People Australia

Thomas Bryant (c.1768- ), a labourer, was found guilty on 15 March 1784 of highway robbery and theft of a silver watch, a gold half guinea, and one shilling in silver. His death sentence was commuted to 7 years transportation. Sent to the Justitia hulk, he embarked on the Scarborough for New South Wales in March 1787, arriving in the colony in January 1788 as part of the First Fleet.

Bryant was sentenced to 150 lashes on 20 July 1789 for buying 'necessaries' from marine Mark Hurst. He married (as Thomas Brian) Ann Price on 31 March 1791; they were to have two children. Bryant left the colony on the Daedalus in 1793, returning in April 1794. The Bryants have not been traced in later colonial records. It is likely they left the colony.

* information from Mollie Gillen, The Founders of Australia: A Biographical Dictionary of the First Fleet (1989), pp 56-57