William Dempsey (c. 1757–1837)
William Dempsey (c.1757-1837) a shoemaker, served in Captain James Meredith's Company at Port Jackson. Deciding to settle at the end of his service, he left for Norfolk Island on the Atlantic in October 1791. A month later he was granted 60 acres of land at Cascade Stream, Phillipburgh. He married Jane Tyler in November 1791 on the island.
On 26 December 1808 Dempsey and his wife left Norfolk Island on the Porpoise, without any children, for Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) settling at New Norfolk. In 1809 he was farming 21 acres. He held 36 acres in 1813.
William Dempsey was buried at New Norfolk on 18 October 1837; his age was given as 80.
* information from Mollie Gillen, The Founders of Australia: A Biographical Dictionary of the First Fleet (1989), p 103
Related Entries in NCB Sites
- Dempsey, Jane (wife)
- Dempsey, Mary (adopted daughter)
Citation details
'Dempsey, William (c. 1757–1837)', People Australia, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://peopleaustralia.anu.edu.au/biography/dempsey-william-30722/text38065, accessed 9 November 2024.
Life Summary [details]
Birth
c. 1757
Death
17 October,
1837
(aged ~ 80)
New Norfolk,
Tasmania,
Australia