Richard NORRIS, was born in Dublin, Ireland 1776. As an adult he was 5'6" (167.6 cm) in height and had a fresh complexion and hazel eyes. On his lower left arm he had the tattoo of a mermaid.
An Irish rebel convicted and sentenced to death for Robbery in Dublin in 1797, the sentence was commuted in 1798 and he was transported to Australia on the conditon that he never return to Ireland. Richard arrived fron Cork to the Colony of New South Wales aboard the ship "Minerva" on 11 January 1800.

As early as 1801, he was granted a provisional ticket of leave which was common because farming was proving to be a major problem in the Colony and farmers were needed.

In 1802 he found a wife in Mary WILLIAMS. She had arrived on the ship "Nile" on 14 December 1801. She had been born at Bath in Somerset England about 1778, Mary was convicted at the Wells Assizes, Somerset Summer Circuit on the 16 August 1800 for stealing 4 muslin handkerchiefs and 3 check aprons the property of Elizabeth Ann COX Widow, Hestor CATTERSON Spinster, and Frances MOUNTEREY Spinster' in the parish of Stone Easton and sentenced to 7 years.

Richard and Mary's first child, John, was born at Cornwallis in the Hawkesbury district in 1803. There does not appear to be a baptism record for him, but when the general census was taken in November 1828, John stated that he was 25 years of age.

By 1805, when the muster of convicts was held, Richard NORRIS was renting Barrington's Farm of about 8 acres near Green Hills. He had the whole of the farm under wheat, and he had three pigs. In storage were 6 bushels of wheat and 2 of maize. Mary WILLIAMS, who had arrived on the ship "Nile", was described as his housekeeper, and they had two children.

1806 NSW General Muster shows Richard had a ticket of Leave and his occupation was that of farmer.

It's believed that Richard and Mary were married by the Reverend Samuel MARSDEN when he visited Windsor in 1806

When the general muster was held in 1814, Richard NORRIS was described as a landholder. Mary WILLIAMS was his wife and the number of their children had increased to six. At that time, Richard had two convicts, Patrick McGUINIS and Thomas HEWITT, assigned to him.

At the 1822 Muster, Richard NORRIS was a landholder with a farm of 50 acres near Windsor. At that time 20 acres were under maize, 16 under wheat, 4 under barley, and he had 2 acres of potatoes. He also had a herd of 24 cattle, and owned 4 horses and 60 pigs. He was doing well with his farming pursuits and had in storage 200 bushels of maize and 20 of wheat. He and Mary then had a family of 11.
The age of their eldest son John was recorded as 20, but it is more likely that he was 19. According to NORRIS family records, Richard NORRIS owned two 30 acre farms (one that had been originally granted to Michael DOYLE, and the other originally granted to Jane EZZY at Cornwallis, and also a town allotment in Brabyn Street, Windsor as a place of refuge in time of flood.

On 3 May 1838 at the Sydney Supreme Court, Richard with two very successful farms and a house in Windsor pleads 'not guilty' to a charge of stealing his neighbour's pig.- He was found guilty and sentenced to death - later commuted to 'life' on Norfolk Island. He was transported on "Phoenix" where his crime is recorded as "robbery.

Mary and Richard Norris had 14 children; 11 boys & 3 girls; and about 92 grandchildren.

On the 19 February 1843 at the Norfolk Island General Hospital Richard NORRIS died. He is buried in the cemetery by the beach at Kingston. The grave is unmarked.

Mary NORRIS, nee WILLIAMS died on 26 January 1863 at Cornwallis and is buried at the Windsor Catholic Cemetery.


The children of Richard NORRIS and Mary, nee WILLIAMS were:-
1. John NORRIS b:1803 Cornwallis, NSW d:26 Sept. 1864 at Sally's Bottoms. m. Rachel EATHER 1807-1875 on 17 Dec. 1823 at St.Mary's Roman Catholic Church, Sydney, New South Wales.
The children of this marriage were:-
1. Maria NORRIS 1824-1903 m. (1) Patrick DUNN 1823-1850 (2) Peter PAGE 1816-1878
2. Harriet NORRIS 1828-1841
3. Michael John NORRIS 1832-1909 m. (1) Jane COLBRAN 1838-1875. (2) Barbara Ellen GRUBB 1842-1895
4. Elizabeth NORRIS 1834-1894 m. Cornelius MCMAHON 1824-1894
5. Thomas NORRIS 1836 - 1903 m. Catherine LONDON 1843-1911
6. Rachael NORRIS 1839-1915 m. John Michael COLBRAN 1836-1914
7. Ann NORRIS 1842-1931 m. Henry GREEN 1839-1916
8. Rebecca NORRIS 1844-1936 m. John COOK 1843-1915
9. Stephen NORRIS 1846-1888 m. Ellen MCGUINESS 1855-19--
10.Susannah Mary NORRIS 1852-1940 m. (1) Isaac COOK 1846-1895 (2) Alfred T DRUITT 1859-1934


2. Thomas NORRIS b:1805 Cornwallis d: 16 January 1890 at Old Cullen m. Elizabeth Sarah CONNOR 1810-1876 at Cornwallis 4 April 1826.
The Children from this marriage were:-

1.Elizabeth Maria NORRIS 1827-1891 m. Henry POWER in 1847
2.Richard William NORRIS 1829-1905 m. Mary WEAVERS 1831-1912 in 1850
3.Mary NORRIS 1831-1891
4.John William Joseph NORRIS 1833-1887 m. Margaret FOLEY 1837-1919 in 1857
5.Sarah NORRIS 1836-1838
6.Harriet NORRIS 1838-1915 m. Michael LEHANE 1840-1917 in 1873
7.Maria NORRIS 1841--
8.Michael NORRIS 1842-1928 m. Rachel MITCHELL 1846-1916 in 1863
9.Esther NORRIS 1845-1890 m. Richard Francis CURTIS
10.Anne NORRIS 1848-1858
11.Caroline Annie NORRIS 1850-1923

3. Richard NORRIS b:1807 Cornwallis d:11 April 1868 Windsor m. Mary Ann COSTELLO 1815-1853 at Sydney on 3 September 1835.
The children of this marriage were:-
1.Julia Ann NORRIS 1836- -
2.Mary NORRIS 1837- ?
3.Ellen Ester NORRIS 1839-1927
4.Richard NORRIS 1840-1877
5.Louisa Mary NORRIS 1845-1918
6.John Jeremiah NORRIS 1849-1921
7.Albert Joseph NORRIS 1851-1918
8.Infant NORRIS 1853-1853


4. James NORRIS b:1810 Cornwallis d: 7 March 1875 Windsor m.Ann BROWN 1818-1883 in 1834.
The children of this marriage were:-

1.William NORRIS 1835-1885
2.Rachael NORRIS 1836-1930
3. Ann NORRIS 1838-1933 m.
4.James NORRIS 1841-1845
5.Edward NORRIS 1843-1876
6.Mary Ann NORRIS 1845-?
7.James NORRIS 1847-1926
8.David NORRIS 1850?1893
9.Emma NORRIS 1852 - 1874
10.Charles NORRIS 1856-1858
11.Elizabeth NORRIS 1856 - ?


5. Christopher NORRIS b:6 December 1811, Cornwallis d: 18 May 1898 at Orange m. (1) Mary CRABB/SHRIMPTON 1814-1854 in 1834.
The children of this marriage were:-

1.Joseph NORRIS 1835-1899
2.Thomas NORRIS 1836-1899
3.Jane NORRIS 1838 - 1902
4.James NORRIS 1840-1893
5.Maria Matilda NORRIS 1842-1892
6.Robert NORRIS 1846-1924
7.Charles NORRIS 1848-?
8.Mary A NORRIS 1850 - ?

(2) Mary Jane GIBBONS, nee DOUGLASS 1806-1856 at ST Matthews Catholic Windsor 1855 NO children


6. William NORRIS b:18 Nov.1813, Cornwallis. d:25 September 1843 Windsor. m. Lucy UPTON, nee BROWN 1814-1876 at Windsor in 1836 Lucy had been married to Jesse UPTON 1806-1872 and after Williams death went on to marry Laban WHITE 1794-1873.
The children of this marriage were:-

Alfred James NORRIS 1837?1875
Jane Emma NORRIS 1838?1916
Emma Amelia NORRIS 1840??
William NORRIS 1840?1887
Henry NORRIS 1843?1876


7. Harriet NORRIS b: 6 Oct.1815 Cornwallis d: 17 August 1894 Nelson, NSW. m. Samuel MASON 1806-1880
at Windsor on 15 May 1831.
The children of this marriage were:-

1.Sarah MASON 1832-1833
2.William MASON 1833-1833
3.Samuel MASON 1836-1909
4.Frances MASON 1839-1839


8. Maria NORRIS b:1818 Cornwallis d:10 September 1853 Cornwallis. m. William Henry MELLISH 1809-1858 at St.Matthews Catholic church Windsor on the 2 August 1835.
The children of this marriage were:-

1.Maria MELLISH 1837-1909
2.Caroline MELLISH 1840-1902
3.William Henry MELLISH 1844-1922
4.Francis Charles MELLISH 1846-1905
5.John Frederick MELLISH 1848-1935
6.Edward MELLISH 1850-1913
7.Samuel MELLISH 1853-1854


9. Michael NORRIS b:1820 Cornwallis d:25 September 1854 Cornwallis. m. Margaret DONNELLY 1820-1838
at Windsor on 27 August 1837


10. Ann NORRIS b: 14 September 1821 Cornwallis d:2 March 1906 at Bulli, NSW m.Andrew Alexander FRAZER 1817-1886
at Ebeneza on the 13 Feb. 1837.
The children of this marriage were:-

1.Elizabeth FRAZER 1838-1881
2.Andrew A FRAZER 1840-1922
3.George FRAZER 1843-?
4.James Christopher FRAZER 1845-1938
5.Sarah FRAZER 1846-?
6.John Thomas FRAZER 1848-1917
7.Richard FRAZER 1850-?
8.Ann FRAZER 1853 - ?
9.Francis Stephen FRAZER 1855-1950
10.Amelia Jane FRAZER 1857-1912
11.Alice Maria FRAZER 1859-1932
12.Emily Unah FRAZER 1862-1948


11. Francis Stephen NORRIS b:14 September 1821 Cornwallis. d: 9 October 1901 at Windsor. m. Mary Ann ELLIOT 1821-1903 at St.Matthews Catholic Church on 14 June 1845.
The children of this marriage were:-

1.Christopher John NORRIS 1846-1925
2.Harriet NORRIS 1848-1919
3.Maria NORRIS 1850-?
4.Francis NORRIS 1853-1903
5.Stephen Francis NORRIS 1853-?
6.Patrick Joseph NORRIS 1855-1930
7.William NORRIS 1857-1864
8.John NORRIS 1860-1879


12. Patrick NORRIS b:1823 Cornwallis. d:9 March 1890 at Windsor. m. Eliza WILSON 1826-1905 at Windsor on 27 October 1845.
Children of this marriage were:-
Stephen NORRIS -?
Maria NORRIS 1844-1891


13. Paul NORRIS b:12 December 1826 Cornwallis d: 19 Feb. 1827 Cornwallis

14. Joseph NORRIS b:1835 Cornwallis d:4 February 1899 at Kogarah, Sydney, New South Wales