Edward WILLS
b. 1740; bur. 09 Jan 1814 St. Paul's Convent Garden, London, ENGLAND
m. 01 Feb 1761 St. Giles Cripplegate, London, ENGLAND
Edward WILLS, Gentleman, lived at Broadcourt, Long Acre, Middlesex, ENGLAND
Elizabeth PRICE
children: Ann m. George POOL; Edward {below}
Edward Spencer WILLS
a.k.a. WILLIS
b. 13 Aug 1778 London, Middlesex, ENGLAND; chr 11 Sep 1778 St. Lukes, Old St., Finsbury, London, Middlesex, ENGLAND; d. 14 May 1811 Sydney, New South Wales (died after 3 months of illness)
occ: letter press printer for Millar RITCHIE, Mill Street, Cloth Fair; labourer; convict; merchant
In January 1797 Edward WILLS, James DASHPER and William WOODHAM were arrested for highway robbery. The three men had used arms to rob John MARTIN of his watch, a half guinea, a sixpence and 18 half-pence. The money (£2.19.4) was found at Edward's residence.
Edward's trial took place at Kingston-on-Thames, Surrey on the 20th March 1797. The three men were found guilty and all sentenced "to be hanged by the neck until dead". They had the right of appeal, so Edward had a petition made. The document addressed to the Duke of Portland was supported by the Curate and Church Warden of St. Luke's, Edward's old employer Millar RITCHIE, the victim John MARTIN, Thomas LOCK. At Whitehall on the 29th March, 1797, "Edward WILLIS and James DASHPER having been convicted of Highway Robbery, and having been humbly recommended as fit objects of the Royal Mercy His Majesty has now been graciously pleased to extend his Royal Mercy on condition of their being transported for the term of their natural lives to the Eastern Coast of New South Wales..."
On the 18th October, 1798 Edward and 55 other convicts were transferred from the hulk "Stanislaus" to the "Hillsborough". The convicts were to be housed in the lowest deck "where conditions were grim, because there were no port-holes to allow light and fresh air. For a bed each convict was given a two foot wide plank of wood, a blanket and a pillow. For clothing they each got two blue jackets, a pair of trousers, two pairs of stockings, two shirts, a pair of shoes and a cap. They were also allowed to take two gallons of wine for the voyage.
Edward, James DASHPER and William WOODHAM set sail from Portland Rds. on the 23rd December, 1798. The "Hillsborough" was to be nicknamed "the Death Ship" from their ill fated voyage. WOODHAM died on the way out of port. There were six woman aboard, one of them being Edward's wife Sarah with their infant daughter.
The "Hillsborough" arrived in Sydney on the 26th July 1799. On the following day Governor HUNTER wrote to the Duke of Portland explaining that the ship embarked with 300 convicts but arrived with only 205, with six dying within a day of arrival. Later, in a letter to KING, HUNTER decribed the "Hillsborough" inmates as being "a cargo of the most miserable and wretched convicts I ever beheld".
Edward became ill from the voyage but was lucky to become a ward of his wife Sarah who had "arrived free".
The "Sydney Gazette" reported on the 2nd of October 1803 that Edward was fined £5 for purchasing seven ounces of stolen silver. On the 7th of October 1804, James BROWN and F.MOREY were sentenced to 100 lashes and three years hard labour for the robbery of copper coin and merchandise from the shop of E.WILLS. On the 19th of January 1805 a woman servant of E.WILLS was gaoled for stealing sundry merchandise from his house.
Edward's house was in George Street (later Essex Street), Sydney. The "Sydney Gazette" in April 1805 contained an advertisement listing sugars, teas, soaps, linen, muslin, shoes, dungarees, ribbons, etc. for sale at the house of Edward WILLS. On the 15th September 1805 the "Gazette" mentioned RABY and WILLS as being involved in the seal-skin business. Edward also advertised on the 24th of November 1805 looking for a "careful stockman".
WILLS also went into shipping. The 66 ton "Mary and Sally" was built by Thomas REIBIE and Edward WILLS in 1806. In the same year these two partners are recorded as owning a sloop named "Raven". He also owned the 22.5 ton sloop "Eliza"
In June 1808 WILLS donated £30 to send John MacARTHUR to London to give evidence on behalf of Major JOHNSTON.
In April 1809 a burglar gained entry into WILL's shop via the chimney and made off with goods to the value of £100. Natives found the items, in less than an hour, hidden in rocks.
On the 4th September 1810 Edward was pardonned, under his alias WILLIS, by Major-General Lachlan MacQUARIE, Governor of New South Wales.
WILLS was the victum of another burglary on 13th October 1810 where someone entered his unfinished premises and cut the duck covering off a new sofa.
When Edward WILLS died after three months of painful illness his assets were valued at more than £15,000.
m. 1795
Sarah HARDING
children of Edward WILLS and Sarah HARDING: Sarah (Sally) m1. Dr. William REDFERN, m2. James ALEXANDER; Eliza {below}; Thomas Spencer J.P. m1. Celia REIBEY, m2. Marie Anne BARRY, m3. Mary Anne MELLARD; Edward Spencer; Elizabeth Selina; Horatio Spencer Howe M.P. (murdered by Aborigines at Cullin-la-ringo, Queensland on 17 Oct 1861) m. Elizabeth McGUIRE
Eliza WILLS
b. 10 Sep 1802 Sydney, New South Wales; chr. 26 Sep 1802 St. Phillips Church of England, Sydney, New South Wales; d. 30 Jul 1858 Pictonville, New South Wales; bur. St. Leonard's, New South Wales <reg. 2411>
m. 09 Oct 1818 St. Phillip's, Sydney, New South Wales
Major Henry Colden ANTILL J.P.