Francis Grose (Lieutenant-Governor)

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Lieutenant-General Francis Grose (c. 1754–1814) arrived in New South Wales as Major of the New South Wales Corps. He became colonial administrator when Governor Arthur Phillip, whose health had been poor for some time, probably due to poor diet, received permission to depart. The European population of New South Wales when Grose took over was 4,221, of whom 3,099 were convicts.

Unlike Phillip, who had favoured former convicts and the lower ranks within the New South Wales Corps, Grose granted land primarily to other officers. It was during Grose's time that his fellow officers became increasingly wealthy and powerful, taking advantage of both land grants and their control of the rum trade to form what became known as the Rum Corps.