John Herbert and Deborah Ellam – First Fleeters and in-laws of Margaret Howe’s Daughters – Sarah Mary Hicks and Elizabeth White

John Herbert – lucky not to be hung and a convict transported on the Charlotte as part of the First Fleet – later to marry Deborah Ellam ?

Convicted with John Herbert was one of my own First Fleet ancestors, John Small who married Mary Parker – The Hicks are my Mother’s maternal side and The Small’s her paternal side. Those of us who are Small Family descendants were blessed to have some dedicated people like the late Molly Gillen who wrote “The Search For John Small” and the Small Family Association with their comprehensive publications.

John and Deborah’s son Joseph married Sarah Mary Hicks, older sister of my 3 x great grandfather, James Hicks – oh the interconnections of early 19th Century Australia ?

But there’s more … another son of John and Deborah, John Herbert Jnr married Elizabeth White – step sister to Sarah Mary Hicks and James Hicks  – their mother’s only daughter with her husband Thomas White …. then George White, yet another sibling, married Elizabeth’s daughter Mary Ann Herbert…. is this not getting more and more complicated ?

I was amazed and delighted to meet Rob Herbert, descendant of Joseph and Sarah Mary (Hicks) Herbert at a First Fleeters AGM in October 2015  .. a long lost cousin!

Well back to John Herbert … Rob Herbert, who is very active in the Southern Highlands Chapter of the Fellowship of First Fleeters,  has written a fantastic article entitled “John Herbert – First Fleeter” – click here to read.

There’s also an interesting article on John Herbert at the St John’s Cemetery Parramatta website – click here to read.

I wondered about John Herbert’s wife, Deborah Ellem – and yes Rob Herbert had done an informative and interesting article on his First Fleet female ancestor as well – click here to read more.

Rob Herbert creates some fascinating stories of the times of the late 18th – early 19th century – which impacted our collective Herbert, Ellem, Small, Parker, Hicks, Howe and White forbears in the UK.