George Sewell from Durham

I am new to family research, having recently inherited this project from an Aunt who has done a fair bit of work on our family since arrival in Australia in 1814.

We are trying to find any information on George Sewell who was born in Durham about 1782. George was married to Ellen (maiden name unknown), living in Beverley and working as a blacksmith at the time he was arrested for burglary. He was subsequently sentenced to death by hanging, but later transported to New South Wales on the 'Somersetshire', arriving in Sydney on 16 October, 1814.

George and Ellen had five children (John, George, Thomas, Sarah and Jane) who were all born in England. Ellen and the children followed George to Australia in 1815 on the 'Northampton'.

We recently had a terrific Sewell reunion in Mittagong, NSW which was organised by Stan Gordon. Unfortunately, we were not able to shed any light on the ancestry of George, nor have we been able to find Ellen's maiden name.

If anyone can help, it would be greatly appreciated.