John Hewlett was born in 1822 Newnham and worked as a farm labourer. On 24 July 1934, he was sentenced to two weeks in prison for absconding from his service for 6 weeks. On 10 March, he was sentenced to one month in prison for absconding from his service again. On 20 July 1840, he was sentenced to six months in prison for robbing potatoes from a garden. On 3 March 1841, he was sentenced to be transported for 10 years for burglary and stealing 3 loaves of bread and a watch from John Harris in St Briavels. After a spell on a hulk, he was transferred to the Tortoise which set sail for Van Diemen’s Land on 28 Sept 1841 and arrived on 19 February 1842.
He obtained his ticket of leave on 25 August 1847 and his certificate of freedom on 8 March 1852. On 12 September 1852, he caught a ship to Melbourne. John Hewlett died on 7 February 1871.