RESEARCHER: Rose Murtagh, Anthony Fletcher
BIOGRAPHY: Jacob Bellett, a silk weaver, made off with 51 ells of half-ell lining, one
pound of unwound black silk, and 32 ounces of double black silk wound, and
was chased by the worker who missed them. Found in Ball's Alley, he had run
to hide when he realised there was to be a search. The searchers went
through the lofts of four houses before coming to a trap-door that opened
over Bellett's bed. " I dropped down upon the prisoner's bed... I looked
behind an old pair of drawers, there was a net and this bag... and the
unwrought silk. I pulls up the end a little more, says I, thank God here is
my piece."
Bellett was found in a closet in another house "with a girl that he kept
company with". Sentenced to transportation for seven years at the Old Bailey
on 12 January 1785, Bellett said " he was sadly distressed and did it
through necessity". Sent to the Ceres hulk aged 19 in April, he was
dispatched to Portsmouth from the Censor hulk on 24 February 1787 for
embarkation on Scarborough three days later.
On 4 March 1790, Bellett was sent from Port Jackson by Supply to Norfolk
Island, arriving on 17 March 1790. By 1 July 1791 he was supporting two
on a Sydney Town lot with 124 rods cleared.
On 8 December he was settled on 12 acres (Lot No. 35) in
First Settlers Vale, Fillimore's Run, Buckingham township. By January 1793
he was selling grain to the public stores, signing the receipt for payment.
In October that year he had six and a half acres cultivated of nine
ploughable, most of his allotment being hilly. In mid June 1794 he was
living with Ann Harper (Lady Juliana,age given as 17 in 1789) with two
children.
In February 1805 Bellett was victualled as a constable, and by June that
year he was a first class settler, with 26 acres cultivated, 22 waste, and
16 swine. He also had seven children. On 30 December 1806 he sold 43 sheep
and 16 lambs for Đ89.10s. Two years later, still victualled as a constable,
only two of his children were still on stores. His live stock included a
cow, 29 sheep and seven hogs, and he had 120 bushels of maize in hand.
On 3 September 1808 Bellett was evacuated with his wife and eight children
to VDL by City of Edinburgh as a second class settler, leaving the larger
part of 45 acres cleared, a two story house boarded and shingled (26x12ft),
a barn floored and boarded all over (12x12ft), and two log outhouses, the
whole valued at Đ60. He had a stock entitlement of Đ82.10s.
At VDL Bellett took up 45 acres at Queensborough and 40 acres at Gloucester.
At the end of April 1809 he held 70 acres, his wife and seven children still
on stores. In 1813 his Queensborough holding had increased to 75 acres.
Bellett's burial was registered at St David's, Hobart on 2 December 1813,
age given as 47. His wife Ann held 50 acres at Gloucester. His children
included Elizabeth (1792), Susan(1794), Mary(1796), Ann(c1798), John(c1801),
Jacob(1802), William(1805), James(c1809), and George(c1812). Three of them
married children of Edward Garth in later years.
RESEARCHER: Rose Murtagh, Anthony Fletcher
BIOGRAPHY: Trial: Bristol Sentence: 7 years
Arrived Sydney aboard "Lady Juliana" on 3 June 1790
Arrived Norfolk Island 7 August 1790
Arrived VDL from Norfolk Island 3 Sep 1808 aboard the "City of Edinburgh" for VDL with 8 children
George BENSON and his wife, Ann, arrived aboard the "Matilda" on 1 August 1791. He was a Private in the NSW Corps, which was raised in England by Major Francis Grose to replace the Marines in Australia. They were known as The Rum Corps 1790 - 1810. George and Ann arrived on Norfolk Island in November 1791 and departed 25 Feb 1805.