Robert Anderson

Robert was a baker by trade, and could both read and write. In 1788, at age 18, he enlisted as a gunner in the 1st Battalion, Royal Artillery, at Durham. Robert was posted in Nova Scotia as early as 1790, when he met and married Mary Turner. They had six sons together in Canada. By January, 1797, Robert was in Paterson’s Regiment, 2nd Battalion, at Halifax. During the summer of 1805, it became known that the regiment was slated to move to Bermuda. On June 6th, 1805, Robert along with Samuel Adams, deserted from their unit, taking their uniforms, guns and ammunition with them. It is presumed that Robert left because he did not want to have to leave his family when the regiment left in August, as Mary was expecting their sixth son. A search for the missing men was commenced, and the Anderson home was searched, to no avail. The unit offered a reward of five guineas was offered, with a notice of such being published in the Halifax Weekly Chronicle. The two were subsequently found, and on July 22nd, they were returned to Halifax onboard the brig Vixen (this means that they must have covered quite a bit of distance before being captured). Robert and Samuel were charged and tried by court-martial in Halifax for desertion on August 8, 1805, and were sentenced to transportation for life. On September 7, 1806, Robert embarked on the Eagle for the Isle of Wight, where he was confined until being transported on board the Duke of Portland.

On 13 Jul 1818 application was made for the entry of a Thomas Anderson, age 7 into the male Orphan House at Sydney. His parents were recorded as Robert Anderson, deceased, and Mary Anderson, very poor. There was another Robt Anderson in the colony(arrived per Boddingtons 1793), also married to a woman named Mary, and even had a son named Thos, but was certainly not deceased until much later. Hence there is a strong possibility that this Robert Anderson had a son, and possibly descendants if Thomas survived. It seems unlikely that the woman Mary named in the ophanage document is his original wife, Mary Turner from Canada, but could easily be a convict woman of the era in NSW.

Captivity Hulk Records. HO-9-8-3. see page 16/51 – 30 prisoners received from ?? (writing very faint) Dec and sent on Duke of Portland. Jan 1807 Only details recorded are ages and sentences. Age 35.