This web site is designed to provide historical information of the Fearnley family of Tasmania with  my great-great-Grandfather, James Fearnley 1815-1890, as the focus for ancestors and descendants.  James was  born in Scholes, North Yorkshire and in 1834 he was convicted of cattle stealing . The  following year he was tried, convicted and sentenced to transportation for life. In 1836, James  arrived in Van Dieman's Land where he underwent his period of servitude mainly in Hobart. In 1844  he was granted a "ticket of leave" and in 1846 was granted a "conditional" pardon. In 1847, James  married Sarah Dodd and together, they had nine children.

There have been numerous descendants of James and Sarah of which I am of the fourth generation. To  provide a history of the Fearnleys of Tasmania, and to accurately reflect the family history of  current generations, I have include various paternal and maternal family lines of those who have  inter-married into the Fearnley family. For this reason I have given equal importance to accurately  record my English, Scottish and Swedish ancestors and my wife's Dutch ancestors. You will find other family  histories on this web site which I consider are of interest in their relationship to my family  history. 

I wish to thank Christine (Fern) Williams and Pauline (Pollie) Scott particularly for helping me  gather the Fearnley family information. Fern and Pollie have their own Fearnley family histories and both  have been most generous in providing me with information. Their generosity and good will has been a  major factor in the establishment of this website.

I am extremely grateful to Cameron Gillespie for the many pictures he has given to me of our  Tasmanian ancestors. What a treasure they are and what a wonderful sense of history they provide to  the Fearnley Family History.

Thanks also to Shirley Law for her encouragement, advice and the many pictures of family relations  that she has provided.

I am very grateful to Judi de Closey for her detailed research and assistance particularly with her  research of my Swedish ancestry.

I also wish to thanks Alan Moore and Sandra Munro for their advice, encouragement and assistance.

A special thanks also to Liedeweij Van Driel nee Weggeman for her help with my wife's Dutch  relations and Dutch ancestry.

Without the help of all of these people, this website would be far less informative. 

Recently I have noted (thank you Pollie and GENUKI) that the Yorkshire Poll Tax for the year 1379  for the Birstall Parish of Wyke and Liversedge have recorded the following names:

Johannes ffernelee Carpentar & uxor (wife) Johannes de ffernelee and Margeria de ffernelee in Wyke.

Ricardus de ffernelay in Liversedge.

George Fearnley, born in 1530 in this area of North Yorkshire, is a direct ancestor and he is the first  of the Fearnley family recorded in this family history.

Could Johannes, Margeria and Ricardus be ancestors of George and if so, of the Tasmanian Fearnleys? 

That well may be so!