Robert Forrester

46

JD Stubbs on 31st January 2026

In October 1794, a number of Hawkesbury settlers were tried for cruelly ‘murdering’ an unnamed ‘Native Boy’ on or near Forrester Farm. Robert Forrester, an expired First Fleet convict per Scarborough (1788), had alerted his neighbours that ‘a large party of natives’ had ‘appeared at the back of his Farm.’ ‘[I]n the road to the natives [the neighbours] met a Native Boy who they supposed was coming in for the purpose of discovering what arms they had.’ The party ‘made him prisoner; tied his hands behind his back, and delivered him to Michael Doyle,’ but a cry soon came from Doyle’s ‘that the boy escaped and had jumped into the River.’ The accounts Forrester gave to different people conflict: to Alexander Wilson, Forrester said he had shot the native boy and that he had been ‘induced to it from motives of humanity,’ as the boy had been ‘previously thrown in the River by the neighbouring settlers, with his hands so tied [behind his back], that it was impossible he could swim to the opposite side.’ We must bear in mind that at the time Forrester made that statement to Wilson there was no legal precedent for settlers being tried in court for the murder of an Aboriginal person. Once it was clear to Forrester that he and the other settlers were the subjects of criminal proceedings over the incident, therefore, Forrester endeavoured to get himself and his fellow settlers out of trouble by changing his story and asserting that Wilson’s version of what he had said was false. He now argued that he and an emancipated First Fleet convict named Roger Twyfield per Friendship (1788) ‘immediately ran to the river, where they saw the boy swimming’ at which point the neighbours all ‘prevailed on’ Forrester to ‘shoot the boy’ lest he ‘get back to the natives and induce them to an attack by discovering there was no more than one musket in the whole neighbourhood.’ He was also careful to add that ‘the boy was not ill treated with his knowledge in any other manner.’ With ‘[n]o person appearing to contradict this account,’ noted David Collins, ‘it was admitted as truth, but many still considered it as a tale invented to cover the true circumstance, that a boy had been cruelly and wantonly murdered by them.’ Forrester’s first version evidently was the truth; nevertheless, it was not the whole of it. As Collins later acknowledged, ‘it was now said, that some of [the settlers] had seized…[the] boy, and, after tying him hand and foot, had dragged him several times through a fire, or over a place covered with hot ashes, until his back was dreadfully scorched, and in that state threw him into the river, where they shot at and killed him.’ So the first trial for the murder of an Aboriginal person ended in an acquittal, and left the Judge Advocate Collins certain that the Hawkesbury settlers ‘merited the attacks which were from time to time made upon them by the natives.’ Collins could plainly see ‘the presence of some person with authority’ was now ‘absolutely necessary among those settlers, who, finding themselves free from bondage, instantly conceived that they were above all restrictions; and, being without any internal regulations, irregularities of the worst kind might be expected to happen.’ While the 1794 case established that settlers could be tried for taking Aboriginal lives, getting away with this terrible murder unfortunately also set a precedent that proved particularly deadly, especially with the murder of two Indigenous boys named Little Jemmy and Little George who found themselves on the same farm of Forrester’s with their hands tied behind them, amid the same callous settlers in 1799. In the 1799 murder case Robert was seemingly not involved. However, that leaves one to question where was Robert Forrester himself while all this was transpiring on his own farm for hours on a ‘very dark’ September evening? It seems everyone in the neighbourhood was there but him. He is very conspicuous by his absence. Was he deliberately excluded from the settlers’ accounts of the murders since he had been the main focus of the earlier trial involving a very similar murder of an Aboriginal boy in 1794? And why did Jemmy and George end up buried in Constable Powell’s garden when most of the events occurred at Forrester Farm? It may be that the Powell Farm was simply where the boys ran in their last desperate attempts to flee: then again, it could be an indication that the settlers were already thinking on their feet about their ‘defence’ if they should end up in court over it; that they moved the bodies to the nearby Powell Farm to distance the events from Forrester, because it would have been harder for the same man and the same neighbours to face the same court for an almost identical murder on the same farm, and still claim to be completely ignorant that they were doing anything wrong.

75

iain Frazier on 5th October 2024

Amends to this entry: >>>John Herbert (Forrester) married secondly Hannah (Ludam her third marriage) on 23 8 1842. He died on 21 8 1875 age78 father of no known children. ..Hannah (Ludam) was born about 1796. She produced a child. She was tried at Kingston upon Hull Quarter Sessions Yorkshire on 13 7 1820, sentenced to 7years & arrived in NSW as a convict with her son on 7 1 1822 after a voyage of 7months on PROVIDENCE; she was 4'11.5" freckled complexion dark hair hazel eyes. She is recorded in 1828 as Hannah (Bensley) Free by servitude with her family at Windsor. She produced 5children in her lifetime. ..[Some details taken from this Website] ..Details of Hannah (Ludam)s family are given in entry for Charles (Beazley BARWELL 1798) on this Website. and Richard (Ridge) was Deputy Provost Marshall in 1809.

75

iain Frazier on 18th May 2024

Family connections for Robert (Forrester) are: Some amendments added Jul 2025. FORRESTER [Noted a Frances (Frost) & unknown produced a child:].. [1.Sarah ((???) was born in 1791 & died on 13 10 1795 age 4 on Norfolk Island.] There are many qualifications for Robert (Forrester) & Mary & Frances (Frost) from the records, making proper attribution of the facts difficult & not necessarily correct here. Robert (Forrester) was born about 1758. He was tried w/1other for man robbery (stole money from bedfellow Simon (Hughes)), on 29 4 1783, at Old Bailey, sentenced to death commuted to 7years, held probably at London/Middlesex Gaol Delivery & arrived in NSW as a convict on 22 1 1788 after being on board for 12months on First Fleet ship SCARBOROUGH. He may (as (Foster WILLIAM AND ANN 1791)) have married firstly Mary/Frances (Frost) on 19 10/11 1791 (they are not shown as married in 1791 in group ceremony on Norfolk Island) at St Phillips CofE Sydney-although Smees records show Robert (Forrester) married Mary (Frost LADY JULIANA 1790) on that date. They both were moved to Norfolk Island arriving on 4 11 1791, where it may be he who was granted land & bacome a farmer-although this may be Robert (Forester) also recorded on this Fleet on this Website, if indeed they are 2separate people-Noted this Website now makes it clear that the 2 are the same person. He left Norfolk Island on 7 3 1793.>>> [Some information taken from this Website-where there are entries for 2of the name on this ship] .. [There are 2 possible convicts named (Frost) on this Website:] [A.Mary (Frost) was born on 17 8 1750/61. She was tried for breaking entering & stealing wearing apparel of John (Betts) & separately of William (Pollington) at Thetford/Norwich Norfolk Assizes on 19 3 1789, sentenced to be hanged reduced to 7years & arrived in NSW on 28 6 1790 after a voyage of 6months on NEPTUNE; a voyage noted for extreme brutality of prisoners with a high death rate. She was sent to Norfolk Island in December 1790 - [Ref:'Exiled...' shows she arrived on Norfolk Island on 7 8 1790 on SURPRISE] where she married Joshua (Peck) in November 1791 in group ceremony there & produced perhaps 9children. On 30 3 1793 she returned to Port Jackson on CHESTERFIELD/KITTY with her family to Prospect. She was Free by Servitude by 1798. In about 1803 she returned to Norfolk Island with her family. She is recorded in February 1805 as convict expired on stores on Norfolk Island. She left Norfolk Island with her family as part of the first evacuation on 25 12 1807 on HMS PORPOISE to Derwent Van Diemens Land (Tasmania), arriving on 17 1 1808, to New Norfolk. By 1819 she & her family were living in Northern Tasmania. After 1821, when her husband & sons were inprisoned, she moved to Pattersons Plains & lived with her daughter Elizabeths family. In 1845 she provided evidence in the dispute between her progeny over ownership of the Elizabeth St Hobart property; also claimed by a Mrs Elizabeth (Reynolds) by right of Joseph (Molloy)s Will & which resulted in her nephew James receiving the property. She died on 14 11 1847 at 'Curramore' White Hills age96 mother of 7children & was buried at St Peters Pattersons Plains; she was later moved to family vault at St Peters Cemetery Leonards.] [Some details taken from this Website] [Noted a Mary (Frost) is recorded in Ref:'People...' as marrying/having relationships with firstly an unknown, secondly Robert (Frost) & thirdly Joshua (Peck), indicating again the difficulty in clarifying direct relationships.] [Joshua (Peck/Peek) was born on 17 8 1755/6/66. He was tried for stealing clothing from Colonel John (Simcoe Governor of Upper Canada) in Exeter court in March 1786 & dismissed. He was again tried for stealing a cloth coat etc of John (Scudding) & Robert (Turpin) & breaking entering stealing silvercastors etc of Sarah (Mitchell) at Devon Lent Assizes Exeter on 20 3 1786, sentenced to 7years for stealing only, held on hulk DUNKIRK at Portsmouth Harbour & arrived in Botany Bay NSW as a convict on 26 1 1788 after a voyage of 8.5months on First Fleet ship SCARBOROUGH-although it seems he may have been on CHARLOTTE (in same grouping of ships as stated in Ref:'Exiled...') or FRIENDSHIP; he was described as tolerable decent & orderly. He was assigned to assist medical staff at laboratory tent Port Jackson, where he was charged & acquitted for stealing hospital wine & being drunk in July 1788. On 2 10 1788 he was sent to Norfolk Island on GOLDEN GROVE, arriving on 10 10 1788. He had a Sydney Town lot by 1791. In December 1791 he was appointed to night watch at Grenville Vale & received 12acres & 2sows 'as a deserving convict to enable him to work in his leisure time. On 30 3 1793 he returned to Port Jackson on KITTY/CHESTERFIELD with his family. He was granted 30acres at Prospect Hill on 20 2 1794, to which he added 20/50acres at Toongabbie in May 1797. He was Free by Servitude by 1796. In 1803 he sold his property to pay debts & returned to Norfolk Island with his family. He is recorded as a labourer on stores in February 1805 on Norfolk Island. In August 1807 he had 25acres & off stores & left Norfolk Island with his family as part of the first evacuation (for which volunteers apparantly had been called with appropriate compensation offerred & for which he may have tried to decline as some successful farmers were asked to stay) on 25 12 1807 on HMS PORPOISE to Derwent Van Diemens Land (Tasmania), arriving on 17 1 1808. He was granted 45acres at New Norfolk & in 1809 had 55acres there. By 1819 he & his family were living in Northern Tasmania. In June 1821 he & sons William, Joshua & Thomas were convicted of stealing Government sheep, from a stockyard on Camden Plains 9miles from Launceston & 3/4mile from where the (Peck)s were living, & sentenced to 14years to be served at Newcastle NSW. He arrived in Newcastle on 6 6 1821 on JUPITER. In 1824 he was to receive 60stolen sheep (he had earlier received 40sheep) from William (Davis) before the sheep were discovered by authorities. He died on 24 2 1825 age65/9 at Newcastle & was buried at Edwards Cutting/Christ Church Newcastle.] [Some details taken from this Website] [Details of Joshua (Peck)s family are given in entry for Joshua (Peck/Peek SCARBOROUGH/CHARLOTTE 1788) on this Website.] .. [B.Frances (Frost) was born about 1768. She was tried for stealing a gown at Exeter, sentenced to 7years, held at Exeter Castle Gaol & arrived in NSW as a convict on 3 6 1790 after a voyage of 12months on Fleet ship LADY JULIANA-a ship with 228females who easily entertained the whole crew & also sailors at Teneriffe stopover. She was sent to Norfolk Island, arriving on 7 8 1790. She had a first relationship with ???(???).>>> [Some details taken from this Website] [Noted Frances & Mary/Frances (Frost)s relationships as shown in Ref:'People...' resemble those noted for Mary (Frost) just above, indicating again the difficulty in clarifying direct relationships.] [Frances (Frost) & ??? (???) produced 3children:] [1.Sarah (???/Frost) was born on 17 6 1791 on Norfolk Island, died on 23 10 1795 age4 & was buried on Norfolk Island.] [2.Mary (???/Frost) was born on 21 12 1793 on Norfolk Island.] [3.Sarah (???/Frost) was born on 1 10 1796 on Norfolk Island.] .. [>>>Frances (Frost) associated secondly with Robert (Forster) & in Ref:'People...' she, as Mary/Frances (Frost) is shown as marrying him on 19 10 1791 at St Phillips CofE Sydney-the same date as Robert (Forresster's marriage just above.>>>] [Robert (Forster) arrived in NSW on 9 7 1791 after a voyage of 6months in Fleet ship WILLIAM AND ANN. He was purportedly with NSW Corps, although no reference to this is found in available texts. He was sent to Norfolk Island, arriving in August 1791. He died on 13 8 1795-not shown in Smees records.] [Mary/Frances (Frost) & Robert (Forster) produced 1child: ] 1.Margaret (shown as Mary in Smees records) (Forster) was born on 21 12 1793 on Norfolk Island. She left Norfolk Island with her mother to Port Jackson on 6 11 1795 on HMS SUPPLY] .. [>>>Frances (Frost) returned to Port Jackson with her daughter in November 1795 on HMS SUPPLY & returned to Norfolk Island in 1796.] [Some information taken from this Website, where there are more details] .. [>>>Frances (Frost) returned to Port Jackson with her daughter in November 1795 on HMS SUPPLY & returned to Norfolk Island in 1796.] [Some information taken from this Website, where there are more details] .. .. >>>Robert (Forrester), by 1794, had a second? relationship with Isabella (Ramsay/Manning her second relationship) & settled on 30acres at Mulgrave Place Hawkesbury in 1794. He was Free by Servitude by 1795. He is said to have had a farm at Parramatta. In 1806 he is recorded as having 130acres somewhere.>>> .. Isabella/Bella (Ramsay) was born at Carlisle Cumberlandshire. She was tried for stealing clothing at Carlisle Assizes, sentenced to 7years & arrived in NSW as a convict on 9 7 1791 on Fleet ship MARY ANN/E. She married firstly James (Manning/s) a trooper marine private on 10 6 1792 at St Johns CofE Parramatta. She was Free by Servitude by 1797. In 1805/6 she is recorded as a housekeeper with or for Robert (Forrester); in 1806 she is recorded as a concubine. In 1806 she is also recorded as being rescued from neckhigh flood waters with her youngest daughter Isabella Jane. In 1814 she is recorded as living with her daughter Margaret. She died before 1822 mother of 8known children. [Some information taken from this Website] [James (Manning) was born in 1765 at Staffordshire. He arrived in NSW as a marine on 22 1 1788 after a voyage of 10months on First Fleet ship PRINCE OF WALES; he was 5'8". On 3 1 1792 he was granted 80acres at Field of Mars (near Pennant Hills). On 11 6 1793 he enlisted in NSW Corps at Sydney as a private. In January 1796 he moved to Norfolk Island (arriving on 13 3 1796), returned on 9 7 1796 & was detached to (Johnston)s company in 1798. In 1800 he was granted 80acres probably at Field of Mars (near Pennant Hills), both of these landgrants were sold to J (Caulden). In 1801 he was at Hawkesbury & took leave in 1804-5. He was detached to Pipers company in 1808 & to 3Company in 1809. On 24 4 1810 he was transferred to 73rd Regiment. He died on 12 12 1814 age94 & was buried at St Phillips CofE Sydney.] .. Robert (Forrester) & Isabella (Ramsay/Manning) produced 8children: 1.Elizabeth (Forrester) was born on 16 3 1794 & baptised on 25 9 1795 age18m w/Margaret at St Johns CofE Parramatta. She died on 28 8 1814 age20. 2.Margaret (Forrester) was born on 20 4 1795 & baptised on 25 9 1795 w/Elizabeth at St Johns CofE Parramatta. She married at age14 Richard (Ridge) emancipist on 17 11 1809 at St Phillips CofE Sydney & produced at least 12children. In 1814 her mother Isabella is recorded as living with her. She died on 18 7 1873 age78. ..Richard (Ridge) was born in 1766 in Sussex or Oxfordshire. He was tried for breaking & entering w/4others, on 21 8 1789, & stealing clothes etc from house of Susannah (Dowell) at Old Bailey on 9 9 1789, sentenced to 7years, held probably at London/Middlesex Gaol Delivery & arrived in NSW as a convict on 24 3 1791 after a voyage of 5months on Fleet ship ATLANTIC. In 1801 he is recorded as living with Jane (Poole her second relationship) on 60acres owned jointly & by 1806 they were on 250acres at Hawkesbury-they were also recorded as having 305acres & stock. He was Deputy Provost Marshall in 1809. He became district constable before 1811 & in 1812 he became provost marshall's bailiff & on 15 6 1816 he was appointed bailiff for the colony. On 30 3 1811 he purchased a house in Windsor. He was recorded in 1821 as a settler & in 1822 as a farmer. On 25 8 1824 he was dismissed for improper conduct. He was recorded in 1826 & 1829 as a farmer. He died on 1 1 1842 age about76 by apoplexy in his sons house at Windsor. ..[Some information taken from this Website] ..Details of Richard (Ridge)s family are given in entry for Richard (Ridge ATLANTIC 1791) on this Website. 3.John Herbert (Forrester) was born on 26 5 1797 & baptised on 12 7 1797 at St Johns CofE Parramatta. He married Margaret (McCarthy/Norman her second (2of3) marriage) on 10 8 1818 at St Matthews CofE Windsor. He died on 21 8 1875 age78. ..Margaret (McCarthy) was born about 1790. She arrived as a child in NSW on 30 10 1802 (or was it the other ATLAS on 8 7 1802?) after a voyage of 5-7months on ATLAS. She had married firstly (1of3) John (Norman al Richard (Norman al Vanheest)) emancipist on 21 2 1807 at St Johns CofE Parramatta. In 1814 she is recorded as living at Hercules w/John (Norman). She soon had a third (3of3) relationship with Jeremiah (Driscoll) which produced 1child (making 3children in her lifetime). She may have had a third relationship with Jeremiah (Driscoll. She may have produced 3children in her lifetime.] ..Details of Margaret (McCarthy)s family are given in entry for Frances (Pounds EARL CORNWALLIS 1801) on this Website. .. 4.Henry (Forrester) was born on 24 3 1799. He married firstly Lucy (Upton) on 15 2 1819 at St Matthews CofE Windsor. He was recorded in 1823 as a a settler & in 1824 & 1826 as a farmer.>>> ..Lucy (Upton) was born in 1802 in NSW. She died on 13/15 7 1823 age20 at Mulgrave Place Hawkesbury & buried at St Matthews CofE Windsor. ..Details of Lucy (Upton)s family are given in entry for Thomas (Hodgkins/Hoskisson WILLIAM AND ANN/BRITANNIA 1791) on this Website. ..Henry (Forrester/Foster/Forster) & Lucy (Upton) produced 3children: ..1.Robert (Forrester/Foster/Forster) was born on 6/16 4 1819 at Wilberforce & baptised, as (Foster) on 13 8 1826 age7 at St Thomas CofE Sackville Reach/Wesleyan Methodist Windsor. ..2.George (Forrester/Foster/Forster)) was born on 11 8 1821 at Windsor & baptised on 25 1 1824 age2 at St Matthews CofE Windsor. He died on 2 5 1824 age2. ..3.Henry (Forrester/Foster/Forster)) was born on 15 7 1823 at Windsor & baptised on 10 8 1823 at St Marys RC Sydney. He died on 2 5 1824 age9m at Windsor & was buried at St Matthews CofE Windsor. .. >>>Henry (Forrester) married secondly Maria (Roberts) on 25 10 1826 at St Matthews CofE Windsor. He died on 29 4 1873 age74 father of 3children. ..Maria (Roberts) was born in October 1805 in NSW. She died on 10 7 1867 age62. ..Details of Maria (Roberts)s family are given in entry for William John (Roberts SCARBOROUGH 1788) on this Website. .. 5.Robert (Forrester) was born on 19 2 1801 & baptised on 9 2 1807 age6- at St Johns CofE Parramatta. 6.William (Forrester) was born in 1803. He died on 22 12 1869 age about66. 7.Ann (Forrester) was born in 1804. She apparantly married firstly ??? (Potts). She married secondly with permission Charles (Martin) on 8 4 1822 at St Matthews CofE Windsor & produced perhaps 12children. She is recorded in 1828 as landholder at Wilberforce with her family. She died in 1884 at Wilberforce or on 2 7 1888 age about84. ..Charles/Charley (Martin) was born about 1796. He was tried for highway robbery of Richard (Coster) & stealing watch etc nr Newington Surrey at Kingston on Thames Lent Assizes Surrey & sentenced to death-later reprieved to Life. He assaulted his accuser, who may have died, while in custody near the court, tried, sentenced to Life, held on hulk LAUREL & arrived in NSW as a convict with 2Life sentences on 31 12 1818 after a voyage of 5.5months on GENERAL STEWART [Smees records show him arriving in 1813 on GENERAL HEWITT]. He was assigned to a road party & later was employed by William (Cox). In 1821 he was convicted for embezzlement of Government lime at Windsor & sentenced to 1year gaol; he was sent to Newcastle prison on ELIZABETH HENRIETTA on 30 11 1821. He was Free by Servitude by 1822. He was recorded in 1824 as a landholder & in 1825 as a sawyer. He is recorded in 1825 assigned to his wife. He was recorded in 1827 as a farmer. He is recorded in 1828 with his family as a brickmaker at Wilberforce. He is recorded on 30 9 1828 in Windsor gaol unttil 7 10 1828; he was 5'7" fair ruddy complexion brown hair hazel eyes. He was recorded in 1830 as a farmer. In 1834 he is recorded as sawyer at Wilberforce & was issued his Certificate of Freedom for Windsor on 29 11 1834. He is recorded living in Sydney on 7 10 1838. He died, as Charles Horner (Martin), on 11 6 1886 age91 at his home Freemans Rd Pitt Town/Windsor & was buried at Wilberforce Hawkesbury city. ..[Some information taken from this Website] .. 8.Isabella Jane (Forrester) was born in 1806. She was fostered before 1822 to Paul (Bushell) & Jane (Sharp/Bushell) when her mother Isabella died. She was living at Wilberforce when she married at age16 Thomas (Lovell) of Wilberforceon 3 6 1822 at St Matthews CofE Windsor & produced 7children. She died on 16 5 1888 age about81. .. ..[Details of Paul (Bushell)s family are given in entry for David (Brown PITT 1792) on this Website.] .. ..Thomas (Lovell) was born about 1797/9. He was tried for pickpocketing, on 27 2 1816, a handkerchief at Old Bailey on 3 4 1816, sentenced to 7years, held probably at London/Middlesex Gaol Delivery & arrived in NSW as a convict on 10 4 1817 after a voyage of 5months on MORLEY. He was assigned to (Paul (Bushell), foster parent to Isabella (Forrester), at Windsor. He was recorded at Wilberforce in 1822. He was Free by Servitude by 1823. He was recorded in 1824 as a farmer, in 1825 as a settler & in 1828 & 1830 as a farmer. He died on 30 4 1839 age about41 at Windsor. ..[Some information taken from this Website] .. .. >>>Robert (Forrester) lived after 1814 with Jane (Wilson) on 30acres at Hawkesbury. He was a farmer when he died on 14/15 2 1827 age69 at Cornwallis father of 8children & was buried at St Matthews CofE Windsor. Jane aka Jean (Wilson) was born about 1791. She was tried at Cumberland Quarter Sessions, sentenced to 7years & arrived at Port Jackson NSW as a convict after 6 12 1812 after a voyage of 5months on MINSTREL accompanying INDEFATIGIBLE. She died on 4 12 1815 age24 & was buried at St Phillips CofE Sydney. [Some details taken from this Website] Details of Jane (Wilson)s family are given in entry for William (Silk BRITANNIA 1797/8) on this Website. REFERENCES Craig James Smee 'Births and Baptisms Marriages and Defacto Relationships Deaths and Burials New South Wales 1788-1830' ..a complete listing from church & other records in the early colony. Irene Schaffer & Thelma McKay 'Exiled Three Times Over! Profiles of Norfolk Islanders Exiled in Van Diemens Land 1807-1813' James Hugh Donohoe 'Norfolk Island 1788-1813-The People and Their Families' Reg Wright 'Forgotten Generation of Norfolk Island & Van Diemens Land' Pamela Statham 'A Colonial Regiment-New Sources Relating to the New South Wales Corps-1789-1810'

19

donald mc dougall on 14th November 2014

ROBERT FORRESTER Robert Forrester and Richard McDale were sharing a bed with a third man, Simon Hughes, in a London boarding-house on the night of 29 April 1783. They were accused of stealing six guineas in gold coin from their bedfellow, tried at the Old Bailey, found guilty and sentenced to death. They were later reprieved and sentenced to seven years transportation. Robert Forrester arrived in Australia aboard Scarborough aged about 29 years. There is some confusion about his next movements. He has been said to have been married to a Mary Frost and gone with her to Norfolk Island. He may have received a grant of land there and become a farmer. If this man was the First Fleeter Robert Forrester, he must have left Mary and Norfolk Island, because in 1794 he was back in the Colony and settled on 30 acres at Mulgrave Place. Living with him was Isabella Ramsey who had been married for a short time to James Manning, a marine private. Isabella bore her first child to Robert Forrester on l6 March 1794. She was to bear him seven more children during their life together. Forrester became a successful farmer. In 1806 he is recorded as "holding 130 acres with 24 in grain, half an acre as orchard and garden, the rest fallow or pasture for his stock (30 sheep, 50 goats, 10 hogs)." After 1814, Robert seems to have left Isabella and was living with Jane Wilson on a new grant of 30 acres along the Hawkesbury. The records show him continuing as a successful farmer until his death on 14 February 1827. He was buried in St Matthew's, Windsor, leaving behind a large family of children and grandchildren, all descended from Isabella (Ramsey) Manning.