|
William
Tyrrell (Tyrrill)
b circa 1759 d
1827
Arrived with
the First Fleet in Sydney Cove 26 January 1788
On board the
Convict Transport Ship
“Alexander”
this story is under review by Membership Team
William Tyrrell
was sentenced at Winchestor Haunts March 1785.
(A) Charged with
William (John) Handford, for cutting & stealing 160 pounds weight of lead
value 20s. the goods of the King. ….
(B)
For stealing one iron bar of 20 pounds weight value 3s.
and other goods value 3s. the property of the King.
Found not guilty
on the first charge. …. Guilty on the second charge.
He was received
on the “Ceres” hulk in 1786 age unknown, then delivered to the “Alexander”
6-1-1787.
William Tyrrell
and Ann Ward, from the “Lady Penryhn”, were married 6-4-1788 in the colony
by Rev. Richard Johnson. William signed the register. Ann was transported
for stealing a hand muff. Their eldest son George was born 7-3-1790.
Tyrrell received
a 60 acre grant 22-2-1792 at Eastern Farms (Kissing Point) to be known as
Tyrrell’s Farm, authorised by Arthur Phillip Governor-in Chief of NSW.
Eastern Farms on 18-12-1799 a grant of 90 acres to Charles Peat was
canceled and sold. William Raven received 60 acres and William Tyrrell a
further grant of 30 acres to be known as Peat Farm, free from fees taxes
quit rents for a space of 5 years. Authorised by Governor John Hunter.
William Tyrrell
had four acres in grain by October 1792; by mid 1800 he had eight acres
cleared, three acres sown in wheat with five ready for planting maize. He
owned three pigs and the household included William and his wife off
stores and one child on stores. Two years later no wheat had been sown and
six acres were ready for maize. All in the household were off stores with
nine bushels of wheat in hand. In 1806 he had eleven acres in grain, one
acre in vegetables and 18 acres in pasture. Holding eight bushels of
grain, he was providing for himself and one child. Tyrrell’s wife had been
buried as Ann Terrell at St John’s Parramatta on 23-6-1804.
From late 1806 he
was living with Ann Sandell (convict who arrived on the Nile 1801) who
appears as (alias) Hannah Sutherland in some records. She had a daughter,
Elizabeth 1805 by Thomas Mansfield.
Later records
list William Tyrrell and Ann Sandell as married, they had four children,
My Ancestor Mary Ann born 6-9-1807.
William Richard born 1809, Ann born 1812 and Thomas born 1813.
Saturday 13th
January 1810 lightning struck Tyrrell’s house his wife was struck on
the left side of her face by the electric fluid, which severely scorched
her face and neck, and much crippled her in her limbs. A barn was also
struck and 15 bushels of wheat reserved as seed for the next season’s crop
were destroyed by fire. The Sydney Gazette wrote: “this poor man has twice
previously had his house and everything he possessed destroyed by fire, he
is now reduced to extreme distress from causes against which t’is not in
the power of mankind to guard. On 24 May his 60 acre grant, with dwelling
house and a 90 foot sheep shed were offered for sale by James Squire (qv).
1820 Tyrrell had 20 acres by purchase.
Ann died in June
1821 aged 50 and was registered as buried in the parish of St Phillip’s.
Their youngest son Thomas aged 8 was admitted to an orphanage 3 rd
November 1821. Tyrrell senior was now residing in Pitt Street Sydney he
lived and worked as a carpenter with his eldest son George until his
death.
William Tyrrell
died in Sydney aged 68 years; 25th June 1827 was buried C of E
section Sydney Burial Ground, Devonshire Street, (The Sandhills). Rev.
William Cowper performed the ceremony in the parish of St Phillip’s.
His tombstone
read:
Sacred
To the Memory of
William Tyrrill
Who Departed this Life June 25th
1827
Aged 68 Years
Who Arrived in the First Fleet in
the
Year 1788
“Do not Lament,
my children dear I ham not dead, but Sleepeth Here”.
The headstone was
removed to Botany Cemetery, it was in an upright but poor condition, and
was not kept for the Pioneer Section.
Thomas Tyrrell
age 12 years left the orphanage April 1827 to live and work as an
apprentice for Richard Brooks, a landholder who owned 13364 acres at Lower
Minto.
William Tyrrell
had been active in colonial affairs, to the extent that he was a signatory
to Settlers’ petition of Grievances in 1798 and signed a petition to
Governor Bligh from the Hawkesbury settlers in 1807 and another from the
Inhabitants of New South Wales in 1808. It was most probable that Tyrrell
abandoned farming and returned to his trade as a carpenter after a
disaster in 1810. On 14 January of that year the Sydney Gazette reported
this disaster; it was indicative of the difficulties faced by settlers and
may also be seen as a report of some of the childhood experiences which
may have influenced the native-born to prefer the life of a tradesman to
that of a farmer.
Eldest Son,
George Tyrrell is listed on the 1828 Census as a carpenter like his
father. George Tyrrell’s youngest son, called William after his ex-convict
grandfather, became an apprentice blacksmith in Sydney.
In May 2016 a
memorial plaque to William Tyrrell Convict "Alexander" was
installed in the First Fleet Memorial Park in the Eastern Suburbs
Memorial Park
Submitted by
Jean Irene Mortimer:
Fellowship of
First Fleeters Member # 6409 & South Coast Chapter (Founding Member)
Jean, 6th
Generation Australian
Daughters: Alice
FFF # 6410 & Glenda FFF # 6411, 7th Generation.
Granddaughters:
Laura & Bianca, 8th Generation.
Sources of
information:
BDM & Convict
Indexes.
Southampton Lent
Circuit 1785.
Landholders of
Sydney from 1792 By Bryan Thomas.
State Records
NSW.
State Library
Sydney.
Shared
Information Mr L R Baxter FFF # 3413.
1828 Census.
Lineal proof from
BDM Transcripts & Certificates.
Descendants:
Jean Irene
Mortimer,
terryjeanmort@yahoo.com.au
Return to
Alexander |
