William Silk (1760–1835)
William Silk was sentenced to life transportation for horse stealing at the Waterford Assizes, Ireland. He arrived in Sydney in 1797 aboard the Britannia. His wife and children were also on the ship; one of the children, an infant, died during the voyage.
In September 1800 Silk was charged with making pikes and with being one of the ringleaders of the Bobbie Rebellion. He was sentenced to 1000 lashes and sent to Norfolk Island. He returned to New South Wales in 1810 and in 1824 was granted a ticket of leave which allowed him to remain in the district of Prospect. He was still living in Prospect in 1828. He was described in 1824 as a labourer, born in 1763, height 5 feet 4¼ inches (163 cms), with a dark sallow complexion, dark brown hair, and hazel eyes. He was buried on 15 May 1835 at Parramatta.
Related Entries in NCB Sites
- Silk, Margaret (wife)
- Silk, Thomas (son)
- Silk, Sarah (daughter-in-law)
Citation details
'Silk, William (1760–1835)', People Australia, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://peopleaustralia.anu.edu.au/biography/silk-william-25123/text33607, accessed 9 December 2024.
Life Summary [details]
Birth
Death
14 May,
1835
(aged ~ 75)
Prospect, Sydney,
New South Wales,
Australia
Cultural Heritage
Includes subject's nationality; their parents' nationality; the countries in which they spent a significant part of their childhood, and their self-identity.
Religious Influence
Includes the religion in which subjects were raised, have chosen themselves, attendance at religious schools and/or religious funeral rites; Atheism and Agnosticism have been included.
Passenger Ship
Occupation or Descriptor
Convict Record
Crime: insurrection
Sentence: life