Convict orphans / Lucy Frost.
| Author/creator | Frost, Lucy, 1941- |
| Format | Electronic |
| Publication Info | Crows Nest, NSW : Allen & Unwin, 2023. |
| Description | 296 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations ; 24 cm |
| Supplemental Content | Full text available from eBooks on EBSCOhost |
| Subjects |
| Cover title | Convict orphans : the heartbreaking stories of the colony's forgotten children, and those who succeeded against all odds |
| Contents | Introduction -- Lessons from the cook-house -- In the homes of strangers -- Up and down the stairs of boarding houses -- Jobs for the boys -- In the wilds of the Huon -- The children who ran -- Children at risk -- The perils of being a girl -- A legacy of trauma -- On their own -- Agnes and Sarah -- Epilogue. |
| Abstract | All families have their secrets, and a convict ancestor or an illegitimate birth were shames that families once buried deep. Among the best-hidden stories in Australia's history are those of the convict orphans. Agnes arrived on a convict transport aged four and was abandoned when her mother needed to escape an abusive husband. After their mother died and their father deserted them, Maria and Eliza Marriner were taken into state care too. Cut off from family, behind the walls of the imposing sandstone buildings of the Queen's Orphan Schools, they were among hundreds of young children entrusted to the much feared Matron Smyth. At the age of twelve, the children left the orphanage to work without pay on farms and in homes-some of them places where no child should ever have been sent. Although colonists called it white slavery, the authorities turned a blind eye to what was really happening. These are stories of abuse and abandonment, and also of great generosity and kindness from individuals who rescued and supported children. Some children managed to build happy lives for themselves, but many could not navigate a system stacked against them. There are disturbing parallels between the Queen's Orphan Schools in Hobart and other children's institutions in Australia into the 21st century. |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| Access restriction | Available only to authorized users. |
| Technical details | Mode of access: World Wide Web |
| Genre/form | Electronic books. |
| LCCN | 2021388756 |
| ISBN | 9781761067686 (paperback) |
Availability
| Library | Location | Call Number | Status | Item Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electronic Resources | Access Content Online | ✔ Available |