John Hayes (c.1764- ), a labourer, was found guilty on 13 August 1784 at Guildford, Surrey, of stealing two linen sheets, a pair of worsted stockings, and a flannel satin faced waistcoat. Sentenced to 7 years transportation, he was sent to the Censor hulk on 8 April 1785 and was discharged to the Scarborough in February 1787. He arrived at Sydney in January 1788 as part of the First Fleet.
Hayes received 50 lashes on 11 August 1789 'for infamous behaviour to Margaret Dawson'. He was sent to Norfolk Island on the Sirius in March 1790. In July 1791 he was issued three acres of land at Sydney Town. There are no further records for Hayes so it is possible he left the island as soon as his sentence expired in August 1791.
* information from Mollie Gillen, The Founders of Australia: A Biographical Dictionary of the First Fleet (1989), p 168
'Hayes, John (c. 1764–?)', People Australia, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://peopleaustralia.anu.edu.au/biography/hayes-john-31251/text38638, accessed 14 September 2024.