Richard Gawthrop was the fourth child of Richard Gawthrop, a blacksmith, and his wife Mary Giger of Histon, Cambridgeshire.
In 1756, Richard's older brother John died, leaving a widow and two small children. Richard then fathered three illegitimate children (all sons) with his widowed sister-in-law, Sarah (nee Archer).
In 1763 the Assize Court lodged a bond to transport Richard to the American penal colonies for a period of 7 years. The Assize Court states that he was tried and found guilty of breaking into and stealing five pounds and two shillings from the house of Thomas Ives.
Richard was most likely transported aboard "The Neptune" which departed the shores of England in December 1763.
After his release, he married Mary Brady in 1770 in Baltimore, Maryland, America and the couple settled and had a family of ten children.
A later Maryland tax list for Harford county indicates that Richard lived in Deer Creek, where he is said to have owned 2 horses and 2 beef cattle valued at £17 and other property valued at £8.
Born:
1736, Histon, Cambridgeshire.
Baptised:
8th August 1736, Histon, Cambridgeshire.
Died:
1796, Harford county, Maryland, America
Buried:
unknown but presumably in Harford county, Maryland, America.