52 Ancestors #12 Jane Williams

Jane Williams was born in Bristol, England, in 1775. We have no information about her family in England. Some records state that she came from Gloucestershire and others Somertset. Bristol is now an independent county but has belonged to both Gloucestershire and Somerset in former times. The port of Bristol is located on the Severn Estuary which leads to the Bristol Channel.

When Jane was 25 she was arrested for stealing items of clothing from Mrs Griffith. On 12 January 1801 she appeared at the Court in Bristol, was found guilty and sentenced to seven years transportation. Jane returned to Newgate Gaol in Bristol until 20 May 1801 when she and other convicts were taken to Portsmouth and placed on the convict ship, Nile. The Nile set sail from Spithead, Portsmouth on 26 June 1801 to sail via Rio de Janeiro to New South Wales. The ship had been built in 1799 so was newer than many of the other ships used a convict transports. It was on 322 tons and carried a crew of 24. Ninety-six female convicts travelled on the ship and all arrived safely in New South Wales after the 176 day voyage. The Nile travelled in convoy with two other ships, the Minorca and the Canada. Passengers aboard the Minorca included William and Sarah Hancy who travelled as free settlers. Many years later two of their Australian born daughters, Sophie and Elizabeth, would marry two of Jane's Australian born sons, James and Thomas.

The Nile arrived at Port Jackson on 14 December, 1801. Shortly after arrival Jane appears to have been assigned as a housekeeper to John Pendergast assisting in the care of his baby son, John. In 1803 Jane and John's first son, James, was born followed by Thomas in 1805. Their first daughter, Sarah was born in 1806 followed by William in 1808 and Bridget in 1810. There is no record of a marriage between John and Jane but as they were Catholics and Catholic priests could not officially conduct services in the colony until 1820 (except for a few months in 1803) it is not surprising that there is no record of the formalisation of the relationship.

John acquired many properties in the Hawkesbury area and also near Campbelltown. He grew wheat and maize and raised cattle and pigs. Before he died he gave properties to his sons, James, John and William and to one of Thomas' sons. Thomas had properties of his own in the Monaro district. John did not leave a will. John died on 27 January 1833 and was buried in the cemetery of the new Catholic church at Windsor. On 5 February 1833 an advertisement appeared in the Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser on behalf of William Pendergast summoning Jane and other members of the family to attend a meeting to show why goods, chattels & effects of the late John Pendergast should not go to William.

Jane lived in Windsor until she died on 2 December 1838. She was buried the following day at St Mathew's Catholic Church cemetery. She was 63.

Jane was my great (x 3 ) grandmother

Notes from mc2 - John Pendergast & Jane Williams

JOHN PENDERGAST (also recorded as Pendergass, Pendergrafs or Prendergast) was tried at Dublin in March 1799. He was transported on the Minerva which sailed from Cork, Ireland on 24 August 1799 and arrived at Port Jackson on 11 January 1800. John was born in Ireland in 1769 and died in Windsor, New South Wales, on 27 January 1833. At his trial his occupation was listed as a labourer. JANE WILLIAMS arrived in Sydney aboard the Nile on 14 December 1801. She had been tried in Gloucester on 12 January 1801. Jane was born in 1776 and died in Windsor in December 1838. A record of the marriage between John Pendergast and Jane Williams has not been located. By 1808 John Pendergast had acquired a farm at Upper Half Moon Reach on the Hawkesbury River. Prior to this he had rented 30 acres at Mulgrave Place. Despite floods farming on the Hawkesbury was a successful venture with crops including wheat and maize and land used for grazing cattle and pigs. John Pendergast was a Catholic and was actively involved with the establishment of the Catholic church in New South Wales. He donated land for the building of a school but the land may have been used instead for a chapel which was later washed away in the 1867 floods. A small Catholic cemetery was located on his land. (John Pendergast and Upper Half Moon Reach) The children of John and Jane were: James 1803 -1863 Thomas 1805-1862 Sarah 1806 - 1873 William 1808 - 1850 Bridget 1810 - 1885 Charlotte born 1810 Records show that John Pendergast also had a son, John 1800 - 1867 who was a farmer at Campbelltown. Their son, WILLIAM PENDERGAST married SARAH HOLLAND A John Pendergast was listed as a landowner in the Campbelltown area and a street in Minto was named after an early landholder, John Pendergast. The Pendergast family donated a block of land on the corner of Campbelltown Road and Redfern Road to the Catholic Church.

Nile - 1801 Duke of Portland - 1807 Speke - 1808

Jane Williams was born in 1776. She had been tried in Gloucester on 12 January 1801.

Nile - ship - 322 ton - built 1799

96 female convicts - 0 deaths

The Nile sailed from Spithead on 26 June 1801

Sailed via Rio de Janeiro

Arrived at Port Jackson on 14 December 1801

Trip took 176 days

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Richard Holland was born in England on 8 May 1783. According to the crime registers on the 24 May 1806 Richard had stolen a parcel out of a cart. He was tried at the Old Bailey on 2 July 1806 and was sentenced to seven years transportation.

Duke of Portland - ship - 523 ton - built 1790

189 male convicts - 0 deaths

Arrived at Port Jackson on 27 July 1807

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Susannah Alderson (in some records Hannah) was tried at York (East Riding) on the 7th April 1807 for perjury and received a sentence of seven years transportation. Susannah was born in Yorkshire in 1788 - her place of origin was recorded as Gilmanby NR during the trail hearing.

Speke - ship - 473 ton - built 1790

99 female convicts - 1 death

The Speke sailed from Falmouth on 8 May 1808

Sailed via Rio de Janeiro and Cape of Good Hope

Arrived at Port Jackson on 16 November 1808

Trip took 182 days

• Bateson, Charles: The convict ships 1797-1868. Sydney, Library of Australian history, 2004 (originally published 1950)