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Thanks so much for replying.  I know that women were in short supply and they were encouraged to marry and make a life here.  I just didn't know if she was supposed to serve a set time in service, but the links you gave me don't indicate that that was the case.  I know that some of the inns in Williamstown degenerated into brothels and I just wanted to make sure that she wasn't trying to escape something nasty.  Thanks again.  leanne.

Very proud to say my GG grandfather, Charles Beckley was sent to Van Diemen's Land on board the Eliza to serve 7 years for Machine Breaking,  he was part of the Wiltshire Riots in 1830.  He left his first wife back in England, and eventually married another English girl (my gg grandmother Maria Chowns) after settling in Geelong.  Another GGG grandfather Robert Walker was about 18 when he was convicted for stealing lead from rooves, his father was a roofer in Birmingham, quess he tried to get rich the easy way!.  He served his time in Tassie and finally settled in Geelong, married and lived to 92 years old.
My husbands' GG grandfather was Isaac Burnham.  He was convicted of killing a horse that belonged to the man that may have possibly been his real father, (he was illegitimate and also went by the alias Mason, which was the name of the horse owner).  The only witness to his crime was Mason's legitimate son.  He arrived in Tassie to serve 14 years.  He resettled in Victoria and married an English woman and raised a family. 

Cando and Merlin,  Thank you so much for your work and I apologise for not responding sooner.  I posted last night and had to call it quits as I had a 4.00am rise. 

Thank you for finding my John.  His parents were Frances Brown and Joseph Wells so you have helped immensely.  Also, someone asked why I assumed that John's wife Sarah Ann Williams was born to convicts in Tassie.  I was only suggesting that as I already have another family member who came to Geelong after 7 years as a convict in Tasmania, so it was only a maybe.  Sarah's parents, according to her first marriage cert. to John Wells were John Williams and Janet Johnston, however by Sarah's second marriage after John died, her mother was listed as Jane Johnson. 

Someone else on line also researched her family back to a John Williams and Janet Johnston from Tasmania, then Victoria, then NSW and finally back to Victoria.  But she told me that there were two sets of families with parents John and Janet/Jane Williams (nee Johnston) and mine started in Tasmania where they married in around 1840.  John Williams apparantly was born in Dublin and his wife Janet/Jane Johnston/Johnson was from Glasgow.  Their first child was Sarah Ann born in about 1841,  they then had James, Jane and John in Hobart and then came over to Geelong where they had 2 Charles', Alexander, George and Thomas.  I am still tracking down proof of the children born in Geelong as I don't have all of their birth years yet (ie the last two).  I do know that some of the children are buried in Geelong and I am still trying to track down what happened to John Williams and Janet/Jane. 

I have found a death certificate for a Janet Williams born Johnston, however, this is the ancestor of the other lady on line and not mine. (VIC BDM 932)
So I am still looking for information on the Geelong John Williams and Janet/Jane, as their death certificates will help me fill in the blanks on that side. 

Thanks again for your interest in my search,'
Leanne

thanks for the reply,  I'm still looking for an answer.  There were four men who perished and there doesn't appear to be a death cert. for any of them.  I have tried a couple of avenues, but so far, I have not had any luck.  I'll keep trying.
Thanks for your interest anyway.
Leanne.

Thanks Dee
I'll try that,  and thanks for your interest.
Leanne