William Ayres (abt. 1762)

Born about 1762 in England

Husband of Mary (Kimes) Ayres — married 17 Jul 1790 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Heather Stevens [send private message]

Biography

William Ayres was a convict on the First Fleet.

William AYRES/EYRES/HARES (Generally written as 'Ayres', however he was indicted as 'Eyres', and the contractor‘s spelling was ‘Hares’) ^[1]

William committed a violent robbery in a field and stole a silver watch and eight shillings. He was sentenced to death at Winchester, Hampshire on 29 July 1783 for assault and highway robbery with a value of 48 shillings. He was reprieved on 2 September to seven years transportation, sent to one of the hulks and embarked on 26 March 1784 on the Mercury transport for America.^[1]

He was one of the escapers caught at Torbay on 13 April by HMS Helena after the convict mutiny on Mercury. He was sent to Exeter and committed to gaol on the 16th, remanded to his former orders by the Special Commission on 24 May, and sent to the Dunkirk hulk, age recorded as 21, where he was “in general tolerably well behaved but troublesome at times”.^[1]

On 11 March 1787, he was embarked on Friendship, where Ralph Clark noted that he was a saddler, aged 24 who had been born in Staffordshire. The Friendship arrived in Sydney, New South Wales on 26 January 1788 as part of the First Fleet.^[1]

In May 1788, while convalescing at the hospital, he was allowed to go out in the bush to gather herbs for tea, and was badly injured by Aborigines, who attacked Peter Burn at the same time. William witnessed Peter being 'dragged away'. Peter was never found, however his blood covered clothes and some spears were recovered. See Peter's profile for more information.^[1]

Surgeon John White wrote in his journal:

21st May. William Ayres, a convict, who was in a state of convalescence, and to whom I had given permission to go a little way into the country, for the purpose of gathering a few herbs wherewith to make tea, was, after night, brought to the hospital with one of the spears used by the natives sticking in his loins. It had been darted at him as he was stooping, and while his back was turned to the assailant. The weapon was barbed, and stuck so very fast that it would admit of no motion. After dilating the wound to a considerable length and depth, with some difficulty I extracted the spear, which had penetrated the flesh nearly three inches.

After the operation, he informed us that he received his wound from three of the natives, who came behind him at a time when he suspected no person to be near him except Peter Burn, whom he had met a little before, employed on the same business as himself. He added that after they had wounded him they beat him in a cruel manner, and, stripping the cloaths from his back, carried them off; making signs to him (as he interpreted them) to return to the camp. He further related that after they had left him he saw Burn in the possession of another party of the natives, who were dragging him along, with his head bleeding, and seemingly in great distress, while he himself was so exhausted with loss of blood that, instead of being able to assist his companion, he was happy to escape with his life.

On 2 February 1789 he was sentenced to 50 lashes for “attempting to impose a falsehood”, and on 13 April 1789 he was sentenced to 25 lashes for "refusing to obey the orders of the Coxswain of the Boat". This last sentence was forgiven. ^[1]

Marriage: William Ayres married Mary Potton on 17 July 1790, registered at St Philips Church of England, Sydney, by Banns by Richard Johnson, Chaplain. William marked the register with a cross, and Mary signed. Witnesses were William Bransby, (signed) Sarah Maccormick, (marked with a cross).^[2][3] Mary Potton alias Kimes had arrived as a convict on the Lady Juliana.

William was recorded as having left the colony by mid December 1791 after his sentence expired.^[1]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6} Mollie Gillen, The Founders of Australia: A Biographical Dictionary of the First Fleet (1989), p 14.
2. ↑ Marriage: St Philip's Church of England, Sydney NSW: Church Register - Marriages; State Library of NSW ref: Reel SAG 90
3. ↑ NSW Government. Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages. Marriages search page Marriage Registration: First name(s) William, Last name Ayres, Denomination Church Of England, Marriage year 1790, Registration year 1790, Registration district Sydney, St Phillip's, State New South Wales, Spouse's first name(s) Mary, Spouse's last name Potton, Registration number -Volume reference V179080 4

• State Records of NSW: First name(s) William, Last name Eyres, Arrival date 26 January 1788, Ship name Friendship, State New South Wales, Country Australia

See also:

• 'William AYRES/EYRES/HARES', First Fleet Online database, University of Wollongong http://firstfleet.uow.edu.au/details.aspx?surname=&gender=&term=&ship=&age=&notes=&-recid=25, accessed 11 April 2024.
• 'Ayres, William (c. 1762–?)', People Australia, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://peopleaustralia.anu.edu.au/biography/ayres-william-29997/text37206, accessed 11 April 2024.