People Australia

James Price (c.1760-1832) was found guilty on 13 July 1785 at Gloucester, England, of breaking into a house with a companion and stealing goods worth nearly £8. Sentenced to 7 years transportation, he was sent to the Ceres hulk, 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.

Price helped Anthony Rope build his hut at Sydney. He (and a Third Fleeter with the same name) was sent to Norfolk Island in late 1791. It was probably the First Fleeter who, recorded as John Price, was living with Mary Gamble in June 1794. The couple didn't remain together. Gamble returned to Port Jackson later in the year.

Price joined the New South Wales Corps on 1 May 1800 at Norfolk Island. He was described as a thin-faced man, 5 feet 6 inches tall, with a fair complexion, blue eyes and light brown hair.

Price had returned to Port Jackson by 1810. He married Diana Porter at St Philip's Church, Sydney on 9 July 1810. Transferred to the Invalid Company that same year, he was stationed at Liverpool in 1818. He was working as a carpenter for Charles Throsby at Lower Minto in 1828. He died at Liverpool and was buried at St Luke's cemetery on 6 February 1832; his age was given as 73.

* information from Mollie Gillen, The Founders of Australia: A Biographical Dictionary of the First Fleet (1989), p 293