Robert Dunn

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Maureen Withey on 11th December 2025

ROBERT DUNN, of Parramatta, leaving the Colony in His Majesty's Store-ship Dromedary, requests Claims to be presented. Sydney Gazette, 3 Feb 1821.

341

Maureen Withey on 11th December 2025

NSW Convict Index. Robert Dunn, per Shipley, 1817, Absolute Pardon, 26 Jan 1821.

341

Maureen Withey on 11th December 2025

Colonial Secretary Index. DUNN, Robert. Per "Shipley" 1820 Dec 30 For remission of sentence (Reel 6051; 4/1748 pp.192-4) To His Excellency, Lachlan Macquarie, …. (Per Ship Shipley) The Petition of Robert Dunn, most respectfully Sheweth That your humble Petitioner is a native of Northumberland, was unfortunately convicted before the Quarter Sessions of the County for the alledged act of embezzling his Master’s Property, and sentenced to be transported for 7 years. Your Petitioner most humbly begs to submit his case to your Excellency and implores your attention to its recital, trusting in his conscious innocence of the alledged crime, for which he has suffered Five years of Bondage and all the wretchedness of being torn from the bosom of his suffering and disconsolate wife and children. Your Petitioner trusts that his conduct, whilst subjected to the dreadful sentence of the law will be found upon the testimony which he now most respectfully lays before your Excellency, to be such as may be considered to support his otherwise unprotected declaration of his innocence and unjust sentence – unjust! – because inflicted on the evidence of a perjured wretch. Your Petitioner served as Bailiff or Steward to Ralph Annett, Esq., of Ulnwick for a Four years and half during which time he lived in perfect good understanding with his master- having under his entire charge a cultivated estate of 700 acres. three miles Distant from his Master’s residence. Eleven families of the workmen attached to the estate were under Your Petitioner’s control. At this period, Mr Annett’s other affairs took an unfavourable turn and finding himself embarrassed he wished to discharge your Petitioner without fully compleating his agreement by which your Petitioner would have sustained a considerable loss of salary and want of employment- This your Petitioner unfortunately resisted and thereby excited Mr Annett’s animosity – He then examined your Petitioner’s accounts for the whole time of his service (during which thousands of Pounds had passed through his hands, and upon discovering a deficiency of Fifteen shillings, being the value of three bushels of Barley, he instituted a prosecution against your Petitioner for Embezzlement of his property, and by evidence of a menial servant who afterwards absconded, he obtained a conviction against your Petitioner and thus, at once liberated himself from the expence of his salary of £100 per annum and drove him a miserable exile from his unhappy family. Your Petitioner now begs to lay before your Excellency, Letters which he has received from a Gentleman of considerable Property and respectability in the County of Northumberland, whom he served before he was engaged by Mr Annett- also some letters which have reached him from his disconsolate wife and which he trusts may be considered to be some testimony in his favor, and lastly he begs to refer to the testimonials of his character since he arrived in this Colony. Upon these and more especially upon your Excellency’s humane and charitable disposition towards the unfortunate, your Petitioner ... (continued) … indulges a hope that he may be found deserving that clemency which your Excellency has at all times displayed in your benign consideration of the Prayers of the Afflicted, - and trusts that having served with unblemished character five years of his sentence – you will in your mercy be pleased to grant him a remission of his time now to serve and by allowing him to avail himself of the means which he has secured by his unremitting exertion and good conduct, you will restore him to his family and give to them a relief from Affliction, which no pen can inscribe. For this act of Grace and Mercy, Your afflicted Petitioner will be ever bound to pray. -------------------------------------------------------------- I beg leave to certify that the Petitioner has served me in the situation of Overseer for upwards of three years, and has been entrusted with the entire management of a considerable Agricultural Establishment, in which he has conducted himself in the most exemplary manner, showed himself a man of most respectable character, indefatigable in the execution of his Trust and Duty and setting an example to those under his Charge by his strictly honest, sober and moral Deportment on all occasions. (Signed) McArthur,( Signature very legible) Dated December 31 1820. ------------------------------- Parramatta Jan 5 1821 I hereby certify that I have known the Petitioner (Dunn) for a considerable length of time, in the management of the Agricultural pursuits of Mr McArthur Esq. And from my own observation of him, as well as what I have been able to learn from others, I do not think there is a more sober, more correct man in the employ of any Gentleman in New South Wales – and therefore I can conscientiously recommend him. (Signed) J. Harris, J.P.

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Maureen Withey on 11th December 2025

At the Northumberland Sessions, held at Morpeth yesterday se'nnight, Robert Dunn, for embezzling money belonging his master, R. Annett. Esq. of Alnwick; and .... ,  were each sentenced to be transported 7 years.  Durham County Advertiser, 4 May 1816.