Robert Abel

46

Heather Stevens on 1st February 2022

Robert Abel was convicted of a capital crime, sentenced to hang, was found afterwards to be innocent but instead of a pardon, he was transported for 7 years. After serving his time he was again unlucky when he was shipwrecked in New Zealand. There is some confusion with his age: in 1784 in an enquiry after his conviction, Robert Abel's age was recorded as 17, however in 1785 when he was received on a hulk his age was recorded as 13. Robert Abel was convicted with another man William Rellions on 15 September 1784 at the Old Bailey in London for assault and highway robbery with a pistol that occurred 4 July 1784, value 5s. They were found guilty and sentenced to death. The Old Bailey trial: https://www.oldbaileyonline.org/browse.jsp?id=t17840915-18-defend287&div=t17840915-18#highlight Two days before the date he was due to be executed (17 November 1784), the Recorder of London, James Adair, requested a stay of execution as there appeared to be doubt as to Abel's guilt. There was an enquiry involving the Undersheriff, and Reverend Villette, Ordinary of Newgate, Abel was described as a boy of 17, "very slight and low of stature". However, the Recorder considered Abel to be "a bad boy", who had "connected himself with thieves and pick pockets". He therefore did "not wish him to be turned loose upon the public", and suggested that transportation for 7 years would be the best course of action. See "London Lives": https://www.londonlives.org/static/AbelRobertTransported1787.jsp  He was sent to the Ceres hulk on 5 April 1785, age given as '"13". He was transferred to the Censor hulk, then embarked on the Alexander on 6 January 1787. He arrived in Sydney in January 1788 aboard the Alexander as part of the First Fleet. In February 1788, Abel was the victim of a robbery, when 15 half pounds of flour, value 15 pence, owned by himself, Michael Dennison, and William Waterhouse were stolen. William Shearman was arrested after he appeared at the copper with a very large pudding. William Shearman and James Freeman were found guilty of the theft. Shearman was sentenced to receive 300 lashes (however he was pardoned by the Governor) and Freeman was sentenced to death (pardoned on condition of being the common executioner). On 12 June 1790 Abel was sentenced to 200 lashes for stealing several pounds of sugar from the newly arrived ship Lady Juliana. In February 1794, Robert received a 30-acre land grant at Bulanaming (in the area now covered by the modern suburbs of Stanmore, Enmore and St Peters) which was later sold to Thomas More. He left the Colony for India in September 1795 on the Endeavour. The ship proved unseaworthy and was scuttled at Dusky Bay in New Zealand, stranding the passengers there for several months. Robert was among those rescued by the Resource [or Providence?] schooner and taken to Norfolk Island in January 1796.  There are no further records of him, so he may have continued his voyage on another ship. However the shipwreck survivors were described by Lt Gov King as "real objects of pity, being so debilitated from extreme hunger", that it is possible he died soon after arrival. See "Wreck of the Endeavour" http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-McNMuri-t1-body-d1-d9.html Other sources: Gillen, Mollie. The Founders of Australia: A Biographical Dictionary of the First Fleet (1989), p.1.  Cobley, John. Sydney Cove 1788. Sydney, Angus & Robertson, 1987, p.91.

Robert was only 17 years old when he was sent on the Alexander to be one of convicts to arrive in the First Fleet. He was described as " very slight and low of stature ".