Hobart. Outside the Cascades Convict Female Factory. A bronze statue of a pregnant convict woman.
Cascade Female Factory Hobart.
In 2010 UNESCO granted World Heritage status to the convict factory in Hobart as it tells the largely ignored story of transported convict women to Tasmania. It is one of eelven UNESCO listed convict sites in Australia but little remains of the original convict factory and this female factory was just one of many. In fact there five female factories in Tasmania (Van Diemen’s Land) – Hobart Gaol, the Cascades, Launceston, Georgetown and Ross. During the era of convict transportation between 1803 and its end in 1856 some 12,500 female convicts were transported to Tasmania with about 7,000 of them going to the Cascades. The Cascades Factory was expanded from the initial one yard with one dormitory to five yards and five dormitories which were capable of housing 1,000 women and 175 babies and infants. The current visitor centre and the revamped Female Factory museum opened in March 2022.
The Cascades site was previously a distillery until 1828 when the government acquired for the female factory. Female convicts in Britain were sentenced to a set number of years in gaol after transportation if their crimes were considered serious. Many female convicts were assigned to masters as “free” labour almost from the time they landed in Hobart, but the factories had to exist to process many women for assignment and then primarily to rehouse them in gaol conditions if they committed crime whilst assigned as a worker. Many committed theft or disobedience or similar crimes but the most common crime was getting pregnant. As soon as female assigned convicts became pregnant they were returned to the Cascades Female Factory. The convict dormitories were above the cot rooms. A very high proportion of the hundreds of children born at the Cascades died in infancy. Conditions were poor and bleak and the babies were undernourished. But these female convicts were probably treated better than many male convicts transported to the Australian colonies. It is a sad place. Apart from some of the original 1828 prison walls the only remaining structure still intact from the female factory era is the Matron’s House built in 1850. It is well worth a visit in the grounds and prison yards with their information boards. After the opening of the Cascades as Female Prison in 1856 that only lasted until 1877. Thereafter it housed the insane and those with infectious diseases. The other government institutions were closed by 1890 and the whole complex was demolished and stone re used for other buildings etc. During the era of convict transportation some 72,000 convicts were shipped to Tasmania between 1803 and 1853 of which about 7,000 were female.
Although there life stories of some of the convict women in the museum website there are few stories told on the information boards. Crimes was severely punished, by our modern world standards in the early 19th century, but some convict women were able to leave their criminal pasts behind and do well in the colony half way across the world from their homes. Only 2% of the female convicts were transported for violent crimes like murder and serious assault; most were transported for theft and what we would consider minor theft these days. Nevertheless some women were habitual criminals and found it hard to stop stealing. Others were caught for a one off desperate theft in England which determined their life outcome. Some female prisoner’s stories.
•Mary Deveraux convicted of counterfeiting coins was transported for life; she arrived in 1831; she was returned from assignment by 13 households for her abusive and bad behaviour; in 1838 she got her Ticker of Leave. She died a pauper in 1849.
•Nappy Ribbon convicted of stealing a sheep; arrived in 1849; she was a well behaved assignee and got her Ticket of Leave (like parole) in 1851; alas caught living in sin with another convict in 1853 and her Ticket of Leave was revoked. Freed from Cascades in 1855. Married in 1858.
•Sarah Mason convicted for theft three times; arrived 1851; given hard labour for her bad behaviour; her assignment lasted three days and she absconded; her second assignment lasted one month; spring 1856 granted Ticker of Leave. Late 1856 married. A women of her name & date of birth died in 1873.
•Margaret Shaw convicted a larceny; transported on the Rajah in 1841 and worked as a nurse on it; at the Cascades was again employed as a nursey in the infirmary; she was granted Ticket of Leave in 1843; in 1844 she got the government job of a nurse at the Orphan School on £18 per annum; next she worked in the laundry; she was freed in 1847.
•Winifred Sheridan transported for theft of clothes in 1849; rebellious so not assigned till 1851; absconded and returned to Cascades with hard labour; made watchwoman; 1853 given her Ticket of Leave; found drunk and Ticket of Leave rescinded ;tried for theft in 1855 and her sentenced extended; 1856 escaped twice from the Cascades then returned; freed in January 1857; Married a shoemaker in 1857; and agreed to marry another man in 1858; he accused her of stealing his purse; Winifred disappeared probably went to Victoria.
•Ann Eccles transported for 7 years when convicted of stealing; arrived Hobart 1837 at the Cascades Factory; a few days later assigned to the Lieutenant Governor’s wife Lady Jane Franklin as her maid; 1838 worked for a Ticket of Leave man; 1839 had a daughter and married the Ticket of Leave man; they lived and managed property near Sorell in 1839 but did not own it; she had five children; caught a chill and died in 1852 aged 33 years.
•Janet Cree sentenced to transportation for several thefts in 1850; arrived in the Cascades July 1850; assigned as maid Nov 1850 but absconded after a few days; given four moths hard labour and sent to Ross Factory; 1851 assigned and absconded again and returned to Ross Factory; 1852 assigned to a religious landowner; August 1852 applied to marry an emancipated man; baby arrived shortly after marriage in a church; 1854 given her Ticket of Leave; Janet and husband had 11 children all baptised; Janet died in 1912 as a church going woman of 82 years.
•Jane Allen arrested for stealing boots, bonnet and kettles in 1850; transported to Hobart 1851 and immediately assigned as a nursemaid; absconded and taken to Cascades Factory for hard labour; 1852 assigned again, no bad behaviour and granted Ticket of Leave in 1854; had a baby in 1854 that did not survive and married a Ticket of Leave man( a plastered) at Battery Point 1855; they had four children; her husband died in 1874; remarried in 1877 and had one more son; died in 1911 aged 81 years.
Hobart. Outside the Cascades Convict Female Factory. A bronze statue of a pregnant convict woman.
Cascade Female Factory Hobart.
In 2010 UNESCO granted World Heritage status to the convict factory in Hobart as it tells the largely ignored story of transported convict women to Tasmania. It is one of eelven UNESCO listed convict sites in Australia but little remains of the original convict factory and this female factory was just one of many. In fact there five female factories in Tasmania (Van Diemen’s Land) – Hobart Gaol, the Cascades, Launceston, Georgetown and Ross. During the era of convict transportation between 1803 and its end in 1856 some 12,500 female convicts were transported to Tasmania with about 7,000 of them going to the Cascades. The Cascades Factory was expanded from the initial one yard with one dormitory to five yards and five dormitories which were capable of housing 1,000 women and 175 babies and infants. The current visitor centre and the revamped Female Factory museum opened in March 2022.
The Cascades site was previously a distillery until 1828 when the government acquired for the female factory. Female convicts in Britain were sentenced to a set number of years in gaol after transportation if their crimes were considered serious. Many female convicts were assigned to masters as “free” labour almost from the time they landed in Hobart, but the factories had to exist to process many women for assignment and then primarily to rehouse them in gaol conditions if they committed crime whilst assigned as a worker. Many committed theft or disobedience or similar crimes but the most common crime was getting pregnant. As soon as female assigned convicts became pregnant they were returned to the Cascades Female Factory. The convict dormitories were above the cot rooms. A very high proportion of the hundreds of children born at the Cascades died in infancy. Conditions were poor and bleak and the babies were undernourished. But these female convicts were probably treated better than many male convicts transported to the Australian colonies. It is a sad place. Apart from some of the original 1828 prison walls the only remaining structure still intact from the female factory era is the Matron’s House built in 1850. It is well worth a visit in the grounds and prison yards with their information boards. After the opening of the Cascades as Female Prison in 1856 that only lasted until 1877. Thereafter it housed the insane and those with infectious diseases. The other government institutions were closed by 1890 and the whole complex was demolished and stone re used for other buildings etc. During the era of convict transportation some 72,000 convicts were shipped to Tasmania between 1803 and 1853 of which about 7,000 were female.
Although there life stories of some of the convict women in the museum website there are few stories told on the information boards. Crimes was severely punished, by our modern world standards in the early 19th century, but some convict women were able to leave their criminal pasts behind and do well in the colony half way across the world from their homes. Only 2% of the female convicts were transported for violent crimes like murder and serious assault; most were transported for theft and what we would consider minor theft these days. Nevertheless some women were habitual criminals and found it hard to stop stealing. Others were caught for a one off desperate theft in England which determined their life outcome. Some female prisoner’s stories.
•Mary Deveraux convicted of counterfeiting coins was transported for life; she arrived in 1831; she was returned from assignment by 13 households for her abusive and bad behaviour; in 1838 she got her Ticker of Leave. She died a pauper in 1849.
•Nappy Ribbon convicted of stealing a sheep; arrived in 1849; she was a well behaved assignee and got her Ticket of Leave (like parole) in 1851; alas caught living in sin with another convict in 1853 and her Ticket of Leave was revoked. Freed from Cascades in 1855. Married in 1858.
•Sarah Mason convicted for theft three times; arrived 1851; given hard labour for her bad behaviour; her assignment lasted three days and she absconded; her second assignment lasted one month; spring 1856 granted Ticker of Leave. Late 1856 married. A women of her name & date of birth died in 1873.
•Margaret Shaw convicted a larceny; transported on the Rajah in 1841 and worked as a nurse on it; at the Cascades was again employed as a nursey in the infirmary; she was granted Ticket of Leave in 1843; in 1844 she got the government job of a nurse at the Orphan School on £18 per annum; next she worked in the laundry; she was freed in 1847.
•Winifred Sheridan transported for theft of clothes in 1849; rebellious so not assigned till 1851; absconded and returned to Cascades with hard labour; made watchwoman; 1853 given her Ticket of Leave; found drunk and Ticket of Leave rescinded ;tried for theft in 1855 and her sentenced extended; 1856 escaped twice from the Cascades then returned; freed in January 1857; Married a shoemaker in 1857; and agreed to marry another man in 1858; he accused her of stealing his purse; Winifred disappeared probably went to Victoria.
•Ann Eccles transported for 7 years when convicted of stealing; arrived Hobart 1837 at the Cascades Factory; a few days later assigned to the Lieutenant Governor’s wife Lady Jane Franklin as her maid; 1838 worked for a Ticket of Leave man; 1839 had a daughter and married the Ticket of Leave man; they lived and managed property near Sorell in 1839 but did not own it; she had five children; caught a chill and died in 1852 aged 33 years.
•Janet Cree sentenced to transportation for several thefts in 1850; arrived in the Cascades July 1850; assigned as maid Nov 1850 but absconded after a few days; given four moths hard labour and sent to Ross Factory; 1851 assigned and absconded again and returned to Ross Factory; 1852 assigned to a religious landowner; August 1852 applied to marry an emancipated man; baby arrived shortly after marriage in a church; 1854 given her Ticket of Leave; Janet and husband had 11 children all baptised; Janet died in 1912 as a church going woman of 82 years.
•Jane Allen arrested for stealing boots, bonnet and kettles in 1850; transported to Hobart 1851 and immediately assigned as a nursemaid; absconded and taken to Cascades Factory for hard labour; 1852 assigned again, no bad behaviour and granted Ticket of Leave in 1854; had a baby in 1854 that did not survive and married a Ticket of Leave man( a plastered) at Battery Point 1855; they had four children; her husband died in 1874; remarried in 1877 and had one more son; died in 1911 aged 81 years.