c. Edward Westlake - a First Fleeter m Elizabeth Wood

First Fleet Convicts Edward Westlake

Edward Westlake born, 28 December 1752, was tried at Exeter, Devon on 20th March 1786 for stealing 40 pounds of mutton with a value of 10 shillings.  He was sentenced to transportation for 7 years and left England on the Charlotte, one of the 6 ships of the First Fleet. He was one of 717 convicts who survived, arriving at Port Jackson on 26th January, 1788.    .  

Edward was born at Sampford Courtnay in Devon, son of Edward Westlake and Mary Reddaway, and baptised on 28th December 1752. He married Elizabeth Mortimer at Chagford, Devon, on 30th December 1779, and their sons John born 1780, Edward born 1784, and Thomas born 1785 were all born at Chagford where their father Edward was a farmer.

Chagford, in the heart of Devon, lies on the edge of legendary Dartmoor National Park and is close to the beautiful River Teign.  Easily accessible from Exeter, it is an important stopping point for visitors venturing to the picturesque South West of England. As a famous Stannary town, Chagford has an exciting and vibrant history  

       

 At the Devon Lent Assizes, held at Exeter on 20 March 1786, before Sir James Eyre and Sir Beaumont Hotham; John Mortimer, Noah Mortimer and Edward Westlake were committed for sheep stealing on 26th December 1785.

"For stealing one weather sheep price 12 shillings the goods of John Rowe and for stealing 40 pounds of mutton, value 10 shilling the goods of a person unknown"

All three men were found not guilty of the first charge by guilty of the second and sentenced to seven years transportation.

He was 34 years of age when received on the hulk "Dunkirk", where he was tolerably decent and orderly" and embarked on 11th March 1787 with the First Fleet on the "Charlotte" which arrived at Port Jackson 26th January 1788. Now known as  Australia Day

At the time of his conviction, it was noted that his partners in the crime were John Mortimer and Noah Mortimer.  Edward was married to Elizabeth Mortimer, so it is assumed that they were her father (John) and brother (Noah).  A report from the night watch member while the ship was at Dunkirk notes that the hulk was "tolerably decent and orderly."

In March 1788, not long after arriving, a party of 23 people including 15 convicts (9male, 6 female) were chosen to make the 1368 klm journey to Norfolk Island.  The aim was to farm the land and to grow crops to support the increasing population in Sydney. 

 Edward was sent as he was the best of a bad lot.

Given that the convicts were chained together, the conditions must have been deplorable. 

Three of the Norfolk Islanders were the Devon men, John Mortimore, Noah Mortimore and Edward Westlake, each had been jointly tried at Exeter for stealing a sheep valued at twelve shillings, and forty pounds of mutton valued at ten shillings. The sheep stealing charge was dismissed but each received seven years transportation on the second count. John and Noah may have been father and son as John was stated to be 70 years of age when he received 100 lashes on Norfolk Island in 1791.