Sarah (Wise) Roberts (1769 - 1850)

Born 10 Apr 1769 in Ampney St Mary, Gloucestershire, England

Wife of John Roberts — married about 1796 in Norfolk Island, Australia

Descendants

Died 22 May 1850 at age 81 in Castlereagh St, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Problems/Questions Profile manager: J Wood [send private message]

Biography

Sarah Wise or Wisse was born in England about 1772.

Sarah was tried, at the age of 23, on 22 July 1795 at the Gloucester Assizes for theft committed at Thornbury and sentenced to 7 years transportation.^[1] She arrived at Port Jackson on 'Indispensible' in 1796.^[2]

There is no record of a marriage to Private John ROBERTS but they seemed to have spent the rest of their lives together. Their first two children were born in Sydney. ^[3] John and Sarah Wise traveled to Norfolk Island from Sydney some time in 1801, arriving about a month before their next child Sarah was born. Five more children were born on the Island. The family were among the last to leave at the end of the First Settlement. The majority of the inhabitants were sent to Van Diemens Land but Sarah, John & their family went to Sydney. Two more children were born in Sydney.^{[4] [5]} Their children included^[6]:

• John, born 1797
• Elizabeth, born 1800
• Sarah, born 1801
• Rozanna, born 1803
• George, 1804-1805
• Mary Ann, born 1805
• Sophia, born 1806
• George, born 1808
• James, born 1809
• William, born 1813
• Catherine, born 1815

The Roberts family consisting of Private John Roberts, Mrs Sarah Wise and their children, John, Elizabeth, Sarah, Rosanna, Mary Sophia, George and James Wise departed Norfolk Island aboard the ship Lady Nelson in Apr 1810, bound for Sydney.^[7]

Sarah Wise received her certificate of freedom in 1811.^[8] In the 1825 New South Wales and Tasmania, Australia Convict Muster John Roberts, (arrived 1792 'Britannia' New South Wales) pensioner, resided in Sydney. On the same page: Sarah Roberts 'Indispensible' 1796 wife of John Roberts, Sydney. Also the children of Mrs Roberts: Rosannah Roberts 22 wife of John Layton Sergeant's Office, Mary Roberts 20 now Mrs Young, Sophia Roberts 18, George Roberts 16, William Roberts 12, Catherine Roberts 10, and James Roberts 14. ^[9] In 1817 she is recorded as Sarah Wise, not Roberts.^[10]

By 1828 she is recorded, with her husband John, as Sarah – Robberts, Came free, 'Britannia' 1791 age 56. The family were then living in Pitt St, Sydney.^[11]

Sarah WISE died 22 May 1850 in Sydney and was buried at the Devonshire St Cemetery.^[12][13]

Sources

1. ↑ Convict records. Sarah Wisse https://convictrecords.com.au/convicts/wisse/sarah/82916
2. ↑ Australia, Convict Records Index, 1787-1867
3. ↑ Descendants of SARAH WISE in Australia New Zealand & India. https://www.genealogy.com/ftm/h/a/n/Helen-F-Hanson/index.html
4. ↑ Descendants of SARAH WISE in Australia New Zealand & India. https://www.genealogy.com/ftm/h/a/n/Helen-F-Hanson/index.html
5. ↑ Australian Royalty. John Roberts. https://australianroyalty.net.au/tree/purnellmccord.ged/individual/I1101/John-Roberts
6. ↑ National Portrait Gallery. Self portrait as Sarah Wisse, Transported. https://www.portrait.gov.au/portraits/2018.138/self-portrait-as-sarah-wisse-transported
7. ↑ Australian Royalty. John Roberts. https://australianroyalty.net.au/tree/purnellmccord.ged/individual/I1101/John-Roberts
8. ↑ New South Wales, Australia, Certificates of Freedom, 1810-1814, 1827-1867
9. ↑ Class: HO 10; Piece: 20 Ancestry.com. New South Wales and Tasmania, Australia Convict Musters, 1806-1849 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007.
10. ↑ New South Wales, Australia, Settler and Convict Lists, 1787-1834
11. ↑ State Records Authority of New South Wales; Kingswood, New South Wales, Australia; 1828 Census: Alphabetical Return; Series Number: NRS 1272; Reel: 2555 Ancestry.com. 1828 New South Wales, Australia Census (Australian Copy) [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007.
12. ↑ Sarah Wisse
13. ↑ Sarah Wise 1772-1850

Research Notes

William WISSE father??? Betty mother???? BIRTH: 27 Mar 1763 Ardley, Oxford, England OR 1772, Thornbury Gloucestershire?????? OR BIRTH: Christening: 10 APR 1769 Ampney Saint Mary, Gloucester, England Birth Details Birth Town: Ampney St. Mary Birth County, Region, Province: Gloucestershire Birth Country: England Birth Date: 1769

The union between Sarah WISE and John ROBERTS began in the year of her arrival. In 1805 she was recorded on Norfolk Island as Female convict, off stores, which suggests that she and John ROBERTS were self-supporting by farming their own land. In the musters of 1808 and 1810 Sarah WISE was recorded on Norfolk Island as Free woman, sentenced expired. After their return to Sydney Sarah WISE was recorded in 1814 as On stores, wife of a veteran, with eight children on stores.

BIOGRAPHY: Subject: Re Sarah Wise Date: Fri, 28 Jan 2000 10:04:36 +1000 A quick look through other references seem to indicate that Sarah Wise was married twice. (1)George White and (2) John Roberts George White arrived 1801, the same time as Sarah. Ship name wasn't listed. Sarah arrived onboard "Indispensable" 1/10/1801 and left Norfolk Island April 1810. Children born to John Roberts and Sarah Wise: Elizabeth (MARTIN William?) b.?(am unsure what the male names are) George b. 1808 John b. ? Mary b. 4/8/1805 Rossanna b. 18/7/1803 Sophia b. 1806

BIOGRAPHY: Sarah and George White are listed as having a daughter Sarah born 8/11/1801 Children's names and birth dates from Rev. Fulton's records.

BIOGRAPHY: Sandra Peacock. researching Duncombe, Hambly & Springham.

BIOGRAPHY: From: "Michael & Cameron Barth" Subject: Re Sarah Wise Date: Fri, 28 Jan 2000 20:41:56 +1100 Thank you for this information. From various sources it would seem that I have conflicting evidence. Sarah Wise and John Roberts had two children - John and Elizabeth - prior to the birth of Sarah, supposedly to George White. To complicate matters further, Sarah was baptised several times, to both George White and John Roberts. After Sarah's birth, Sarah Wise then had further children to John Roberts.

The following was provided by Helen Favelle of Sydney Australia:

Information about the trial of Sarah Wise/Wisse (source: Bronwyn Smalley (another descendant), Townsville, Queensland, Australia)

Sarah Wysse late of the parish of Rockhampton in the County of Glouster on the twenty first day of May in the thirty fifth year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord George the third King of Great Britain etc about the hour of one in the night of the same day with force and arms at the Parish aforesaid in the County aforesaid the dwelling house of one Daniel Millett there situate feloniously and burglariously did break and enter and sixteen pounds weight of cheese of the value of twelve shillings one fillet of veal of the value of two shillings of the goods and chattels of the said Daniel Millett, one linen shift the value of two shillings, one pair shoes of the value of four shillings, check apron the value of 5 pence, and one pair of Pattons of the value of one shillings of the goods and chattels of Hannah Jones spinster in the said Daniel Millett house then and there found feloniously and burglariously did steal take and carry away against the peace of our said Lord the King his Crown and Dignity

Acknowledgements

First-hand information as remembered by Philippa Diver, Friday, April 4, 2014.