The earliest years of Elizabeth’s existence because an assigned convict try unsure, but we understand the ones from 1825 she offered section of the woman 14-season sentence due to the fact a servant in order to Matthew ‘Matt’ Miller, good widowed constable and you will pardoned convict lifestyle in the Windsor who’d a few children. Elizabeth’s assignment so you’re able to Miller at this time could be high for several reasons, not at least becoming Miller’s intense bashing regarding their the fresh spouse inside the 1828, which he was condemned to hold.
You’ll be able to Jilks fabricated this type of things to conceal the truth off Age and Rebecca’s former lifetime to stop sullying the profile since okay upstanding citizens regarding Parramatta
Throughout the Elizabeth’s big date given that Miller’s servant on Windsor, it looks she got a child along with his friend and you can associate, George Jilks. Birth ideas demonstrate that children titled ‘William Bennett Jilks’ was born during the Windsor on the nine October 1826 so you’re able to George Jilks, Master Constable from Sydney, and you can a lady filed only just like the ‘Elizabeth’ – title out-of Jilks’s partner was ‘elizabeth out of Elizabeth’s spouse was ‘William Bennett.’ What is actually like notable, yet not, is that William Bennett Jilks might not have come new couple’s sole matter and you may, alot more contrary to popular belief, may not have been the first.
Age later on throughout the a legal proceeding, Jilks would state lower than oath which he got recognized E when you look at the England, a long time before possibly of those was in fact convicted and you may directed, and also stated to own understood their daughter Rebecca ‘of the woman beginning.’ His states was basically possible, since the Jilks are experimented with and you may convicted given that ‘George Gilkes’ when you look at the Middlesex where E seemingly have got an excellent earlier belief getting larceny from inside the 1812 and next to where she try apprehended inside the 1818 for her lightweight offense.
I have already been called the dad of [Rebecca], but I am not saying; We swear I’m not; she never passed any other identity than just Bennett inside colony; she never passed my personal label….Robert Miller are the woman dad, whom, I believe, is starting to become real time in England; he married my personal sis, but she’s not the mother regarding [Rebecca]; Mrs. Bennett try the woman mommy…
Suspicions from Jilks’s website links in order to Age and plenty of fish quizzes you may Rebecca was in fact elevated then when Jilks’s wife, ined and you can she paused notably ahead of responding to issue from if or not she got actually ever labeled Rebecca just like the Skip Jilks: ‘I would, possibly, enjoys entitled her therefore, at my own house, whenever talking to the youngsters, but never since this lady has grown up.’ Which have Rebecca’s delivery seasons estimated as the 1813 and you may Jilks’s belief in the Sep 1814 and you may transport in may out of 1816 to your Mariner, Jilks could have been the woman biological father given that others had needless to say insinuated. The new court case revealed that individuals exactly who realized brand new group really not simply entertained the concept you to definitely Jilks was Rebecca’s dad but also voiced this theory, apparently indicating it was already common knowledge that Jilks and you will Elizabeth had a masculine child along with her when you look at the Windsor. Whatever the case, the relationship amongst the Jilks and you can Bennett group try constantly good as the a half a dozen-year-old lady called ‘Margaret,’ a girl out-of George Jilks, is actually a resident during the Bennett’s bakery at the time brand new 1828 census was taken.
Up to now, zero ideas regarding Jilks’s English cousin otherwise her spouse Robert Miller was basically found so you’re able to corroborate Jilks’s comments from the Rebecca’s true parentage when you look at the Old England. In fact, one to newsprint reported that Rebecca ‘along with her household members stepped regarding the middling group of people, & preferred a reasonable magnificence among all of their multiple family.’
Volatile Swains and Volatile Future
Even with been hitched since 1820, this new Bennetts didn’t have their first guy along with her up until 1829; a child christened E Ann followed closely by a child, William H. Bennett Jnr., born circa 1831 on Bennett’s Parramatta household and you will bakery.