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Andrew Roman (c. 1754–?)

Andrew Roman/Ronan (c.1754- ), a sailor, was found guilty (as Andrew Roman) on 10 September 1783 at the Old Bailey, London, of impersonating a fellow sailor to obtain prize money. His death sentence was commuted (as Rowland) to 7 years transportation on 10 December 1783. Roman was among the prisoners who mutinied on the convict transport Mercury in April 1784. Recaptured, he was sent to the Dunkirk hulk in June 1784. He was discharged to the Friendship in March 1787 and arrived in Sydney in January 1788 as part of the First Fleet.

Roman landed at Port Jackson as Andrew Rownan. He has not been found in traceable records in the colony after 1788. As a former seaman he may have been able to work his passage home when his sentence expired in December 1790.

* information from Mollie Gillen, The Founders of Australia: A Biographical Dictionary of the First Fleet (1989), p 313

Additional Resources and Scholarship

Citation details

'Roman, Andrew (c. 1754–?)', People Australia, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://peopleaustralia.anu.edu.au/biography/roman-andrew-30846/text38197, accessed 12 December 2024.

© Copyright People Australia, 2012

Life Summary [details]

Alternative Names
  • Ronan, Andrew
  • Knowland, Andrew
  • Rowland, Andrew
  • Rownan, Andrew
Birth

c. 1754

Passenger Ship
Occupation or Descriptor
Key Events
Groups
Key Places
Convict Record

Crime: fraud
Sentence: 7 years