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Some Information about Moreton Bay Penal Settlement

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The Regiments
28th Foot TheNorth Gloucestershire Regiment.
99th Foot Wiltshire Duke of Edinburgh Regiment.
80th Foot Staffordshire Volunteers Regiment.
4th Foot Lancaster King's Own Regiment.

The following is an excerpt extracted from a letter written by a H.J.J.Sparks of New Farm, Brisbane on 29th June 1939 to the then Lt Col R.Grasebrook 1st Btn The Gloucestershire Rgt. BURMA

Quote "Dear Col Grasebrook, re your enquiry concerning the history of the 28th in Australia. I will examine what records are available here and communicate with you later. It may take some little time as our records are very scanty. The bulk of the records of convict days in NSW were burnt by order of Henry Parkes while he was Premier of that State 1872-75. while the bulk of the Queensland records were destroyed by fire supposed to be accidental. The following notes may be of interest to you The penal settlement at Moreton Bay lasted from 1824 to 1839 and the settlement was thrown open for free occupation in 1842 when the Military was finally withdrawn.

The commandants during that period included
1835-1837 Captain Fester Fyans (Foster Fyans) 4th Foot ( on Norfolk Island )
1837-1839 Major (One account says Capt) Cotton 28th Foot afterwards Lt Gen Sir Sydney Cotton GCB
1839 Lt George Gravatt 28th Foot
1839 Lt Owen Gorman 80th Foot
The convict settlement was actually disbanded, and the convicts removed, by the 28th under Major Cotton & Lt Gravatt. Lt Gorman assumed control during the transition period while the district was being surveyed and prepared for free occupation. The Military was re called to Moreton Bay, I think, in 1846 at the request of the squatters for protection against the blacks, but it was a detachment of the 99th Foot under Lt (afterwards Major) George Jean de Winton............." Unquote

References
Family Members, Military records ,Pay rolls, Pay Musters, Cemetery Records, Church Records & General Muster Records, Mitchell Library ,Sydney Australia

The information is intended for short Historical value only,

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Last revised: June 08, 2008.