Convicted, with his wife, Jane Davis, of stealing sheep. Transported to Macquarie Harbour Penal Settlement as punishment.
In June 1824 William and Jane Davis were charged with receiving 100 stolen sheep, part of a lot of 150 ewes, 9 rams and 40 lambs, worth £220 stolen by Thomas Butler and Thomas Keane on the night of 23 April 1823 from wealthy and influential farmers.
Included were nine merino rams brought in to improve the quality of the Governors flock. The case rested on the evidence of one of the thieves, Keane, and took two days to hear in the Supreme Court. The sheep were taken from Broadmarsh and walked for two days to the Davis property.
A month earlier Butler had been convicted of another case of sheep stealing and had been sentenced to death. That case also involved, Keane who was a convict servant assigned to Williams Davis, the Collis family, Constable Luttrell of Black Brush, John Peck and other families. Keane’s evidence for the prosecution provided the opportunity to try to round up the sheep stealing industry in the area.
Keane knocked on the Davis door at 10am on Thursday morning after Butler had told him William had agreed to buy 100 of the sheep in exchange for two of his bullocks worth £25 and £10 worth of clothes. But William now knew the origin of the sheep. They got some food and then went to the Collis house but Elizabeth and Charles were not there. James Collis, then 12, gave them some flour. They then drove the sheep on towards Bagdad and on to Noah Mortimer’s land at Stonor near Lake Tiberias.
On Saturday they returned to the Davis house and saw Jane, her daughter Sarah , John Peck and John Andersen and went to see the sheep. Peck had bought sheep from Butler before and agreed to take 60. Jane agreed to take 117.
The sheep were delivered and William gave Charles Collis the bullocks to pass on to a Mr Fitzgerald for Butler. A complex exchange attempted to conceal the transaction.
The Davis’ barrister sought to upset Keane’s testimony until the judge decided he had heard enough. Butler was found guilty and hanged the next month.
William, Jane and Peck were found guilty of receiving stolen property, but Anderson and Wilkinson were acquitted. Keane received half the sentence given to William and Jane. Anderson who lived near Noah Mortimore at Lake Tiberias was tried several times and acquitted.
A report in the Hobart Town Gazette of 6 August 1824 indicates that Charles Collis had also been sentenced to 14 years at Macquarie Harbour.
William and Jane Davis were allowed to live together at Macquarie Harbour in the same hut and William became the overseer of shoemakers.
They were sent to Maria Island from Macquarie Harbour in 1829 and received their ticket of leave in 1830.