People Australia

Francis Cox (1771-1849) was found guilty (as Francis Cock) on 25 February 1789 at the Old Bailey, London, of stealing four metal candlesticks valued at 10 shillings, a brass mortar valued at 3 shillings, and two brass pestles valued at 2 shillings. He arrived at Sydney aboard the Salamander in August 1791 as part of the Third Fleet.

Cox was sent to Norfolk Island, arriving in November 1791. He enlisted in the New South Wales Corps in 1800 and was discharged three years later in August 1803.

Cox left Norfolk Island for Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) on the City of Edinburgh in October 1808.

Cox married Sarah Edge on 24 July 1809 at Hobart. He was granted 60 acres acres at Melville in 1813, next to William Coventry. On 16 February 1829 he married Coventry's former partner Mary Ann Bentley (she was by then a widow, Cox was still married) at New Norfolk.

Francis Cox died on 17 June 1849 at Brighton, Tasmania. His cause of death was given as 'decay of nature' and his age as 78.