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William Philip Furber (1766–1811)

William Philip Furber was sentenced to fourteen years transportation for the theft of a horse. He arrived in Sydney in 1790 aboard the Neptune as part of the Second Fleet. Although still under sentence he purchased he was able to save enough money and purchase a 30-acre farm at Kissing Point by 1800. By 1805 he advertised peach seedlings for sale and vinegar at what became known as Furber's nursery and orchard. In 1807 he advertised his farm for sale—including 3000 fruit trees, with a house and sheep shed. His wife died in 1807 and, aged about 42, he married 15-year-old Mary Bryan. Following Furber's death on 10 February 1811, Mary advertised 600 gallons of peach cider for sale.

* information from Michael Flynn, The Second Fleet: Britain's Grim Armada of 1790 (1993), pp 281-82

Citation details

'Furber, William Philip (1766–1811)', People Australia, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://peopleaustralia.anu.edu.au/biography/furber-william-philip-28492/text36080, accessed 29 March 2024.

© Copyright People Australia, 2012

Life Summary [details]

Alternative Names
  • Forber, William Philip
  • Forbes, William Philip
  • Furbur, William Philip
Birth

1766
England

Death

July, 1811 (aged ~ 45)
Parramatta, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

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.

Passenger Ship
Occupation
Key Events
Convict Record

Crime: theft
Sentence: 14 years