NameWindley, WilliamBiographyWilliam Windley arrived in Sydney 31 December 1818 per 'General Stewart' transported for life for larceny of a person. William was twenty with grey eyes, dark brown hair, and a dark ruddy complexion. He worked as a labourer.
William was assigned to a road gang at Parramatta on his arrival and by 1821 was working at Government Farm at Parramatta. In 1822 during his time in the employment of Mr. Underwood he absconded and was convicted of being a runaway by Superintendent of Police, Darcy Wentworth (early landowner of Shellharbour). William was sentenced to fifty lashes and transported to Port Macquarie for the reminder of his sentence. At Port Macquarie he was reunited with his brother John, also a convict.
In 1824 William again absconded and this time was sent to Norfolk Island where he assumed his brother John’s identity in order to serve a reduced sentence.
In 1828 William married Martha Nichols and worked for a time as a sawyer for Isaac Williams at Sydney.
By 1838 William and Martha had moved to Jamberoo where Martha’s brother John had a leasehold. Just a year later William’s false identity was discovered by the Executive Council and he lost his free status. He was allowed to return to live with his family in the Illawarra as a Ticket of Leave man.
William worked for AB Spark at Hell Hole, Jamberoo where he was in charge of clearing the forest and later worked for Michael Hyam at his ‘Sarah Valley’ Estate.
William and Martha became tenant farmers and lived at ‘Otter Farm’, Stoney Creek where they raised their family with six children reaching adulthood. It is assumed Martha died before 1855 as in that year William remarried Charlotte Arnold when he was 57 years old.
William died 29 January 1885 at Kiama and is buried at the Jamberoo Wesleyan Cemetery.
William Windley was a financial member of the Kiama Agricultural Society 1848-1849. The Windley family were cedar getters and prominent members of the of the Jamberoo Methodist Church.
