Samuel PRIESTLY and Catherine SLATER

I've not written on this side of my family yet, and so i'll start with this e-mail I recently wrote to a common ancestor. Very rough start draft.

I guess I'll start by stating things that you probably know on Samuel. I know that Samuel arrived in 1833 on the Aurora, that he was sentenced in the York Leeds Quarter Sessions. A few records I have settle his birth date at around 1812, but i've not identified his baptism in England yet.

I have a few indent transcripts that helped me from teh convict register
:
PSC Printed indents 1833, X635, p.171, AONSW Fiche 706
Convict per "Aurora"I(1), arr. Sydney 03.11.1833
33-2913 / 285 / Samuel Priestly / aged 21 / clothier / b. YKS / single / Prot. / able to read / offence: picking pockets / trial: York (Leeds) Quarter Sessions, 15.04.1833 / sentence: transportation for 14 years / prior conviction: 6 months [gaol] / 5'3" / brown complexion / brown hair / hazel/grey eyes / scar over right eyebrow; small hairy mole, left jaw; S A M, back of lower left arm; S P, back of left hand

There's clearly quite a bit of info here.

Regarding his marriage, I have two transcripts, the 'permission to marry' that a convict needed from the governor, and the marriage transcript from St James church itself.

NSW Convict marriage banns Yearly indexes - 1840, p.1
4/2480.3 / AONSW Film 736 / St. James, [Sydney]
Samuel Priestly / aged 28 / per "Aurora", 1833 / TL 40/934
Catherine SLATER / aged 26 / per "William Metcalfe", 1837 / CF
1840 / 170 / 24 / CG

CofE BMD register 1840, R-G v.24, p.43, AONSW Film 5006
Marriages ... in the parish of St. James, [Sydney}, ... Co. of Cumberland ... 1840
170/74 / Samuel Priestly, of St. Andrew's Parish, bachelor / Catherine SLATER, of St. Andrew's Parish, spinster / m. 03.09.1840 / witnesses: James CONLEN of 6 Kent St. & Elisha HAYES of Pitt St., Sydney / Samuel made his mark; Catherine signed

This confirms Samuel's marriage, and also that by this stage he had a Ticket of Leave. It also confirms how Catherine SLATER arrived here. She was not a convict, but arrived under the 'London Emigration Committee' scheme to bring free women to Australia. Some info here: http://www.rushen.com.au/
The 'William Metcalfe' Departed London and Arrived in Hobart, 24 January 1837. So she found her way to Sydney by 1840. I have her death certificate (attached) that states she was born in London, but does not state her parents, so for now i've not identified her birth either.

I've been through all the City of Sydney rate books available on line so have info about the addres and description of the 'produce merchant'/'commission agent' business that he ran. I also have a transcript of his headstone that i'll forward soon also in the next reply (i'm a little rushed today i'm sorry).

I should add that my ancestor was Henry PRIESTLY. Henry married in 1858 to Margaret RODGERS, and stated his parents as Samuel PRIESTLY and Catherine SLATER. But his age means he was born abt 1838 (two years before their marriage), and I've not yet found a birth for Henry PRIESTLY/SLATER in either NSW or Tasmania. I have a few candidates though and time will tell - and it's possible he wasn't baptised at all. Samuel certainly didn't seem to hold any of this against Henry as he ran a merchant agents alongside his (step-)father.