Robert Sidaway (14 January 1758 – 13 October 1809), a convict of the First Fleet, was transported to Australia for stealing in 1788. Robert is known for being baker for the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

Marines Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (refle ...

of Sydney and opening the first theatre in Sydney in 1796.

Life

Born to John and Elizabeth Sidaway of Horse Shoe Alley, Robert was baptised 5 February at St Leonards, Shoreditch,

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

.Australian Biography Dictionary, Online Edition
Sidaway, Robert (1758 - 1809)
/ref> On 11 September 1782 Sidaway was indicted at the Old Bailey for stealing on the 22d of June last, a deal box, value 1s; a cloth coat, value 12s; a waistcoat value 5s; a pair of breeches, value 5s; a linen waistcoat, value 2s; one pair of silk stockings, value 2s; and one pair of shoes, value 3s; the goods of different persons. Sentence was brought down as transportation for seven years to America. In 1782 at the age of 24, Sidaway was indicted for having been convicted of grand larceny at the last sessions, and ordered by the Court to be sent and transported to America for the term of seven years, was afterwards on the 18th day of September last found at large within this realm of Great Britain, without any lawful cause, before the expiration of the said term of seven years, for which he had been so transported, against the form of the statute. Sidaway was sentenced to Death, but like many sentences of death, death sentences were not carried out, and was instead transported to Australia for life. Robert was transported in the First Fleet, on the transport ship

Friendship Friendship is a relationship of mutual affection between people. It is a stronger form of interpersonal bond than an "acquaintance" or an "association", such as a classmate, neighbor, coworker, or colleague. In some cultures, the concept o ...

, arriving in

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

26 January 1788. On the Journey out to Australia

Ralph Clark Lieutenant Ralph Clark (30 March 1755 or 1762 – June 1794) was a British officer in the Royal Marines, best known for his diary spanning the early years of British settlement in Australia, including the voyage of the First Fleet. Born in Ed ...

noted in his diary on two separate occasions that Sidaway was put in

leg irons Legcuffs are physical restraints used on the ankles of a person to allow walking only with a restricted stride and to prevent running and effective physical resistance. Frequently used alternative terms are leg cuffs, (leg/ankle) shackles, foot ...

14 December 1787. Put Robt. Sidaway in a pair of Leg irons for being impertinent to Mr. FaddyJournal kept on the Friendship during a voyage to Botany Bay and Norfolk Island
Author: Ralph Clark

20 January 1788. Robt. Sidaway was put out of Irons this day

Sidaway received a conditional pardon on 29 November 1792, an absolute pardon on 27 September 1794, and was given a contract as baker for the troops. These pardons were issued by

Francis Grose Francis Grose (born before 11 June 1731 – 12 May 1791) was an English antiquary, draughtsman, and lexicographer. He produced ''A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue'' (1785) and ''A Provincial Glossary, with a Collection of Local Pr ...

Theatre

In 1796 Sidaway, opened a 120-seatThe Wolanski Foundatio
AUSTRALIAN CULTURE 1789-2000
By Paul Bentley, October 1999 theatre in Bell Row, (now Bligh Street), Sydney.
30 July 1796, by permission of His Excellency, John Hunter, the play ''Jane Shore'', (written by the English playwright and poet laureate Nicholas Rowe in 1714), was put on for the benefit of J. Butler and W. Bryant.National Library of Australia, Digital Collections
Item from "For the benefit of J. Butler and W. Bryant"
at the Theatre, Sydney on 30 July 1796 Entry was gained by paying for front boxes 3s.6d. Pit 2s.6d. Gallery 1s., or the equivalent in flour, meat or spirits. By 1800 Sidaway presented

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

and other contemporary English pieces. Sometime in 1800 the theatre was closed as a corrupting influence by the authorities.

Land

Sidaway held of land at the Field of Mars, on which he grew of maize and wheat. The land was granted July 1795 by William Paterson. Sidaway also had a shared of property with James Roberts at Mulgrave Place in the Hawkesbury District. of which was used for the growing of wheat. Livestock held on the property was 2 boars and 6 swines. The ''Muster of 1800 - 1802'' states there were 2 males off government stores, 1 Female on government stores and 2 free servants off government stores on the property. Hunter permitted Sidaway to buy goods at moderate prices from the Convict vessel ''Minerva'' when it arrived on 11 January 1800. He kept a

public house A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and wa ...

and in 1805 obtained a wine and spirit licence. July 1806, Sidaway received issue of beer at Sydney.Colonial Secretary Index, 1788-1825
/ref> The ''

Sydney Gazette ''The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser'' was the first newspaper printed in Australia, running from 5 March 1803 until 20 October 1842. It was a semi-official publication of the government of New South Wales, authorised by Governo ...

'', dated 26 February 1809 has Sidaway on list of persons granted a renewal of licence to sell wine and spirits.

Philanthropist

Sidaway was known for being a philanthropist, after he was pardoned in 1794. Sidaway cared for an orphan named Elizabeth Mann, until her death in October 1806;

Same day died at the house of Mr. Robert Sidaway, Elizabeth Mann, an orphan aged 17 years, during the latter 5 of which she had laboured under the joint afflictions of insanity and a severe paralytic affection by which she was deprived of speech, and rendered perfectly helpless. Her long protracted sufferings have been subject of grievous contemplation to many, who but six years since remembered her no less remarkable for her vivacity and placid disposition than for her subsequent excessive toils upon the bed of anguish: And yet Providence did not totally relinquish its protection to an unfortunate daughter of adversity: in the benevolence of a friend she found an asylum, a careful guardian, and an ample ministration to her necessities, until it was the will of Heaven to terminate her sufferings.

On 4 June 1809 Sidaway was on list of persons donating to the fund to enclose a burial ground. A donation of £1 1s. was made to this subscription.

Death

Sidaway had a de facto spouse, by the name of Mary Marshall (''d.'' 1849). Marshall had been sentenced to transportation for life at the Old Bailey on 23 February 1785 and had arrived in the First Fleet in the ''

Lady Penrhyn ''Lady Penrhyn'' was built on the River Thames in 1786 as a slave ship. ''Lady Penrhyn'' was designed as a two-deck ship for use in the Atlantic slave trade, with a capacity of 275 slaves. She was part-owned by William Compton Sever, who serve ...

''. Sidaway died on 13 October 1809, described by the ''

'' as a philanthropist and a respected member of society. Mary Marshall was granted administratrix of all of Sidaway's land and effects.The ''Sydney Gazette'' and ''New South Wales Advertiser''. Dated: 31 December 1809. As Sidaway's residuary legatee, she sent

Governor Macquarie Major General Lachlan Macquarie, CB (; gd, Lachann MacGuaire; 31 January 1762 – 1 July 1824) was a British Army officer and colonial administrator from Scotland. Macquarie served as the fifth Governor of New South Wales from 1810 to 1821, an ...

a memorial applying for a renewal of the lease on Sidaway's property in Sydney, but this was refused. She continued in Sydney as a

publican In antiquity, publicans ( Greek τελώνης ''telōnēs'' (singular); Latin ''publicanus'' (singular); ''publicani'' (plural)) were public contractors, in whose official capacity they often supplied the Roman legions and military, managed th ...

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