Thomas Bennett

Story

Thomas parents were James Bennett and Sarah Jordan. Thomas married Sarah Ricketts (Rickards?) 18/11/1805 in Windsor, England, daughter of George and Sarah Ricketts. Sarah was born 17/07/1787 in Berkshire England. Their children, all born in England were Samuel (dec’d), Thomas, James, Charles, Jonathon, Frederick, Sarah, Christiana & Henry (dec’d). Names of the area where they lived were:- Clewer Field and Sheet st., Windsor. Thomas had various occupations. He enlisted in the 20th Regiment East Devonshires and also was said to be a gardener and night porter at Windsor Castle during the reign of the 3rd. & 4 th. King Georges.

Sarah and Thomas suffered the shame of their son Thomas being transported to the colony in 1833 as a convict. They decided to emigrate with their children. In 1837 they boarded the ship ‘Lady McNaughten’. Sarah was appointed Matron of the ‘tween decks and her son James’s wife, Elizabeth was her deputy. Many of the adults and children were seasick. The ‘tween decks were scrubbed every day by the women. Measles, dysentry, scarletina and typhus fever were rife and a total of 10 adults and 44 children died including her own child Christiana. Sarah herself was gravely ill with a carbuncle on the spine which the Surgeon lanced and afforded her much ease. On arrival in Sydney a board of enquiry was convened. Sarah’s evidence related to her duties in getting the other women to keep themselves clean and also having to bribe the women with brandy so they would scrub the decks, closets etc.

In the census of 1841 the Bennetts lived at Cooper’s Paddock, Parish St. George County Cumberland, Dist. Sydney (950) pg 129 reel 223. Later years they lived in the Baulkham Hills area. Most of the men became timber getters, sawyers and carpenters.

On 7/9/1860 Sarah now in her seventys accidently drowned in a waterhole.

(Inquest report) – An Inquest was held at the Canterbury Arms Inn yesterday on the body of a woman named Sarah Bennett aged 75 years. It appeared from the evidence that the deceased supported herself and husband by carting wood into Sydney and selling it. On Thursday evening she went with a cartload of wood to the Union Inn at O’Connell Town, and left to return home at 4 o’clock in the afternoon; at about half past 5 she was seen passing the Stanmore Hotel, some 3 miles from Canterbury. Nothing more was seen of her till Friday afternoon, when her dead body was taken out of a large quarry now filled with water, on the property of Miss Campbell of Canterbury Bush. The horse and cart were found at a distance of 300 yards from the quarry. When it was found it was discovered that the horse had brought one of the wheels in contact with the stump of a tree and the wheel becoming entangled with some branches of a tree, the old woman doubtless left the horse and cart and proceeded towards Canterbury for assistance, and while doing so fell into the water and was drowned. This supposition is the more reasonable when it is considered that the night had closed in and the woman though strong and hale for her age suffered from defective eyesight.

Verdict:- “Died from suffocation by drowning.” In a rider the jury expressed the opinion that the waterhole in which the deceased was drowned ought to be fenced in. It is worthy of remark that the husband of the deceased now 83 years of age is one of the few surviving veterans of the Peninsula War. He is strong and vigorous, and writes his name without the use of spectacles. He has however been a cripple for several years, and his wife-at the death of whom he was deeply affected- supported him by her industry. He served in the 20th regiment through the whole of the Peninsula War and afterwards for many years during the reigns of the 3rd and 4th Georges was employed as a night porter at Windsor Castle. Both the old veteran and his deceased wife came from Windsor and arrived in the colony in 1837.

My great great grandmother Sarah was laid to rest 11 Sept 1860 in the Moorfields Buriel ground. Her husband Thomas died from old age and rheumatism 9th April 1867 in Windsor Road, Parramatta and was buried 12th April, 1867 in the Moorfields cemetery.

(The descendants should be very thankful to have ancestors of such resolute nature.)

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