People Australia

Richard Skuthorpe (1793-1880), a miller, was found guilty on 24 March 1813 at the Suffolk Assizes, England, of stealing a bay mare. His death was commuted to life transportation. He arrived at Sydney aboard the General Hewitt in February 1814. He was described as being 21 years old, 5 feet 9 inches (175 cm) tall, with a pale fair complexion, dark brown hair, and blue eyes. Upon his arrival in the colony, he was apprenticed to a miller in Richmond, New South Wales, and was granted a conditional pardon on 1 Feb 1839.

Skuthorpe married Honor Conner (Eleanor Irwin) on 13 September 1818; both signed the register with an 'x'. Their son Richard was christened the same day. By 1828 Skuthorpe had 385 acres at Richmond, of which 285 were cleared, 130 were cultivated, with three horses, 78 cattle and five sheep. He had become a district constable in October 1826, at North Richmond, and a special constable in 1831. In 1839 he was granted 50 acres of land at Kurrajong which became known as Hilltop. He later obtained the adjoining property Loreena. Between 1860-70 he was a magistrate at Windsor. After his wife died in 1857, Richard married Sarah Douglass, a widow, on 16 January 1858. Following her death in November 1860 he married Louisa McGuire on 10 September 1861. There were no children from these marriages.

Richard Skuthorpe died at Kurrajong on 2 June 1880 and was buried with his wife Ellen in the cemetery adjoining St Peter's, Richmond, NSW.

* information from Biographical Database of Australia — https://www.bda-online.org.au