Karen B

The Convict Runaways – Part 1

Four men escaped from Moreton Bay in October 1825 – did they really commit murder, and leave five drowned comrades? Runaway 1 – John Longbottom. (Updated from the Post – A Notorious Rogue and Vagabond.) At York in January 1817 a young sailor was sentenced to seven years’ transportation to New South Wales. Even forContinue reading “The Convict Runaways – Part 1”

Convict Snapshots – William Mattingly.

Berkshire and London. William Mattingly (sometimes spelled Mattingley) was born on 11 September 1875 in Uffington, to James and Ann Mattingly. He lived most of his time in the parish of Uffington, and nearby parishes of Baulking and Kingstone Lisle. (Since 1974, this part of Berkshire was absorbed into Oxfordshire, an idea that would probablyContinue reading “Convict Snapshots – William Mattingly.”

Convict Snapshots – Samuel Challenger.

Few men are as well-named as Samuel Challenger. He challenged laws, customs, and authority over his long life, which began and ended in respectability. For several decades, he was a pain in the neck of police and prison authorities in two hemispheres. Yorkshire Samuel was born in Darton, Yorkshire on 15 September 1794, the youngestContinue reading “Convict Snapshots – Samuel Challenger.”

Convict Snapshot – Morgan Edwards.

Contemporary views of Monmouth, Wikimedia Commons. Morgan Edwards was a native of Monmouth, who had been born around 1800. On 10 August 1822, at the age of 22, he was convicted at the Monmouth Assizes of Sheep Stealing and was ordered to be transported for life. After a spell in the prison hulks, he wasContinue reading “Convict Snapshot – Morgan Edwards.”

The Spread of Larrikinism.

Once larrikinism appeared in Queensland, it seemed nothing could stop its growth, much to the horror of right-thinking Christian white people all over the Colony. Larrikins were first noticed in Brisbane, but were soon observed west through Ipswich, then Toowoomba, gradually creeping out over the entire Darling Downs, as far as Warwick. The evil spreadContinue reading “The Spread of Larrikinism.”

Rowdyism in Rockhampton

Rowdyism is our most prominent fault, and this prevails most while the steamers are in. The Courier’s Rockhampton Correspondent, 1861 Rockhampton surged into existence rather suddenly, from a few demountable public buildings thrown together in response to a nearby gold rush in 1858, to a thriving and beautifully planned young city in the early 1860s.Continue reading “Rowdyism in Rockhampton”

The Magisterial Fracas at Rockhampton

Rowdyism in Rockhampton On 12 November 1863, a scandal that had been hinted at over the dinner tables of Rockhampton broke out in the most sensational fashion. Two prominent men of the town, who also held the Commission of the Peace as Magistrates were charged with committing assault in the public streets. At 10 inContinue reading “The Magisterial Fracas at Rockhampton”

The last of the Snob.

Part 4 – Forgery, a murder charge and Dunwich. The enduring allure of Springsure. Wikipedia helpfully informs its readers that Springsure is a town of around 950 people in the Central Highlands of Queensland. It boasts cattle farms, and plantations of sunflowers, sorghum, wheat, and chickpeas. It is close to a couple of coal mines,Continue reading “The last of the Snob.”

The Snob. Part 3.

More hard time. Edward Hartigan was released from Brisbane Gaol in January 1875. According to his account, he had been quietly at war with Samuel S Priday, the Principal Turnkey, Storekeeper and Clerk at the Gaol, for some months. He had been asked to keep tabs on other prisoners in return for special treatment. HartiganContinue reading “The Snob. Part 3.”

The Snob – Part 2.

St Helena Island Hartigan arrived at Brisbane Gaol on 13 December 1867. The Brisbane Gaol authorities recorded him as 5 feet 5 ½ inches in height, of slender build, with a ruddy complexion, sandy hair and blue eyes. He could read and write, was unmarried, had no children and belonged to the Church of England.Continue reading “The Snob – Part 2.”