William French Brown (c. 1757–?)
William French Brown was found guilty on 10 January 1786 at the Surrey Quarter Sessions of stealing a Gloucester cheese from a shop. Sentenced to 7 years transportation he was sent to the Justitia hulk before embarking on the Alexander in January 1787, arriving in New South Wales a year later as part of the First Fleet.
Brown married Sarah Taylor on 17 February 1788 at Sydney Cove. They were sent to Norfolk Island on the Sirius in March 1790. By July 1791 the couple were living on a Sydney Town lot, with 80 rods cleared. The Browns left Norfolk Island for Port Jackson on the Kitty in March 1793. As both of the Browns disappear from the records it seems likely that they left the colony.
* information from Mollie Gillen, The Founders of Australia: A Biographical Dictionary of the First Fleet (1989), p 54
Related Entries in NCB Sites
- Brown, Sarah (wife)
Citation details
'Brown, William French (c. 1757–?)', People Australia, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://peopleaustralia.anu.edu.au/biography/brown-william-french-30422/text37726, accessed 10 December 2024.
Life Summary [details]
Birth
Cultural Heritage
Includes subject's nationality; their parents' nationality; the countries in which they spent a significant part of their childhood, and their self-identity.