Prior

DESCRIPTION

NamePriorDescriptionWilliam Prior was born 18 June 1775 at Barton Cambridge to Benjamin Prior and Rachel Nunn. He arrived at the colony aboard the 'Guilford' 18 January 1812; transported for life for stealing. William had married Eleanor Hobbs in Cambridge in 1800 and they had four known children.

William worked as a farmer and lived Liverpool Airds before moving to Avondale 1823-1855 becoming one of the earliest settlers of Dapto. In Australia he married Hannah Cooke 29 July 1814 at Parramatta. Presumably his first wife Eleanor had died.

Hannah Cooke was born c.1793 at Bristol England and arrived in the colony 9 January 1814 on board 'Wanstead'; transported for life for stealing. Hannah worked as a housemaid.

William and Hannah had eight children;

Hannah b.1815 (married Edward Swan, died 1869, Dapto)
James b.1817 (married Rosanna Thompson, died 1902, Campbelltown)
William Henry b.1818 (married Mary Ann Swan, died 1860, Dapto)
Benjamin b.1820 (married Margaret Boyd, died 1880, Dapto)
Elizabeth (Betsy) b.1823 (married Mark Howell, died 1878, Burrawang)
Rachel b.1824 (married Samuel Clarke, died 1879, Albion Park)
Mary b.1826 (died 1903, Dapto)
Matilda b.1828 (married Robert Gauld, died 1903, Waverley)

William was granted a Ticket of Leave 9 October 1823 and a Conditional Pardon 29 June 1836. He died in 1855, and Hannah 10 years later in 1865. They were both buried at St Luke’s Anglican Cemetery, Brownsville.

Daughter Hannah Prior married Edward John Swan, son of convict Edward Swan (formerly Hornsby). Edward was transported to Australia for 14 years for receiving stolen property and arrived in 1818 aboard ‘Lord Sidmouth’.

Son William Henry Prior, married Edward John Swan’s sister, married Mary Ann. William was listed as a farmer holding a clearing lease in 1845. By 1849, he had moved to Albion Park and is recorded as living in Terry’s Meadows, Macquarie River and Yellow Rock. William Henry received four crown grants of land (by purchase) in Jamberoo in 1856. These were all adjacent to each other and in the Yellow Rock area.

Several of William and Hannah’s children lived at Albion Park, Yellow Rock and Tullimbar, and married into pioneering families from those areas.

Descendants include members of the Swan, Raison, Prior, Hazelton, Cronan, Gower and Bonser families to name a few.

External LinkDeath William Prior Snr 1855Inquest William Prior Death 1860Inquest William Prior 1860Death Hannah Prior 1865Hannah Swan Death 1869Coroner Inquest Alexander Prior 1871Death MIss Prior 1903

Photograph

Family

Person

Object

Map or Plan

The junction of Illawarra Highway and Yellow Rock Road, Tullimbar, c.1895.

CONNECTIONS

CollectionFamiliesFamilySwanGowerBonserCronanHazeltonBrownleeLocalityAlbion ParkDaptoYellow RockPersonClarke, SamuelClarke, GeorgePlaceTerrys Meadows Estate

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Prior