Friday, 6 June 2008

May - a month of family - new and old

May was a busy month – and not just for me!

The biggest news in May was a new baby in the family. Jaykob Rex was born to Nicola on May 14th weighing in at a healthy 9lb 12oz! And a wee sweetie he is, too. There is absolutely nothing to beat the sweet smell of a baby :)


I got some interesting emails from Linda, too. She found some information online regarding our ancesters. In particular the two that were shipped out from England to Australia as convicts, George and Martha. Now we knew they were both convicts, and we knew that what George had been tried for – stealing:


George BEST aged 33, convicted at Kent Sent Assizes 30th Geo 3d 1790 at Maidstone of Stealing goods value £5-0-3 of William Cheesman the Elder in his dwelling house ......

Martha Chamberlain was tried Middlesex Gaol Delivery of Newgate 01 Jul 1795 Found guilty of stealing goods value 39 shillings, but not guilty of breaking and entering. Sentence 7 years , age 21 occ: singlewoman ,Native Place: Parish St Giles, Middlesex. Arr NSW "Indispensible" 30 Apr 1796.


What we didn't know was that Martha was previously a prostitute! When she arrived in Australia she was employed by George to be his servant woman. Eleven months later their first baby was born.

Linda and Pamela went to a Cemetary in Parramatta and found their graves.

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