What the PJ list can do for one! I arrived home hot & brain tired after family history duty at Katoomba Library, opened the PJ list and beheld Betty's transcript of Lydia's court case followed by more from Marg M & Shirley. Thank you all. Research into the Lydia (let's call her Lydia) & John BENN/John MACDONALD story is one of the cases where nothing is straightforward. Soldier Michel GRIFFIN, wife Mary nee AMOS, 2 children Ann & Nicholas plus Thomas born at sea, arrived on the "Britannia" in October 1791. Lydia was the only one colonial born. She was baptised as Elliza GRIFFIN (correct - 2 Ls) at St Phillips on 4th March 1794. This would be impossible to find not only because of the different forename & unknown surname when she married John BENN but it is in NSW BDM index as GRIFFITHS. (V1794278 3A/1794; V1794354 1A/1794) Lydia's mother, Mary, died on 2nd September 1794, according to David Collins in his ‘Authoritative Account of the English Colony in New South Wales’ she killed herself by drinking. I guess she could not cope with the young family in the harsh conditions of those early days. How Lydia was cared for is unknown but we surmise her sister Ann, then about 10, cared for her 2 younger brothers & Lydia. In 1800 Ann married Thomas Bates, a convict of the Neptune 1790. Presumably Lydia may still have been in Ann's care. John BENN, convict of the Gorgon 1791, was also known as John VENHAM or VENMAN but nicknamed 'big Ben". True name - who knows? He was working 30 acres in the Pitt Town area in 1800, with increases in 1802 & 1806 & with others became involved with shipping, whaling and sealing also. Benn was seen as a horse fancier and a hard taskmaster who became lordly with affluence. John Benn & Eliza Griffin (by those names) married at St Matthew's, C or E, Windsor on 16th August 1814. (V18141663 3A/1814) John was killed in an accident, from memory on the Sydney Road, when thrown from his horse on 10th December 1815 (newspaper report I do not have at hand at the moment) & Hawkesbury gossip was that Lydia was implicated in a plot to replace Benn by Macdonald who was assigned to John Benn. I agree Benn's death in not in the BDM index, but had not thought about a probate index entry. Thanks for the suggestion. From memory he is either buried, or there is a memorial to him, on the Macdonald crypt in St Matthew's, Windsor. I took photos when I was "introducing" three young granddaughters to their 6X great grandfather Michael Griffin on the Edwards line though Lydia's sister Ann. Unfortunately I have not every plaque in my photos. I, too, have read that Macdonald Valley is named after John who was interested in exploring the adjacent region. He was never a bushranger if you take the modern meaning of the term. He certainly had no need to hide from the constabulary as far as I can find out. Joan Edwards, Blue Mountains NSW