Thank you for all the kind help I've received with this 3x great grand uncle. I'd like to post this potted biography for the benefit of my helpers. John Punyer was born 1806 in Hastingleigh Kent UK. He married a widow Abigail Jones Dec 1828 in Wye Kent and they had two children. The first, Mary Ann born 1830 died 1831. The second girl Abigail born 1832 died 1858. However John was arrested and tried for stealing poultry and was sentenced to 7 years transportation. He arrived in Australia in 1835 on board the Marquis of Huntley and was sent to the Hunter district. He was an assigned servant to the East Maitland police magistrate. This didn't keep him out of trouble and he didn't receive his certificate of freedom until June 1846. His wife described herself as a widow and remarried. John's "adventures" are related in the local papers on a couple of occaisions and then he settles down with Selina Grimes late Hill. She came to Sydney with her parents and worked as a childrens nurse. They had three children I think, the earliest ones registered/baptised in the local church and not to much information has remained. Elizabeth's state registration in 1857 says that Selina and John were married in Newtown Sydney in 1848 but I haven't found any record of it. John appears to have served three terms in jail 3 years from 1867, 4 months in 1875 and 12 months hard labour in 1879. He did get his portrait taken in 1879. John died sadly in the Macquarie Street Asylum Parramatta, where he was an inmate. The verdict of the coroner's jury was that he died by his own hand and the cause of death was injuries to his throat. I have not found anything further on Selina, it is possible she 'married' again and was buried under that name. Once more thank you to you all, Leslie when I first started on the Australian connections and Rosemary recently with a great deal of help. There were many others who added information and advice along the way for which I am most grateful. Ted Fowler Drake NSW