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Joseph Harrison (c. 1760–?)

Joseph Harrison (c.1760- ) was found guilty on 14 January 1784 at the Old Bailey, London, of breaking into a watchmaker's shop and stealing a watch. His death sentence was commuted to 7 years transportation on 27 March 1784. He was sent to the Censor hulk on 6 September, where he remained until he embarked for New South Wales on the Scarborough in February 1787, arriving in Sydney in January 1788 as part of the First Fleet.

Harrison was sent to Norfolk Island on the Sirius in March 1790. In 1805 he was recorded as a stockman, in 1810 as a shepherd.

Harrison left Norfolk Island for Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) on the Minstrel in February 1813 and settled on 50 acres at Morven near Launceston. His date of death is not known.

information from

  • Mollie Gillen, The Founders of Australia: A Biographical Dictionary of the First Fleet (1989), p 162
  • HMS Sirius 1786-1790 https://hmssirius.com.au/joseph-harrison-convict-scarborough-1788 — accessed 1 September 2020

Additional Resources

Citation details

'Harrison, Joseph (c. 1760–?)', People Australia, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://peopleaustralia.anu.edu.au/biography/harrison-joseph-30903/text38266, accessed 29 March 2024.

© Copyright People Australia, 2012

Life Summary [details]

Birth

c. 1760

Passenger Ship
Occupation
Key Events
Key Places
Convict Record

Crime: theft
Sentence: 7 years