DANIEL BARNETT - FRIENDSHIP

- this story is under review by Membership Team

Daniel Barnett was before the Courts twice before starting on his voyage to NSW aboard Friendship. He was tried at Winchester on 29 July 1783 for “stealing 2 Iron Grapplings and 1 Iron Creeper, valued at 10 shillings, the goods of the King.” He was found guilty, sentenced to seven years transportation to America and taken to Mercury in March 1784. During the convict mutiny on Mercury he escaped, but was retaken in Torbay Harbour by HMS Helena in April and committed to Exeter Gaol. Found guilty again, in May he was sent to Dunkirk hulk, where he spent three years before, at age 30, being put aboard Friendship. 

 
On 16 June 1793, Daniel Barnett married Ann Baker and they went to live on a grant of 50 acres at Mulgrave Place. They had a son, also named Daniel. As no further records mention his wife, she must have died or gone to live with someone else. From then on, the two Daniel Barnetts, father and son, lived and farmed together. By 1806, he was sufficiently successful as a farmer to be able to support himself and his son. In 1822, they owned 15 acres at Pitt Town. They had 10 acres sown in maize and had horses, cattle and hogs.  

Daniel Barnett died on 15 February 1823, and was buried at St Matthew's, Windsor, recorded as Daniel Barney. Memos state, "this corpse was the first brought into the body of St Matthew's Church attended by many of the oldest inhabitants of these parts, Barney being one who came out on the First Fleet."