1808: Broughton and Cheeseman Hanged in Sydney for Cattle Theft at Hawkesbury
Stockmen, Richard Broughton and John Cheeseman, conspired to steal two head of cattle from their employer’s flock at Hawkesbury in April 1808.
Cheeseman paid off Broughton for the two heads of cattle, which were then driven through Parramatta and on to a farm near the Brickfields in Sydney. A king’s evidence witness revealed he had overheard the deal being struck and later spotted the cattle in a herd at the Nepean River.
Broughton and Cheeseman were tried, found guilty and hanged in Sydney. A third accused, Joseph Tilson, was found to have been an unwitting hired drover and escaped the same fate.
