William Bryant (convict)

William Bryant was an Australian convict.

Bryant was sentenced to transportation to Botany Bay for 7 years. The fleet of ships left on the 13 May 1787. He travelled on the ship the charlotte in the first fleet. William met Mary Broad a pregnant convict, on the Charlotte.

During the long Treacherous journey from England to botany bay Mary broad gave birth to a daughter charlotte. William met Mary aboard the charlotte before she had given birth and was a good friend. William and Mary were then married on the 10 February 1788, and they later had a son together named Emanuel born 6 May 1790. William and Mary Bryant made a decision that their children will not have to suffer for their mistakes and decided they would leave Australia and start a new life somewhere else. The planning took months, they had 3 other convicts who would join them and help them to get ready for their long journey to Timor. On March 28 1791, William, Mary, her children and a three-man crew stole the governor's cutter, And began their 66 day long trip to Timor. William was shot in late 1791 when a ship passing through from Australia to England noticed them. His wife Mary, his daughter charlotte and his son Emanuel where captured and sent back to England on the ship. His son Emanuel died not long after him of a tropical fever from Timor, his daughter charlotte died in May 1792 of the same tropical disease.Australian Dictionary of Biography
last= Currey
first= C. H.
authorlink=
year=1966
id=A010157b
title= Bryant, Mary (1765 - 1794+)
accessdate=2008-08-12 ]

References