People Australia

Anthony Rope (c.1759-1843), a labourer, was found guilty on 7 March 1785 at Chelmsford, Essex, of stealing clothing, shoes and money valued at about £5. Sentenced to 7 years transportation, he was sent to the Justitia hulk by mid-1786, 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.

Rope worked as a bricklayer at Port Jackson. He married Elizabeth Pulley on 19 May 1788, both signing with a mark. On 11 February and 11 March 1789 he was sentenced to 25 lashes for neglect of work. He was granted 70 acres at The Ponds in December 1791. He had moved to Mulgrave Place by mid-1800 and was off stores. In 1802 he held 30 acres at Mulgrave Place; 48 acres at Nepean in 1806; and 20 acres at Evan in 1820.

Anthony Rope and his wife had eight children. He died on 20 April 1843 at Castlereagh; his age was incorrectly recorded as 89.

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