Daniel Priest (1814–1883) was a convict and

bushranger Bushrangers were originally escaped convicts in the early years of the British settlement of Australia who used the bush as a refuge to hide from the authorities. By the 1820s, the term had evolved to refer to those who took up "robbery under ...

in nineteenth century Tasmania. Priest escaped from the penal settlement at Port Arthur and became a bushranger while trying to avoid arrest. He became known to those he robbed as 'the friendly bushranger' on account of his 'almost unparalleled mildness and kindness towards persons with whom he came into collision in pursuit of his lawless career.' Priest held up settlers at gunpoint but only took what he needed and was never violent. In 1845, he was eventually caught and, at an appearance before the Police Magistrate, witness George Lucas, who had recently been robbed, claimed the coat and trousers worn by Priest, were his. Priest replied: 'Yes, you're right, they're yours; you have told a very correct yarn ; all that you have said is very true.' When the Magistrate then told Priest that they would have to find him some other clothes, Priest answered, 'Just as you please, Sir, it's not as I like now.' Priest was sentenced to hang, but after the intervention of many members of the public, including three priests and several people who he had robbed, his sentence was commuted to ten years at

Norfolk Island Norfolk Island (, ; Norfuk: ''Norf'k Ailen'') is an external territory of Australia located in the Pacific Ocean between New Zealand and New Caledonia, directly east of Australia's Evans Head and about from Lord Howe Island. Together with ...

References

External links

*184
wanted poster
for Daniel Priest and John Smith as runaway convicts. {{DEFAULTSORT:Priest, Daniel 1814 births 1883 deaths Bushrangers