1.

Sarah VALLELEY, daughter of Michael VALLELEY (1797-1861) and Bridget MCGIVEN (1801-1853), was born on 7 Aug 1826 in Liverpool, Lancashire. She married William KNIGHT on 20 Jan 1845 in Parish Church, Liverpool.¹ She married George WOOD on 11 Apr 1853 in Hobart, Tasmania.^{2 3} She died in 1893 in New Zealand.

Sarah and William, along with another person were both arrested and charged with stealing offences in 1850. The newspapers reported them to be part of a family gang which had existed by stealing for many years .They were both sentenced to 10 years transportation. In 27 May 1851Sarah's parents appealed against her transportation citing a still birth in prison on 5th May whilst in Millbank prison. Sarah was transported as a convict from London to Van Diemen's Land in October 1851 on the ship “Anna Maria” which arrived in Van Diemen's Land in January 1852. She worked in the Probation system for various employers. In April 1853 she married a convict, now “boot closer” in St. David's Cathedral, George Woods. George was listed as "Married" in his arrival documents. He received his Conditional Pardon in September 1853. Sarah gave birth to another son, William Woods in 1854 who lived for only 1 month. In 1856 Sarah gained a Conditional Pardon after several offences and sentences to hard labour, thence her story continued in New Zealand.

William KNIGHT, son of William KNIGHT (1789- ) and Elizabeth LEMMON (1799- ), was born in 1827 in Liverpool, England. He was baptised on 25 Mar 1827 in St. Nicholas, Liverpool, England.^{4 5} He was a drayman, storeman. He was Protestant. He married Sarah Maria AIKEN on 26 Dec 1857 in St. Augustine's Catholic Church, Balmain, Sydney. Marriage certificate 1070 / 33 copy 10/11/1980 - information on certificate from Church register 28/6.1916. William died on 15 Jul 1865 in 13 Domain Terrace, off Macquarie St., Sydney.^{6 7} Reg. No. 1865/781. William was buried on 19 Jul 1865 in old Camperdown cemetery behind St. , Stephens Anglican Church.^{8 9 10 11 12 13} Headstone located by RHETT KNIGHT in May 1998 in above cemetery, south-west wall, near end. Viewed again in Dec. 1999. Headstone is 22nd. stone in from corner of s-w wall. Burial of Joseph Munford in same grave. SAG transcriptions has age 36, No.

October 2025 update.

From modern DNA matching (via Rhett Knight's DNA testing), it has eventuated that William Knight, the first male of the line to come to Australia had a hitherto unknown history before his emigration. William was first married to Sarah Vallely (born 1826)in Liverpool in January 1845.

She was the daughter of Irish immigrants to Liverpool, both of whom had criminal records. Some of Sarah's 5 siblings also had criminal records.

William and Sarah had a child Sarah Ellen Knight in November 1845 and a son Edward in 1848. Edward may not have lived for long as he is not noted in any further records. Sarah Ellen continued the Knight/Valleley line through which the DNA matching has occurred.

Sarah and William, along with another person were both arrested and charged with stealing offences in 1850. The newspapers reported them to be part of a family gang which had existed by stealing for many years .They were both sentenced to 10 years transportation. On 27 May 1851 Sarah's parents appealed against her transportation citing a still birth in prison on 5th May whilst in Millbank prison and that her daughter had no mother to care for her. Sarah was transported as a convict from London to Van Diemen's Land in October 1851 on the ship “Anna Maria” which arrived in VDL in January 1852. Sarah worked in the Probation System for various employers. In April 1853 she married an ex-convict, employed as “boot closer”, George Woods and gave birth to another son William Woods in 1854, who lived for only 1 month. Sarah gained a Conditional Pardon in 1856 after several offences and sentences to hard labour, thence her story continued in New Zealand with further marriages and offspring.

For a period in Millbank and Pentonville prisons William's record stated that he had been convicted “6 times summarily and 3 times for vagrancy” and that his character was “ a disorderly person for the last 8 years, works occasionally pilfering when opportunity occurs”. He was listed as a “farm labourer”. William was then in April 1852 incarcerated in Portsmouth prison rather than transported or being held in Portsmouth Hulks He appealed in May 1853 after 28 months in prison to be transported to Van Diemens Land to be with his wife ( who probably unknown to him had just remarried), an appeal which was unsuccessful. In 1854 his sentence was commuted from 10 years to 7. He remained in Portsmouth prison until 29th June 1855 from where he was released to the care of his sister Mrs. Elisabeth Harrison, James Terrace, Rathbone Street, Liverpool.

The earlier speculation about William's move to Australia is now erroneous it seems, and the question yet to be solved is : How did he get from Liverpool in June 1855 to Sydney to marry Sarah Aiken in December 1857?.

2024

William was born in 1827, the son of a Liverpool mariner who lived very close to the Liverpool docks. According to family sources William emigrated in the 1850's becoming the first male of the Knight family in Australia.

There is no verifiable trace of his migration to Australia, including within a list of "ship's deserters", although a William Knight did desert from the ship "King William" in 1852 . As well in 1852 a William Knight, 5 feet 5 inches high with brown hair and grey eyes, about 19 years old, deserted from the ship"HMS Pandora".

There is no mention of William in the NSW Immigration Deposit Journals 1853-1900 and so perhaps he may have come out as a fare-paying passenger (unlike his sister Margaret who was an assisted immigrant), or as ship's crew. It is also quite possible that the record has not survived.

It seems that after coming to Australia William lived close for a while to his sister Margaret, who had arrived in 1842. In 1848 a William Knight is listed at 955 Windmill Street and in 1861-63 at 141 Phillip Street, both close addresses to the Kempsters. Margaret had married William Kempster in 1844. A compilation of early family names from the Sydney Assessment Rolls, indicating relevant addresses, has been made - including William Knight, indicating his quite poor accommodation.

He married Sarah Aiken in 1857 and by 1863 Sands Alphabetical Directory lists William at 13 Domain Terrace, and the same address in 1865.

William's early working life in Sydney seems to have been varied. His occupation was given as "Storekeeper" at his daughter Elizabeth's marriage in 1883. Sands Directory has a "William Knight, Stores, Wynyard Lane, Sydney" in 1861. In 1863 Sands notes him as a storeman living at Domain Terrace. By 1865 he was employed by Messrs. Watkins & Leigh as a drayman, that is a carter using a dray pulled by horses.

He died very suddenly the day after his second son's birth. Details of the enquiry at the Coroners' Office have not survived. The coroners inquest index recorded death by "natural causes". This was echoed in a newspaper report about the inquest indicating death by "natural causes", suffering "from chest affections for some time previously". The Camperdown Cemetery Burial Butts describe his death as from "Disease of the Heart".

He died at his address, 13 Domain Terrace, Sydney city. See the image of 1886 for a map. Domain Terrace was on the original site for the State Library of N.S.W.

The grave headstone was rediscovered by Rhett Knight 23.3.98 at St. Stephen's Camperdown cemetery in Newtown.

Newspaper notices include:

"17.7.1865: Funeral. The friends of Mr. William Kempster are respectfully invited to attend the funeral of his deceased brother-in-law, Mr. William Knight, to move from his late residence, 13 Domain Terrace, this (Monday) afternoon at 3 o'clock."

"Loyal United Brothers Lodge No. 3592, IOOF, M.U. - The officers and brothersof the above lodge, together with visiting officers and brothers, are respectfully invited to attend the funeral of our late brother William Knight to take place this day (Monday) 17th. instant. Brethren to meet at the hall, at 2 p.m.. By order. James McMenemy, N.G. William H Baker, Secretary." The involvement of Manchester Unity lodge may have helped the family, even with providing the headstone for the grave.

Witnesses at the burial were brothers-in-law William Kempster and CuthbertMcLachlan.

As the Sydney Morning Herald put it, reporting the Inquest, "Knight has left 4 children but scantily provided for".

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A Joseph Munford was buried in same grave 13 years later. The headstone inscription, below William Knight's reads:

"ALSO TO THE MEMORY OF

Joseph Munford

who departed this life 4th April 1878

Aged 52 years"

No relationship has been established between Joseph Munford and William Knight. They were the same age. As Cornelius Munford (who had his older brother Joseph buried in William's grave in 1878) was also a ship's deserter 2 months earlier than the aforementioned William Knight, possible "ship's deserter", it may not be a coincidence that William and Joseph's only connection was in their burial together.

Details about Munford are:

[NSW Pioneers Index - Deaths:

Jos. Munford

d. 1878

Fa. Adam

Mo. Sarah nee Castles

Sydney

Registration Number 677/1878.]

According to the international Genealogy Index Joseph was christened on 15/11/1826 at St. Mary Whitechapel, Stepney, London to Adam and Sarah. His mother Sarah Munford was a fishmonger, and she and her 8 children, including Joseph and Cornelius were located at Whitechapel on the 1841 UK census.

Joseph was unmarried and came to NSW in about 1848. He resided in Castlereagh St., with his younger brother Cornelius.

Newspaper notices of the death and burial in 1878 include:

"Munford, April 4th., at his residence, 241 Castlereagh St., Joseph Munford, aged 52 years."

Funeral Notices:

"The friends of Mr. Cornelius Munford are invited to attend the funeral of his deceased brother, Joseph. To move from his residence, No. 241 Castlereagh St. on Saturday the 6th. instant at 2.30 to Camperdown cemetery. Thomas, undertaker, 141 York St."

The Burial Butt for his burial indicates that his calling was "Gentleman", that he died of "cerebral disease", and that he was to be buried in the same grave as 13185, (William Knight).

It has also been discovered that William's wife Sarah's grand nephew William Gordon, age 3, was buried in or near the same burial plot in 1870. There is no reference to this on the headstone. It seems that multiple burials in the same grave were not uncommon. According to Society of Australian Genealogists "after 1867, the creation of new grave plots was prohibited and burials were only permitted by license from the Chief Secretary." And "From 1867 to 1900 there were a further 2,183 burials at Camperdown Cemetery into already existing plots and family graves." The Burial Butts for William George Gordon indicates that he had died of bronchitis and was to be buried next to William Knight's grave, that his father was a drayman, and that his address at death was 243 Castlereagh St., next door perhaps to where Joseph Munford lived 8 years later^{4,6,11,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40}.

William KNIGHT and Sarah VALLELEY had the following children:

George WOOD was born in 1823. He was a Boot closer.

In April 1853 Sarah Knight married a convict, now “boot closer” in St. David's Cathedral, George Woods. George was listed as "Married" in his arrival documents. He received his Conditional Pardon in September 1853. Sarah gave birth to another son, William Woods in 1854 who lived for only 1 month. In 1856 Sarah gained a Conditional Pardon in 1856 after several offences and sentences to hard labour, thence her story continued in New Zealand.

George WOOD and Sarah VALLELEY had the following children: