James
Pillinger, was born circa 1765 in Bristol. In 1790 he appeared before
the court in Bristol charged with stealing two watches from the shop of James
Brimble. Brimble had seen Pillinger and an accomplice, John Pearson, run out
of his shop immediately before he noticed that the watches were missing.
James Pillinger was sentenced to 7 years transportation, and deported
on the Fourth Fleet vessel "Pitt" (775 tons) which sailed from Yarmouth
Roads on 17th July 1791. The passage to Port Jackson took 212 days, although
there were calls of several days at the Cape Verde Islands, Rio de Janeiro
and Cape Town. Smallpox, a malignant fever, and scurvy all took their toll
of sailors, soldiers and prisoners, and the families of all of these; of the
410 convicts carried, 67 died on passage and 120 men were landed sick, many
of whom died in the weeks following their arrival at Port Jackson on 14th
February 1792.
James
was transferred to Norfolk Island in 1801 and married Elizabeth Wood , who
had been transported as a child with her mother, also named Elizabeth,
aboard the "Neptune" in 1790.
Elizabeth
Pillinger (nee Wood) died in Hobart in 1824 age given as 39 (born circa 1785)
James
Pillinger snr. died at Oatlands 12th July 1845 age given as 80 (born circa
1765).