many thanks Rhys Jones
Hi I’ve tracing an ancestor who may have been on Norfolk Island. Her name is Mary Pearson. If anyone has any information I’d be very appreciative. Thank you.
May I suggest that the standard ‘name’ for this Norfolk island settlement should be “First Penal Settlement” [to be followed after a discontinuity by the “Second Penal Settlement” } While it is unknown as to whether the first Polynesian settlers occupied the Island continuously for up to four centuries it is indisputable that theirs was the ‘first settlement’.
More contentious might be to describe the “Pitcairners’ settlement” as the “Second Polynesian settlement” but it is arguable that it was the Polynesian women of the Bounty mutineers who did the heavy lifting for intergenerational culture transfers on Pitcairn Island. Obviously this is outwith the scope of First penal Settlement research but I throw the idea into the ring.
Good point Ian. The first European settlement wasn’t really a ‘penal settlement’, though some of its residents were convicts. It was a rather distinct settlement actually. UNE is hoping to lead some more intensive research into it, soon
What a great resource. I found my ancestors, Andrew Goodwin and Lydia Munro here, among with some of their children.
Hello, I am trying to trace information pertaining to my husband’s fourth great grandfather John Roberts who appears to have enlisted as a Private in the NSW Corps in 1789. My research suggests that he was assigned to NI after arriving on the Third Fleet vessel Britannia in 1792. I believe he served an initial period of time in NI and then returned to Port Jackson where a young convict woman, Sarah Wise (aka Wisse), caught his eye after her arrival in the colony in 1796. I believe that John had previously sailed on the HMAS Reliance or Supply from NI to Port Jackson in Feb/March 1796 and then again returned to NI with Sarah and two of their children John Jnr and Elizabeth, in Jan 1801 on the HMAS Porpoise. I have also discovered that the ever-growing family including John Jnr Elizabeth, Sarah, Rosanna, Mary, Sophia, George and James travelled back to Sydney with their parents on the Lady Nelson in Apr 1810.
I have been unable to discover any of the day to day life details of this family on NI during their stay there. I would also love to hear if John and Sarah were ever married. I note that Sarah’s tombstone denotes her as Sarah Roberts. Yet, I have been unable to find any confirmation of a marriage certificate, banns or similar.
Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you Susan Mercer
Hi Susan, ROBERTS, John: Military, NSW Corps Pte, Britannia 1791. Arrival on Norfolk Island: Porpoise 8 Jan 1801. Departure: Lady Nelson 10 Apr 1810, acc by Sarah Wise and their children. Both John and Sarah Roberts were buried at Devonshire Street Cemetery Sydney. They never married – had been in a relationship from 1796 in Sydney re the birth of their son John Roberts-Wise who is WISE JOHN: uneNIFS_W232. Sarah is WISE SARAH (1) uneNIFS_W236, their daughter Sarah is WISE SARAH (2) uneNIFS_W237 John Roberts is ROBERTS JOHN (7) uneNIFS_R074 who yes was also travelled from Norfolk Island to Port Jackson per Reliance February 1796 Ref: https://heritagetourismau.rezdy.com/544994/ebook-rev-henry-fulton-s-baptism-burial-and-marriage-records-of-1801-1806-norfolk-island
Hello Cathy, Thank you very much for this confirmation. It is very helpful in unraveling the family history and assisting with my Family History studies at the University of Tasmania.
Kind Regards
Susan
Hi there
my husband is a descendant of John and Hannah Barrisford (Beresford) he was a marine with the First Fleet arriving from Port Jackson with his young wife . George Wood and Mary Oakley were convicts with George arriving with the First Fleet and Mary with the Second Fleet. Transported to Norfolk Island .
Mary died on the island as did George Wood. and daughter Isabel whom also died on Norfolk Island at the age of 10, I believe.
George Oakley and his sister Mary were transported to Tasmania after the Government decided that NI was not a viable option to produce supplies and they, along with John and Hannah Barisford and their Son Joseph were given parcels of land to farm at Undine Tasmania where John built a home which is now a B&B. They had other children born at NI had and their daughter Dorothy ( my husbands descendant) married George Oakley.in Hobart Town in Tasmania1808 at the age of 17.
Hi Raelene, Isabella left Norfolk Island for Sydney sometime after 21 September 1804; she was a possible attendee at the Sydney Female Orphan School. Isabella Wood married, Joseph THOMPSON, Master Mariner, 13 January 1812, St Johns Parramatta.
Good morning, my 4xG-GP were Bartholomew Reardon and Hannah Rowney (Ronay). They supposedly had 5 children on NI, the eldest Bartholomew jnr. eventually went to Hobart. Two younger brothers Steve and Daniel supposedly born 1793 and 1799 and were supposed to have died on NI. There is a headstone listing both deaths but other writers state that it was not the original headstone, and it had been altered, which I find hard to believe. Bartholomew senior died in 1807 on NI. When NI was being closed Hannah was on the first boat Lady Nelson to depart the island for Hobart. According to the book Exiled Three Times Over Hannah boarded the ship with two children which could have only been Frances and Ann, however others state that Ann died on NI on the 6th of May 1807 just five days after her father. I have yet been able to confirm that.
Is there any way to confirm beyond doubt that a: Steve and Daniel were born and died on the Island, b: That the gravestone picture is the original genuine one and c: that Ann did or did not die on the Island or she did or did not leave NI with her mother Hannah.
Appreciate any information you may be able to provide.
Hi Cathy
How did Queenborough on Norfolk Island get it’s name .? We’ve been asked if Queenborough was named after Queenborough, Isle of Sheppey on the Thames where a number of Prison Hulks were moored. Or did someone come from Queenborough , Isle of Sheppey?
From one big database creator to another- thank you for such a fantastic resource! I’m researching into Mary Jones uneNIFS_J095 (convicted 1791, Lancaster Q.S at Ormskirk, arrived 1792 on Pitt) noted as ‘sick with [blank]’ 1795, and thank you- this is the only record I have found for her post arrival to date.
I notice you don’t have the Mary Jones (ship Mary Ann arrived 1791) who was recorded as dying on Norfolk Island in 6/11/1795 on your database (sourced from Dr CJ Smee’s BMD database). I was hoping this may mean there is a possibly some sort of historical error and this could be Mary Jones uneNIFS_J095? Failing that, this may be a new person for your records.
Mary Jones (2) uneNIFS_J095 Sick List Norfolk Island 5 October 1795 (Jameson, Asst Surgeon); Entered into Victualling Book, female convict, from/per Pitt, Norfolk Island victualling Book, 1792-1796: ML-A1958: 61a. She died 6 Nov 1795 Norfolk Island, Norfolk Island victualling Book, 1792-1796: ML-A1958: 61a. No known or surviving headstone.
Re: uneNIFS_D059 DAVIS WILLIAM. The entry states he was on the ship Surprize. I am descended from William and nearly every other record I have found for him show that he was embarked upon/ and arriverd on the Scarborough in 1790. This includes the Embarkation indents held by PRO UK
Thanks Cathy & team for this very comprehensive database.
Just checking the entries for uneNIFS_CO96 CHIPP THOMAS and uneNIFS_MO62 MARTIN STEPHEN have the Lot Nos for Chipp’s holding being 81 and 95 (later both sold to Martin).
I think this is a simple mistake and the Lot Nos should read Lots 8 and 95.
I am descended from Jane Langley (who later married Thomas Chipp) and her daughter Henrietta Langley and have had this information pointed out during my recent trip to Norfolk Is with Cathy Dunn.
Hope this is correct & can be altered for records!
My husband is a direct descendant of Mary Pardoe ( 4GG) , convict, transported on ‘Lady Juliana’ on 2nd Fleet. She married Edward Scott on board & had a child, Anne, who was the youngest to arrive in the colony from that Fleet. Mary was then transported to Norfolk Island soon after her arrival in the colony. On Norfolk she married Peter Hibbs, sailor and ship’s pilot, who was a mariner on ‘Sirius’, in 1st Fleet. They acquired land on Norfolk & had 2 children while there before returning to NSW and the Windsor area where they were again allowed land.
What a great project.
Our relatives are both First Fleeter Marine James Williams and Second Fleeter Convict Rachael Watkins. Rumours abound as to how many children travelled to Australia with her, and how many children Rachael and James had between them. Are you abler to help me please? Thank you. Chris