How many convicts were on the First Fleet to Australia?
How many convicts were on the First Fleet to Australia?
Perhaps most famously, the First Fleet included more than 700 convicts. The settlement at Botany Bay was intended to be a penal colony. The convicts of the First Fleet included both men and women. Most were British, but a few were American, French, and even African.
Who brought the first convicts to Australia?
Captain Arthur Phillip
On January 26, 1788, Captain Arthur Phillip guides a fleet of 11 British ships carrying convicts to the colony of New South Wales, effectively founding Australia.
Who are the convicts on the First Fleet?
List of Convicts
| Name | Place of conviction | Other information |
|---|---|---|
| William Brown | Exeter | died at sea, 19 September 1787 |
| Elizabeth Bruce | London | Convicted at the Old Bailey (with Elizabeth Anderson) of stealing three linen table-cloths (15s) and two aprons (5s). |
| Robert Bruce | Exeter | |
| John Bryant | Exeter |
What happened to convicts when they got to Australia?
Free settlers were moving to Australia, and convicts were increasingly employed to work for them. As convicts either finished their sentence, or were pardoned, they were able to earn a living and sustain themselves through jobs and land grants. They could then be given a ticket-of-leave or pardon.
Who was the oldest convict on the First Fleet?
Dorothy Handland
Dorothy Handland (born Dorothy Coolley; c. 1705/26 -) was perhaps the oldest convict transported on the First Fleet….
| Dorothy Handland | |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 1705/26 |
| Other names | Dorothy Handlyn, Dorothy Henley, Dorothy Hanland |
| Occupation | Old clothes woman |
| Criminal charge(s) | Perjury |
Who was the youngest convict?
John Hudson
John Hudson, described as ‘sometimes a chimney sweeper’, was the youngest known convict to sail with the First Fleet. Voyaging on board the Friendship to NSW, the boy thief was 13 years old on arrival at Sydney Cove. He was only nine when first sentenced.
How were female convicts treated in Australia?
Despite the belief that convict women during the transportation period were all prostitutes, no women were transported for that offence. The majority of women sent to Australia were convicted for what would now be considered minor offences (such as petty theft), most did not receive sentences of more than seven years.
When did the first fleet of convicts arrive in Australia?
The First Fleet sailed from England on 13 May 1787 and arrived at Botany Bay eight months later, on 18 January 1788. Governor Arthur Phillip rejected Botany Bay choosing instead Port Jackson, to the north, as the site for the new colony; they arrived there on 26 January 1788. The number of convicts transported in…
When did the First Fleet arrive in Australia?
Its purpose was to find a convict settlement on the east coast of Australia, at Botany Bay. The First Fleet sailed from England on 13 May 1787 and arrived at Botany Bay eight months later, on 18 January 1788.
Who was the first group to arrive in Australia?
First Fleet Convicts to Australia. The earliest group of permanent settlers to arrive in Australia from Britain has come to be known as the First Fleet.
Who was in charge of the first settlement in Australia?
Captain Arthur Phillip was in charge and his job was to establish a convict settlement in Australia. The ships sailed from Portsmouth, England. There were eleven small ships in the First Fleet: two naval ships, six convict ships and three store ships for supplies. Captain Arthur Phillip was in charge of the fleet.
