John Mills was a convict aboard The Ship General Hewart/Hewitt which sailed from England on Thu. 26 Aug 1813 and arrived in Sydney, NSW on 7 February 1814 under the Master Percy Earl. He died from hanging.

Williams's brother, George Mills, was born on Thu. 9 Sep 1819 at Castle Hill, Parish: C of E, Parramatta St John's, NSW, Australia.

The following is taken from http://www.firstfamilies2001.net.au/firstfamily.cfm?id=Mills1852172429...

On 19 March 1813 the Lent Assizes held at Maidstone in Kent, England, heard a case involving John Mills 'the Elder', aged forty-three, late of the Parish of Allington in the County of Kent, a labourer; John Mills 'the Younger' aged fourteen, also of the Parish of Allington, a labourer; and James Wells aged twenty-seven, again of the Parish of Allington, a labourer. All three were charged with stealing pigs valued at £12, the property of Robert Fauchon. John Mills the Elder was acquitted. John Mills the Younger and James Wells were both sentenced to transportation for seven years.

Following the trial John Mills the Younger was sent to the hulk 'Zealand', which was moored at Sheerness, to await transportation. He was held on the 'Zealand' from 19 April to 13 August 1813. He was then transferred to the convict ship 'General Hewart' (often called 'General Hewitt'). The 'General Hewart' arrived in Sydney on 7 February 1814.

The convict indent of the 'General Hewart' shows John Mills as being a 16 year old 'Farmer's boy' from Kent who was 5 feet 3¼ inches in height with a fair/pale complexion, light brown hair and hazel eyes.

The 1814 Muster lists John Mills as residing in the Parramatta district and working for George Best, to whom he must have been assigned as a convict labourer. On 15 December 1817 John Mills petitioned for a Ticket-of-Leave which, although he would still be a convict, would allow him to work for himself. John Mills’ request was granted.

On 22 June 1818 John Mills married Mary Best, the daughter of George Best and Martha née Chamberlain. John Mills and his wife Mary née Best then resided on the farm of Thomas Best, Mary’s brother.

John Mills’ sentence expired on 15 March 1820 and on 25 May 1820 he petitioned the Governor for a grant of land. John Mills was duly granted 50 acres.

John Mills was tried in the Criminal Court on 14 August 1821. He was charged with being part of a gang of bushrangers led by William Geary which had been robbing people on the Windsor Road north of Parramatta. One of the other alleged members of Geary's gang was Samuel Beckett, the brother of Thomas Best's wife. Samuel Beckett was acquitted but John Mills, along with several others, was found guilty. On 18 August 1821 he was sentenced to death. John Mills was hanged on 24 August 1821.

On 31 March 1823 John Mills' widow Mary married James Beckett another brother of Mary Beckett, the wife of Thomas Best.