Joseph WRIGHT was sentenced to 7 years transportation on 6th May 1784, Old Bailey. He was probably born in London in 1767. Trial evidence indicates he was apprehended in Sloan Square Chelsea coming from the direction of a building owned by William Rothwell. He was in possession of about one hundredweight of lead which had been removed from Rothwell's roof.

Our aspiring scrap metal dealer Joseph claimed in his trial defence that he "was going to Knightsbridge and a man had that basket of lead on his head and threw it down. I was carrying it home with an intention to advertise it". It certainly seems to have been a sweet cop! Despite having a character witness (unnamed) Joseph was recorded as "Feloniously stealing 218lb of lead valued at 40 shillings. Sentance Transported for seven years. I guess 40 bob's worth was a good shot then, but in 2001 it seems a hell of a way to start out a career in scrap metal dealing.

His subsequent efforts and apparent good behaviour saw him a farmer settler and married to Eleanor Gott, a convict of the second fleet (Neptune 1790). They founded a family of which 8 generations have spread to around 13000 descendants from all over Australia. Funny thing is we can't yet seem to find any scrap metal dealers amongst them yet!

Contact with Joseph and Eleanor descendants group can be made by requesting the newsletter from Philip Wright sails@mira.net.