1794: He Survived a Notorious Convict Voyage to Sydney, Then Was Hanged for Burglary
John Bevan arrived in Sydney aboard the Pitt in February 1792, after a gruelling eight-month voyage during which 29 convicts died, and many others arrived sick.
By 1794, Bevan had built a reputation for trouble in the colony and was caught in the act of breaking into the Sydney home of William Fielder. The case against him was considered overwhelming, and little time was lost: Bevan was convicted of burglary, sentenced to death and hanged on 6 October 1794.
He was buried at the old Sydney burial ground, little more than two and a half years after surviving the voyage that had brought him to New South Wales.
