Researching First Fleet background.

i'm not going to be much help, the last time i did heavy research into the first fleet was in year 10... i remeber hyde park barracks was pretty cool.
there was a song we were made to learn in primary, i loved it:
http://folkstream.com/010.html
i'm sure any good library will have whole stacks of stuff on australian convict experience, it's a pretty well-researched area.

I haven't read it, but a book that could be worth reading is 'The Fatal Shore: The Epic Of Australia's Founding' by Robert Hughes, a bestselling and highly-regarded 1987 work.

For more information - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fatal_Shore

Many thanks for those two. I'll be following up on both of them. All other suggestions will be gratefully received.

Chris

I vaguely remember seeing a show about conditions during that time and in early Australia. I don't retain much detail now, except that you could get 'transported' for stealing a loaf of bread. The prisons were horribly overcrouded, so much so that they used prision hulks (old ships, no longer sea worthy, that were used as makeshift prisons). According to this show, it was very rough, no rights for prisoners. Nutrition was poor, if they got food at all. Many died on the way to Australia, prisoners and crew alike. It was considered equivelent to a death sentence to be "transported' to Australia, and rightly so. They arrived with limited EVERYTHING, with no way of making more till they themselves set it up. Starting with virgin bushland, they had to start building settlements, 'dealing' with natives, and being no better than slaves (the transportees). I expect your story to be gritty in the extreme.

Good luck with it.

Max

I actually found a pretty good primary source about this. There's not a huge amount about the actual voyage, but it's a good first hand account of the first days of the colony. It gives a good insight into the frame of mind of the settlers:

http://freeread.com.au/ebooks/e00083.txt

Thanks Max, and yes, i also expect the story to be gritty, the rough end of London was bad enough in the late 18th century (though I wasn't actually there until 1966/7), living in Wimbledon and working on New Bridge Street, at the bottom end of Fleet Street.

And as for you Kinsley Castle - unusual name, how did you decide on that? - I've copied the article, and it certainly looks useful. 60 pages long though, so I'm not going to run off a print, I'll have to sit here and read it several times. Ah well, the joy of Nano

Anyway, many thanks to you both, and if you ever fancy hopping over to our Forum - England : York and Leeds, you'll be most welcome as long as you say Hi to Pablo, and replace anything you take out of the Fridge. If you fancy a virtual exchange visit, I'm sure we could arrange it, not sure we've ever been to Sydney.

Seems that the forums are improving slowly, lets hope they get them sorted by Nov 1st. Thanks again, and best wishes to you all.

Chris :o)

The research I've done so far has caused me to change things slightly. Instead of using information on Lady Juliana, I've switched to the Lady Penrhyn, that left Portsmouth in 1788 as part of the 11 ship First Fleet.

I just stumbled across your posts and it kind of made me sit up since one of my ancestors came across on the Lady Juliana. [Hurray for being decended from convicts.] Even if you're no longer basing it on the Lady Juliana, would you still be interested on any information from her if I can find it?

,I just stumbled across your posts and it kind of made me sit up since one of my ancestors came across on the Lady Juliana. [Hurray for being decended from convicts.] Even if you're no longer basing it on the Lady Juliana, would you still be interested on any information from her if I can find it?'

* * * * * * * * * *

Hi Hoowee, and thanks for the offer, which I'll accept with great pleasure. The whole story of the convict ships has fascinated me ever since I saw a TV documentary a couple of years ago. Do you have your relative's name? It would be amazing to search through the records I've got and pick out the name.

At the moment I'm trying to research the British court records of the late 1780's, trying to get a picture of the kind of crimes that would have got her on the Lady Penrhyn. Then the conditions in prisons at the time, and during the voyage. I've also got some information on the conditions on board ship, and also what it was like for the early arrivals. Now I've started, I realise I should have begun this research twelve months ago, but it's too for regrets now. The other problem is finding that whatever research you do, the story always takes on a life of its own once Nano gets under way.

Actually the voyage of the Lady Juliana seems to have been a more eventful one, but with the books and TV programmes on it, I felt it had already been done. I was actually surprised to find she WASN'T the first wholly female convict ship, and of the two I chose Lady Penrhyn, largely because of her name, and the fact that her cargo was also ladies. They must have been terrified for much of the voyage, wondering what the future held, and I suspecy a lot of it was hard and nasty. I guess the story will reflect that aspect, but this was the first days of an amazing country, so there has to be plenty of hope to go with the despair. Just hope I can do it justice.

So, |I'll look forward to hearing from you, and if there's any help I can give with your writing, please don't hesitate to ask.

Best wishes,
Chris

Sorry for how long it's taken to get back to ou on this Chris.

My relative who was transported on the 'Lady Juliana' was named Ann Harper, or perhaps Harpur. No one seems sure of the correct spelling of her name and it's very likely that she was illiterate and wouldn't have known herself. Unfortunately it seems the family history book doesn't cover much about her other then the fact that she was transported for theft. But I did find out that Jacob Ballet, who later married Ann in Australia, was apparently transported over on the Lady Penrhyn. I say apparently, as I'm a little dubious about a male convict being transported on an apparent female convict ship. Perhaps my information on this is wrong. ^^; In any case, I've pasted a copy of his trial information as I have it, further down in this post.

I've also included an excert in regards to a Lieutenant Ralph Clark of the Marines and his treatment of the female convicts aboard the transport ship, 'Friendship'. I know it's neither of the two vessels you've mentioned, but thought it might come in handy as just a general knowledge.

There's a lot more information, but it's far too much to put into a forum post. So... I thought I might be brave and give nano-mail a go. ^_^v

-All information from the book "From Chains to Freedom", by Thais Mason-

BELLET, Jacob Transport: Lady Penrhyn
PLACE AND DATE OF TRIAL – Tried by the Middlesex Jury before Mr Recorder, at Justus Hall in the Old Bailey at the sessions which began on Wednesday, 12th January, 1785.
CRIME AND SENTENCE – Jacob Bellet was indicted for feloniously stealing on the 25th December last, 51 ells (45 ins) of half-ell manufactured lining – value £3-8-0, 2 lbs of unwound black silk, value 20/-, 32 ounces of black silk wound, £3-12-0, the property of John Gearing, John Vaux and John Thomas Taylor.
GUILTY – to be hanged – commuted to transportation for seven years.
Judgement recorded for Bellat at the end of the same sessions. Jacob was ordered to be transported to Africa on the 19th March, 1785. His occupation and age were not stated, nor his place of living.

Lieutenant Ralph Clark of the Marines was in charge of the guards on that ship and he made no bones of his thorough dislike of the convict women, he called them all whores. He has given an account of the punishments meted out to those few who were incorrigible.
In his Journal, he says –
16/5/1787 – The seamen broke through the bulkheads of the female quarters, some of the women went with the seamen. Clark put all the blame on the women. He said that he didn’t think there were so many abandoned wenches in England. He expected them to be 10,000 times worse than the men.
19/6/1787 – Captain Meredith took four women out of irons – Elizabeth Dudgeons, Margaret Hall, Elizabeth Pulley and Charlotte Ware. Clark had ordered them to be put in irons ten days previously for fighting, he said they were the greatest of whores. He said they had got through the bulkhead while the ship was still at the mother bank, (before sailing) – Clark doesn’t say how they managed that feet.
3/7/1787 – The seamen broke through the convict bulkheads again, they were the carpenter, boatswain, steward and a sailer. The women convicts were Elizabeth Dudgeons, Elizabeth Pulley, Elizabeth Thacker and Sarah McCormick. The men were flogged, and the women were put in irons. Clark said that if he had had his way, he would have flogged the whores also. He hated every one of them, they were a nuisance.
5/7/1787 0 Captain Meredith ordered that Elizabeth Dudgeons be flogged with a rope for impertinence.
Clark watched with satisfaction, he said, - “The Corporal did not play with her but laid it home, which I was very glad to see, then he ordered her to be tied to the pump – she had long been fishing for it”.
18/7/1787 – Clarka again says, “Elizabeth Barbour abused the Doctor in the most terrible manner, she said that he had said something improper and she called him all the names she could think of. After dinner, Captain Meredith asked her how she could raise such a rport and abuse Mr Arundell so. She still insisted it was true. She was very much in liquor. While she was being leg-ironed, she began to abuse the Captain in a much worse manner than she did the Doctor, she called him everything but a gentleman and said she was no more a whore than his wife. She then began to abuse Mr Faddy, and I wonder how she came to forget me amongst the number? The Captain ordered her hands to be tied behind her back and a gag put in her mouth. She hoped and ahe was certain that he would see us all thrown overboard before we got to Botany Bay”.
Elizabeth Barbour was left in that position (with the gag in her mouth) until six o’clock the next morning.
22/7/1787 0 Mrs McNamara had both legs put in irons for being impertinent to the convict cook. Also Elizabeth Barbour was put in irons again after being handcuffed to Margaret Hall.
1/8/1787 – Four women were put in irons together – Elizabeth Barbour, Elizabeth Thackery, Elizabeth Dudgeons and Elizabeth Pulley. They had been fighting. Captain Meredith said it would have been best to let them fight it out. Clark didn’t agree, he felt they should have been severely punished.

***

This is wonderful stuff Hoowee, thank you so much. It all arrived safely, and I'll mail you in the morning when I've had a chance to read it through again... and again...

I'd love to know more about the early days in Port Jackson if that's not too much trouble, and I've also got a surprise or two for you.

First Jacob Bellet, described as a landowner at Norfolk Island and Van Diemen's Land. I've got one source that quotes him as being one of the most notable 'First Fleet' members, not bad for a convict. I've also found him listed as being on board the 'Scarborough' rather than 'Lady Penrhyn'. As far as I can make out 'Lady Penrhyn' was just for the ladies. The other bit you might be interested in is Ann Harper. Her age is given as 17 when she made the voyage. My information confirms that she married Joseph Bellett and goes on to say that she died in 1842, so that puts her age at over 70 when she died. Quite an age even today.

Anyway I've been fishing most of the day, and only picked up your message after I got home. The weather's been glorious, cold at first but still and sunny all day. Actually got a bit of sunburn, and spotted a butterfly. In mid October in England, they're as rare as winning lottery tickets :o)

The weekend coming up. If you pop out for a drink, give me a toast, and I'll do the same for you at our first get together on Saturday. It'll be good to see a few faces, familiar or not.

Thanks again,
Chris x

Just thought I'd drop you all a line to thank those of you who responded to my original enquiry, (whether by post or PM) and wish the Sydneysiders all the best for the coming month. It's a bit worrying to realise that you're already under way, and we've got another Ten and a half hours to go. Actually I'll be off to bed before midnight, and up for an early start in the morning.

Best wishes all,
Chris

Hey Chris.

I've been meaning to drop another line here. I went on a harbour cruise with my beloved a week and a half ago, and they had some interesting things to say about the history of the harbour and the early days of the first colony. Apparently food was in very short supply. Gardens were set up (such as on Garden Island, by sailors about 3 days after arriving) and food was stolen regularly. Convicts were put to death for minor acts of theft to stay alive. Some escaped and became the first Australian Bushrangers, some hid in caves along the shore of the harbour. Others tired to escape, but were too hungry to continue (ended up in a bay called Hungry bay after them). There were so many little tidbits - I wish I had a transcription of the recording to give you.

Anyhow, must get back to my own noveling. Good luck!

Ray

Thanks Ray, I'll bear that in mind, and good luck - we've still got (looks at watch) 9 hours and 5 minutes to go.

Best wishes,
Chris

Well, so far so good, but then we're only four days in and if I can't keep up to schedule now, what hope have I for later?

Lizzie, (my MC) has been caught lifting a purse, and using a knife in an effort to escape capture. Now she's locked away in The Bridewell awaiting trial and expecting to hang. Transportation means nothing to her at the moment, though it will.

The one thing that bothers me is the story seems to have a darker side to it than I'd expected, but I suppose the subject was a dark one so I shouldn't be surprised. At least the story is beginning to dictate the way it should go, and that's a promising sign.

Best wishes to you all, Sydneysiders and Tasmanians both.

Chris :o)

Just to keep you up to date.

I've been struggling since yesterday morning :o(
It was almost midnight before i reached my daily target, and this morning has been much the same. I have my MC locked away on the Thames aboard the prison hulk Warrior. They're waiting to learn more about their fate, transportation to Australia, though nobody seems to know much. In reality, the First Fleet was delayed time and again and I think I'm just trying to get that over in the story. In the meantime I've had a little subplot simmering away, not knowing what to do with it. I've just stopped for a glass of water and the whole thing came to me.

It's time for the convicts to be moved from London to Portsmouth, there to be loaded aboard the transports prior to the voyage beginning. The sub plot explodes in the early stage of the move with one of the women convicts knifing the guard's woman, as well as my MC (when she tries to intervene). The guard concerned then smashes the woman's skull with a stave. Don't feel sorry for her though, she's (deliberately) a nasty piece of work and deserves what she gets. As the guard has already pointed out "They should have hung that one while they had the chance".

It's a difficult story to write, there's not a lot of action when the main characters are being held in chains in a prison cell for most of the time. Got to intersperse it with excitement and something totally unexpected now and again.

Keep going,
Chris

Hi anyone who can help me. I just found this site and saw the book "From chains to freedom mentioned". Have been trying for all i'm worth to get a copy. Can anyone help out in this area.