Thomas Orford (c. 1761–?)
Thomas Orford (c.1761- ), a black man, was found guilty on 7 July 1784 at the Old Bailey, London, of stealing clothing from a house. Sentenced to 7 years transportation, he was sent to the Ceres hulk on 5 April 1785, where he remained until he embarked for New South Wales on the Alexander in January 1787, arriving in Sydney in January 1788 as part of the First Fleet.
Orford married (as Thomas Hartford) Elizabeth Jones on 24 March 1788 at Port Jackson. He received a 30 acre grant of land at Bulanaming in 1794. By 1806 he was working as a sealer for Henry Kable. It is not known what became of him.
* information from Mollie Gillen, The Founders of Australia: A Biographical Dictionary of the First Fleet (1989), p 269
Additional Resources and Scholarship
- proceedings of trial, Old Bailey, London, 7 July 1784 (pdf)
Related Entries in NCB Sites
- Orford, Elizabeth (wife)
- Kable, Henry (employer)
Citation details
'Orford, Thomas (c. 1761–?)', People Australia, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://peopleaustralia.anu.edu.au/biography/orford-thomas-30966/text38335, accessed 22 December 2024.