The birth of William Dring is thought to be around 1767 and although recorded as being in Kingston Upon Hull I have not been able to find any registration his birth there. Having found a number of other William Drings through out England all of which I have researched one by one to find that they have either died or before or had children after 1784 and therefore discarded them. However, there are two posibilities left. One in South Shields in Durham and the other in Granby in Nottinhamshire, both born in 1767. I am yet to substantiate either one but the William Dring born in December 1767 in South Shields is the top contender at present. The reason being that my William Dring is recorded as being a Mariner both in the UK and Australian National Archives and South Shields is a port and trading town where as Granby is inland.

William was transported in 1787

William is documented as being a very compitent and useful seaman in many documents held at our National Archives in Sydney and on Norfolk Island where his occupation as a Coxwain was most appreciated by Phillip Gidley King.

William arrived in Sydney Cove in January 1788 and went to Norfolk Island in October 1788 where he married Ann Forbes in 1791. Two of their three children Ann and Elizabeth were born there in 1792 and 1794 respectively. They returned to Sydney in 1794 where again his seamanship is well document. Daughter Ann died in 1795 and son Charles was born and died in the Colony in 1796 and Ann took up with Thomas Jones/Huxley in 1798. William is said to have left the colony around this time and as Whaling and trade were growing very rapidly at this time it is a very strong posibility that he left on one of the many ships visiting Sydney at that time. The death of a William Dring in 1854 is I believe either his Grandson born to Elizabeth in 1812 or one of the other two William Drings who came in 1828 and 1845 respectively.

If there is anyone from the UK with a William Dring in their family who was transported to Australia in 1787 I would love to hear from you as to find him and the family he left behind would be truly wonderful