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Thomas Gearing (c. 1743–1787)

Thomas Gearing (c.1743-1787), a shoemaker, and William Mariner were found guilty on 8 March 1786 at Oxford, Oxfordshire, of being accessories to sacrilege and burglary from the chapel at St Magdalen College. They were also found guilty of stealing seven live geese. Gearing's death sentence was commuted to life transportation (Mariner was sentenced to 7 years). Sent to the Ceres hulk on 12 April 1786 the men were dispatched to the Alexander in January 1787.

Thomas Gearing died at sea during the voyage on 3 June 1787.

* information from Mollie Gillen, The Founders of Australia: A Biographical Dictionary of the First Fleet (1989), p 404

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Citation details

'Gearing, Thomas (c. 1743–1787)', People Australia, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://peopleaustralia.anu.edu.au/biography/gearing-thomas-31448/text38901, accessed 21 September 2024.

© Copyright People Australia, 2012

Life Summary [details]

Birth

c. 1743

Death

3 June, 1787 (aged ~ 44)
at sea

Passenger Ship
Occupation
Key Events
Key Places
Convict Record

Crime: sacrilege
Sentence: death
Commuted To: life
Court: Oxfordshire
Trial Date: 8 March 1786
(1786)

Pre-transportation

Occupation: shoe/boot maker