John Bollard
John Bollard was the first Bollard to set foot on Australian Soil.
He was born in Liddington, Bedfordshire, England on 26 July, 1772, the son of
John married Hannah Johnson of Hertfordshire on 30 Oct 1798 in Liddington.
John and Hannah had eight children, the last Zilpha is questionable as she may not have been his daughter due to dating controversy (conceived after he was jailed).
- Frances (Bollard) Fisher
- Sarah Bollard
- Thomas Bollard
- Hannah Bollard
- William Bollard
- Benjamin Bollard
- John Bollard
- Zilpah Cox (Bollard) Walker
Northampton Mercury Sat 12 Oct 1811 p.2
ESCAPED FROM JUSTICE
TEN GUINEAS REWARD.
Bedfordshire Association for prosecuting felons &c.
Wheras JOHN BOLLARD, about 40 years of age, five feet six inches high, stout made, hair inclinable to red, fresh complexion, walks very upright, supposed to have on a dark drab-coloured Velveteen short waistcoat, being in the custody of the Constable of the Parish of LIDLINGTON, in this County, for SHEEP STEALING, escaped from such custody, about five o’clock this morning, from the house of Thomas Morris, the Sign of the Green Man at Lidlington. - The said John Bollard has lived as shepherd with Edw. Platt, Esq. of Lidlington, for several years, and is well known in the neighbourhood.
Whoever will discover the said offender, so that he may be brought to justice, shall receive a reward of five guineas from this association, and a further reward of five guineas from Mr. Richard Randall, of Marston-Moretaine, in the County of Bedford, whose sheep were stolen.
THEED PEARSE, Treasurer.
My great-great-grandfather Richard Randall was the farmer whose sheep were stolen by John Bollard, and who offered the 5 guinea reward for his recapture after escaping from custody. Richard Randall 1773-1846 tenanted Church Farm, Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire, England (150 acres). His friend & neighbouring farmer was Edward Platt, who employed John Bollard as a shepherd. Randalls tenanted Church Farm 1797-1919.
- Andrew Randall on 13th December, 2015 Convict Records
Transportation
John was convicted of Sheep Stealing at Bedford Assizes and was transported to Australia with 200 other convicts.
He was placed onboard the "Fortune" which was recorded to have departed on 3 December 1812.
While official records state that it left the South Coast of England on 3rd December 1812, the fact is that one of the prisoners on board - the Bolton Luddite convict, Thomas Holden - sent a letter to his family dated 11th December 1812 from the ship. 'The Fortune' had been beached in a storm after leaving Woolwich and had spent almost 7 weeks moored in Rio de Janeiro between 3rd February and 22nd March 1813.
The voyage took 180 days He arrived in Port Jackson, Sydney on 11 Jun 1813 aboard the convict ship "Fortune".
The Fortune broke the news in Australia that England was at war with America.
Reunification
Hannah Johnson was born in February 1773 in Lidlington, Bedfordshire, England and was the daughter of John Johnson and Susan Ree. Hannah and the five survivors of their eight children came over on "Providence" which arrived on 7th January, 1822.
- Bollard, Hannah, 56, came free, Providence 1822, Protestant.
- Bollard, William 22 came free, Providence 1822 Protestant.
- Bollard, Benjamin 20 came free Providence 1822 Protestant.
After Release, John Bollard settled in Redbank, Upper Picton, NSW where he died in 1849, aged 77.
The Sainty & Johnson; 1828 Census of New South Wales: [Ref B1537] refers to;
Bollard, John 56, conditional pardon, Fortune 2, 1813, life, Protestant. farmer, Cobbity, Cooke, 96 acres, 40 cleared, 38 cultivated, 4 horned cattle.
John died on Jun 22, 1849 and Hannah died on 29 October 1852, both in Upper Picton, NSW, Australia.