Genealogy Data Page 16 (Notes Pages)

Note: John Small 3's first job away from the family farm appears to have been as apprentice to Blacksmith Richard Harding of Hunter Street, Sydney, on 23 January 1813. The next recorded information about his position in the colony was as a listed
land owner in 1827, as were his brother Thomas and their father. In 1828 census John 3 appeared as a farmer and District Constable.

In tne book The Small Family in Australia 1788-1988 there is an interesting story concerning settlement of the Smalls in the Clarence River area. The following is an abridged version of that story.

Henry Gillet was a ship builder by trade and shortly after arriving in the colony he settled on the estate of Thomas Small at Kissing Point. In 1837 he wrote to the Colonial Secretary seeking permission to......cut cedar at .....the Big River.
A boat was built, the Susan, of 50 tons burden.

John Small 3 was a member of the crew when the Susan sailed north but they were unable to cross the bar of the Clarence River at what is now known as Yamba. They returned to Sydney, obtained whale boats and turned north again but were unable
to acquire a satisfactory load of timber. A third trip was undertaken and this time they brought back the first load of cedar ever taken from the Clarence River area.

John Small 3 was so impressed with the country and prospects that he immediately took up land on Woodford Island,cleared some land and built a home of cedar slabs. He then brought his family up from Ryde who arrived on 1 May 1839 and were the
first family to settle on the Clarence River. John 3 became an extensive land owner, in time owning all of Woodford Island.

John Small 3 died on 15 April 1883 and his grave is one of 7, all Smalls, in the Pioneer Cemetery in the middle of a cane field at Woodford Island.

Given Name: John

Change: Date: 28 Aug 2017
Time: 10:39

Back to Main Page

Patfield, Elizabeth (b. 6 Oct 1802, d. 29 May 1870)

Note: Daughter of convict George Patfield who had arrived at the colony on the Neptune, one of the ships of the Second Fleet.

Elizabeth married John Small 3 at St Philip's church, Sydney, on 31 October 1820, just after her 18th birthday. Her brother George [aged almost 23 years] married John's sister Sarah [aged 15 years] at that church on the same day.

Elizabeth died on 29 May 1870 and her grave is one of 7, all Smalls, in the Pioneer Cemetery in the middle of a cane field at Woodford Island.

Given Name: Elizabeth

Change: Date: 3 Mar 2005

Back to Main Page

Patfield, George (b. , d. ?)

Given Name: George

Change: Date: 4 Jan 2014
Time: 09:38

Back to Main Page

Brian, Mary (b. , d. ?)

Given Name: Mary

Change: Date: 4 Jan 2014
Time: 09:38

Back to Main Page

Small 2, John (b. 30 Nov 1761, d. 2 Oct 1850)

Note: John Small was a First Fleet convict having arrived at Port Jackson on 26 January 1788. It has been written that he had been sentenced to 7 years transportation for having stolen a handkerchief valued at one shilling. However through diligent
research Mollie Gillen has uncovered John Small's true background.

Mollie Gillen descends from John Small and Mary Parker through 2 of their children, Mary who married Mathew Hughes and through William who married Charlotte Melville. She has published a book "The Search for John Small - First Fleeter" from
which the following information has been taken.

John Small, son of John and Rebecca Small, was baptised at St Philip's Cathedral, Birmingham on 11 December 1761. As a bitt maker from Birmingham, aged 19 years, he enlisted in the marine corps on 16 April 1781; he was 5 feet 6 inches tall,
had dark brown hair, fair complexion, hazel eyes.

After some training on shore he embarked on HMS Lively on 15 June 1781, spent some time sailing from and to Plymouth then visited North America twice, then Cuba where he saw some action against the Spanish, was captured and held for 4 months.
Released by an exchange of prisoners in 1783 he was returned to Plymouth where he was later discharged from the marines when the corps was reduced from about 21000 men in 1783 to fewer than 5000 men in 1784. He received a total of 9 pounds 16
shillings and 7 pence for his 2.5 years service.

On 14 March 1785 at the Lent Assizes at Exeter, Stephen Davenport, John Herbert, Robert Ellwood and John Small were accused of the same crime - "feloniously assaulting James Burt in the King's Highway feloniously putting him in Corporal fear
and danger of his life in the said Highway and feloniously and violently stealing and taking from his person and against his will in the said Highway one metal watch and Tortoise-shell case value 30 shillings one pruning knife value 6 pence and
5 shillings his goods".

All were convicted and sentenced to hanging but Stephen Devonport was granted a free pardon and sentences on John Herbert and John Small were commuted to 7 years transportation.

John Small was incarcerated in Exeter High Gaol until 30 January 1786 when he and other prisoners were loaded into a waggon for Plymouth, to be held on the Dunkirk prison hulk pending transportation. He was loaded on board the Charlotte on 11
March 1787 in preparation for sailing to Botany Bay as part of an 11 ship fleet.

There is nothing on record concerning John Small's activities for the next 5 years to completion of his term of servitude in March 1792 except his marriage to Mary Parker on 12 October 1788, one act of drunkedness in 1788 [not convicted] and
the birth of 2 children. Then came his first land grant on 20 February 1794. Using present names of streets at Ryde NSW, the location of the land was bounded by Belmore Street, Blaxland Road, Church Street and Morrison Road. It comprised 30
acres, was to be known by the name of Small Farm at Eastern Farms, was to be free of taxes etc for 10 years, was to be resided upon by John Small and was to be improved and cultivated.

Musters of the colony in 1802 and 1806 showed John Small as apparently a reasonably successful farmer. In 1809 he was appointed a Constable for which he received payment for his services from the Military Purse and also some rations and
clothing for himself and his family.

Tragedy befell this family in 1824 when wife Mary died from accidental drowning.

John Small retired from his position of District Constable on 1 December 1825. In 1828 he passed his land on to his son Thomas who passed it on to his stepson James Devlin [born 1808], consideration 100 pounds. Thomas had married widow
Priscilla Devlin in 1821.

At the time of his death on 2 October 1850 at almost 90 years of age, John Small was the last known survivor of the First Fleet convicts. He was buried at St Anne's church, Ryde NSW, but his tombstone has since been moved to Field of Mars
cemetery

.A direct line for Descendants from these 2 First Fleet convicts of 1788 to the Sellwood family in the 21st century is---

John Small 2 and Mary Parker - son John Small 3

John Small 3 and Elizabeth Patfield - son John Frederick Small 1

John Frederick Small 1 and Mary Matilda Chowne - son Frederick William Small

Frederick William Small and Florence Lavinia Noud - daughter Annie Jessie Small

Annie Jessie Small and George W.Bird - daughter Dorothy Muriel Bird

Dorothy Muriel Bird and Vivian E.M.Sellwood - daughter Kerrie Ann Sellwood [a son Brett Vivian Sellwood] and son Vivian Grant Sellwood [daughters Renae Lee Sellwood and Carina Jade Sellwood]

This is the line of descendants adopted for Notes for this portion of the Sellwood Family Tree. For other Family History Notes for the Smalls and their descendants, refer to The Small Family in Australia 1788-1988.

Australian Convict Transportation Registers - First Fleet 1787 - 1788 became available on Ancestry.com on 2007. The entry for John Small reads......convicted at Exeter, Devon on 14 March 1785, bound for NSW on the Charlotte, First Fleet,
February 1787 [Piece HO 11/1].

Given Name: John

Change: Date: 27 Aug 2017
Time: 16:37

Back to Main Page

, Mary Parker (b. 26 Aug 1758, d. 4 Apr 1824)

Note: Mary Parker was a First Fleet convict. Information about her has been taken from Mollie Gillen's book "The Search for John Small - First Fleeter".

Mary Parker worked as a domestic servant for John and Mary Hickman who conducted a boarding house in London at Duke Street, Bloomsbury [now renamed Coptic Street]. Her first crime was committed in April 1785 when she stole 2 tablecloths valued
at 5 shillings from Mrs Hickman.

Mary was held in prison at Clerkenwell before standing trial on 21 September 1785 when she was sentenced to 6 months imprisonment. After release in March 1786 Mary appeared at the Old Bailey on 26 April charged with stealing from John Hickman
"2 muslin gowns and coats value 40 shillings, 1 cotton gown value 10 shillings, 3 cotton frocks value 4 shillings, 1 callico bed-gown value 2 shillings, 4 pairs of cotton pockets value 4 shillings, 11 shirts value 3 pounds, 1 shift value 2
shillings and 1 diaper clout value 6 pence, total value 6 pounds 2 and 6 pence". Although denying the charges and there being discrepencies in the evidence, Mary was found guilty and sentenced to be "transported to parts beyond the seas for 7
years".

For the next 8 months and 10 days Mary was held in Newgate Prison. On 6 January 1787 she was embarked on the Lady Penrhyn convict transport for Botany Bay [all females]. The fleet of 11 ships sailed down the English Channel in May 1787.

Mary's term of servitude was completed in April 1793 by which time she had married John Small on 17 October 1788 and had born 2 daughters - Rebecca on 22 October 1789 and Mary on 13 December 1791.

John Small received his first land grant of 30 acres on 20 February 1794 and the family settled at Eastern Farms [later known as Kissing Point, now known as Ryde]. Son John was born later that year followed by William 1796, Thomas 1799, Sarah
and Samuel 1804 [twins].

Tragedy struck this family on 4 April 1824 when sons John and William found the body of their mother in a well. The Coroner's finding was accidental drowning. Mary was believed to have been buried on the family farm. In 1934 an unmarked grave
was found in that area and remains were reinterred at the Field of Mars cemetery in Mary's name. In 1979 a memorial tablet was erected.

Australian Convict Transportation Registers - First Fleet, 1787 - 1788 became available on Ancestry.com in 2007. The entry for Mary Parker reads......convicted at Middlesex on 26 April 1786, bound for NSW on the Lady Penrhyn, First Fleet.
February 1787 [Piece HO 11/1].

Given Name: Mary Parker

Change: Date: 27 Aug 2017
Time: 16:42

Back to Main Page

Small 1, John (b. , d. ?)

Note: Diligent research by Mollie Gillen has resulted in this family being traced. The following has been taken from her book "The Search for John Small - First Fleeter".

Record of John Small's marriage to Rebecca has not been found. However children born to this couple have been found in baptismal records in Birmingham.

Daughter of John Small, baptised at St Philip's Cathedral

Ann - 21 June 1749

Son of John Small, baptised at St Martin's church

William - 26 December 1750

From 1751 both parents' names had to be recorded -

Children of John Small and Rebecca, baptised at St Martin's

Sarah - 26 December 1752 [buried 17 September 1754]

Mary - 1 April 1755

Thomas - 1 October 1759

John - 11December 1761

Sarah - 11 September 1764

Samuel - 4 August 1766

Joseph - 11 May 1771.

John and Rebecca Small lived in the Edgbaston quarter of Birmingham in Holloway Head, a continuation of Smallbrook Street on the road to Worcester.

Given Name: John

Change: Date: 11 Oct 2018
Time: 17:39

Back to Main Page

This HTML database was produced by a registered copy of GED4WEB� version 3.32 .