The first numerous years of Elizabeth’s life while the an allocated convict was not sure, but we understand that from 1825 she served section of the woman 14-12 months sentence due to the fact a slave in order to Matthew ‘Matt’ Miller, an excellent widowed constable and you may pardoned convict living within Windsor who had several youngsters. Elizabeth’s project in order to Miller now might possibly be extreme getting several causes, maybe not at least are Miller’s intense bashing out of their brand new girlfriend when you look at the 1828, whereby he had been doomed to hang.
It is possible Jilks fabricated this type of affairs to cover the truth regarding Elizabeth and Rebecca’s previous lifetime to avoid sullying their reputation while the okay upstanding owners out-of Parramatta
During the Elizabeth’s go out because the Miller’s servant during the Windsor, it appears to be she got a child together with buddy and associate, George Jilks. Birth details demonstrate that a kid called ‘William Bennett Jilks’ came into this world at Windsor towards the 9 Oct 1826 so you’re able to George Jilks, Chief Constable out-of Quarterly report, and you may a female registered only given that ‘Elizabeth’ – the name away from Jilks’s mate was ‘elizabeth from Elizabeth’s spouse try ‘William Bennett.’ What is particularly noteworthy, although not, is the fact William Bennett Jilks might not have been this new couple’s only situation and, a whole lot more surprisingly, might not have started their first.
Ages later during a legal proceeding, Jilks will say lower than oath he had identified Age during the The united kingdomt, long before either of these had been convicted and you will moved, plus advertised having known this lady girl Rebecca ‘off her delivery.’ His states were probable, as the Jilks was tried and found guilty because the ‘George Gilkes’ from inside the Middlesex where E seems to have got a good early in the day conviction having larceny during the 1812 and you will close to where she are apprehended inside 1818 on her transportable crime.
I have been called the father out of [Rebecca], however, I am not saying; We swear I am not saying; she never ever went by every other name than simply Bennett within colony; she never went by my personal title….Robert Miller try her father, who, I believe, grew to become alive during the The united kingdomt; he hitched my sibling, however, she is maybe not mom away from [Rebecca]; Mrs. Bennett was their mother…
Suspicions from Jilks’s links in order to Age and you may Rebecca was raised next when Jilks’s girlfriend, ined and you can she paused rather ahead of replying to issue out of if or not she had ever described Rebecca as the Skip Jilks: ‘I would personally, perhaps, enjoys titled the lady thus, inside 
my residence, whenever conversing with the children, but don’t since the this lady has grown.’ Which have Rebecca’s delivery season projected because 1813 and you will Jilks’s belief inside the Sep 1814 and you may transport in may regarding 1816 into Mariner, Jilks has been the woman biological dad given that other people got naturally insinuated. The latest legal proceeding indicated that individuals whom knew the latest group better not merely captivated the theory one Jilks are Rebecca’s father plus voiced that it concept, relatively indicating it had been already public knowledge that Jilks and you can Age got a male child along with her for the Windsor. Whatever the case, the relationship between the Jilks and you can Bennett families was constantly good as a half a dozen-year-dated woman called ‘Margaret,’ a child out of George Jilks, is actually a citizen from the Bennett’s bakery during the time new 1828 census was pulled.
To date, no information regarding Jilks’s English cousin or her spouse Robert Miller was indeed receive so you’re able to corroborate Jilks’s statements regarding Rebecca’s real parentage inside the Old The united kingdomt. In fact, that papers stated that Rebecca ‘and her family went about middling family of area, & preferred a reasonable glory among all of their numerous friends.’
Fickle Swains and Volatile Future
Despite started hitched as the 1820, the brand new Bennetts didn’t have its first guy along with her until 1829; a child christened Elizabeth Ann followed by a kid, William H. Bennett Jnr., produced circa 1831 at the Bennett’s Parramatta domestic and you can bakery.
