Henry Russell, Convict "Somersetshire" 1814

Birth: 1769, England Death: Jul. 5, 1838 New South Wales, Australia

Henry was a convict. He was convicted at the Oxford Assizes of forgery and sentenced to life imprisonment. He was one of 200 convicts transported on the ship 'Somersetshire', March 1814. His wife and daughter followed him as free settlers in 1815.By 1828 Henry owned 150 acres. As was the case with many other local men, he was both farmer and timber merchant, as the heavily timbered land had to be cleared before stock could graze. The felled timber was taken along the Pennant Hills Road to the wharf at Ermington ‎(Wharf Street)‎ and thence by barge to Sydney Town. What timber was required for local building was taken to the mill at Parramatta. The Sydney Morning Herald of Jul 11, 1838 reported the Coroner's Inquest: 'An inquest was held on Wednesday last on the body of Mr Henry Russell, a retired timber merchant, who was returning home along the Pennant Hills Road in a light cart when, owing to the darkness of the night, he drove against some obstruction in the road; the shock was so violent that he was thrown out and fell on the ground and the wheels passed over his head. He was shortly afterwards lying in the road quite dead, his skull being fractured'.

Buried at St John's Cemetery: 1 O'Connell Street, Parramatta, NSW, Section 2, Row W, Site No. 11.

Inscription: Sacred to the memory of Henry Russell who departed this life July 5 1838 aged 66 years.

From https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/86549604/henry-russell

Henry was a convict. He was convicted at the Oxford Assizes of forgery and sentenced to life imprisonment. He was one of 200 convicts transported on the ship 'Somersetshire', March 1814. His wife and daughter followed him as free settlers in 1815.

By 1828 Henry owned 150 acres. As was the case with many other local men, he was both farmer and timber merchant, as the heavily timbered land had to be cleared before stock could graze.The felled timber was taken along the Pennant Hills Road to the wharf at Ermington ‎(Wharf Street)‎ and thence by barge to Sydney Town. What timber was required for local building was taken to the mill at Parramatta.

The Sydney Morning Herald of Jul 11, 1838 reported the Coroner's Inquest: 'An inquest was held on Wednesday last on the body of Mr Henry Russell, a retired timber merchant, who was returning home along the Pennant Hills Road in a light cart when, owing to the darkness of the night, he drove against some obstruction in the road; the shock was so violent that he was thrown out and fell on the ground and the wheels passed over his head. He was shortly afterwards lying in the road quite dead, his skull being fractured'.