A Day in The Life of A Convict

A day in the life of a convict
Convict life in the New South Wales penal colony
A convict’s life depended on who they worked for, where they worked and the kind of skills they had
to offer.
Between 1819 and 1848, convicts living at Hyde Park Barracks were employed mostly by the
government and known as ‘government men’. Barracks convicts had a different life from those who
were assigned to work for free settlers.
Strict rules controlled the daily lives of convicts. Convicts living at Hyde Park Barracks had to obey
the orders of the superintendent, convict constables and overseers. The ringing of the bell in the
barracks yard told them when to get up in the morning, when to eat their meals and when to go to
their hammocks each night. It also told them when to assemble in the courtyard for daily inspections
before heading off to their worksites around the town.
By any means available, some convicts found ways to succeed in the colony. Prendergast was one
such enterprising rogue, who seems to have done so at others’ expense.
William Prendergast was a London bookbinder and stationer, transported on the Norfolk in 1837, at
the age of 40, for picking pockets. He soon became the convict messenger and keeper of the watch
house at the Hyde Park Barracks, for which he earned a salary of 3 shillings and 7 pence per day, not
enough to make him rich. Prendergast’s apparent wealth – he was known for flashing a gold watch
and chain – probably came from illicit takings. He apparently took bribes from inmates to break the
rules and allow them out at night. Despite being of dubious character, Prendergast earned a ticket of
leave for bravery during a fire, and in 1846 was granted a conditional pardon.
Other convicts might have described Prendergast as: bug, buz cove, cly-faker, knuckler, scurf’d,
grab’d, nibb’d, pulled up, lifer, bellowser, charley, breech’d, ticketer, in town, up in the stirrups. See
our glossary of convict slang words to find out what these words mean.
This convict profile and image is from the Lags and swells interactive at the Hyde Park Barracks
Museum, which explores the stories of 50 convicts.
Convicts were sent to Australia to work. This was their punishment. Convicts were expected to work
from sunrise to sunset. In hot weather they had an hour off in the middle of the day. Male convicts
generally did hard physical labour such as making bricks, constructing buildings, gardening, and
building roads. Female convicts often worked as household servants, cooking, cleaning and
sometimes taking care of children. Some of the convicts had special skills and did work such as
keeping records, printing, making pottery and keeping the town clocks.
<img
src="http://sydneylivingmuseums.com.au/sites/default/files/styles/image-gallery/public/John-
Moreton-profile-LON13_CHI_0033.jpg?itok=fDqiEVkA" alt="Brown earthernware jug." title=""
width="203" height="203" /> John Moreton: Potter <img

src="http://sydneylivingmuseums.com.au/sites/default/files/styles/image-
gallery/public/COL_CSLRC_RB331.76TOM_p33-trans.jpg?itok=vaN3uJLV" alt="Book illustration of
workshop." title="" width="203" height="203" /> James Gough: Builder
<img src="http://sydneylivingmuseums.com.au/sites/default/files/styles/gallery-details/public/John-
Moreton-profile-LON13_CHI_0033.jpg?itok=HpMN91Yu" alt="Brown earthernware jug." title=""
width="1098" height="732" />
<img src="http://sydneylivingmuseums.com.au/sites/default/files/styles/gallery-details/public/John-
Moreton-profile-LON13_CHI_0033.jpg?itok=HpMN91Yu" alt="Brown earthernware jug." title=""
width="1098" height="732" />
John Moreton: Potter
Some convicts brought with them specialised skills of trade, including Moreton, whose fine
craftsmanship made him famous in the colony.
John Moreton trained as a potter alongside Josiah Wedgwood in Staffordshire, England, an area
famed for ceramic production. In 1819 he was charged with burglary and transported for life. In
Sydney, Moreton worked at the Government Pottery at Brickfield Hill, and in 1820 he was appointed
overseer. In 1822 he gained his ticket of leave and his wife and children came from England to join
him. Moreton and Sons became well-known colonial suppliers of ornamental flowerpots, hospital
items, and even execution death masks, including one for convicted murderer George Vigors.
Despite his success, Moreton faced the Hyde Park Barracks court on further charges of drunkenness
and burglary. He died in 1847 and very few pieces of his pottery have survived.
Other convicts might have described Moreton as: bug, scurf’d, boned, done, grab’d, nibb’d, pulled
up, lifer, bellowser, prig, cracksman, ticketer, floor’d, lushy cove. See our glossary of convict slang
words to find out what these words mean.
Wellington Jug, attributed to John Moreton or Jonathan Leak, c1830. Parramatta Justice Precinct
Site, Department of Finance and Brookfield Multiplex. Image courtesy of Parramatta Heritage
Centre, Parramatta City Council. Tap for full size image
<img src="http://sydneylivingmuseums.com.au/sites/default/files/styles/gallery-
details/public/COL_CSLRC_RB331.76TOM_p33-trans.jpg?itok=hc3tYaof" alt="Book illustration of
workshop." title="" width="1098" height="931" />
details/public/COL_CSLRC_RB331.76TOM_p33-trans.jpg?itok=hc3tYaof" alt="Book illustration of
workshop." title="" width="1098" height="931" />
James Gough: Builder
Those with building skills, like Gough, were highly sought-after in the developing colony and soon
put to work.
Tried for theft in London in 1812 and transported for life, James Gough, described as a ‘most
industrious’ builder, arrived in Sydney in 1813 and became overseer of carpenters at the Sydney
Lumberyard. Following another conviction, for a crime committed in the colony, Gough was
transferred to the lumberyard at Parramatta where he worked with another joiner on extensions to
Government House, Parramatta. Gough received a conditional pardon in 1821 and later carried out
roofing works on the Supreme Courthouse in Sydney and repairs to St Matthew's Church in Windsor.
In 1841 he was sent to Cockatoo Island for stealing a cow, but was quickly pardoned. Transferred to
the Hyde Park Barracks, he was granted an absolute pardon and freed.
Other convicts might have described Gough as: bug, prig, scurf’d, boned, done, grab’d, nibb’d, pulled
up, lifer, bellowser, cockatoo. See our glossary of convict slang words to find out what these words
mean.
‘The carpenter’s shop’ (detail) in 'Illustrations of useful arts, manufactures, and trades' by Charles
Tomlinson; London, Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, [1858]. Caroline Simpson Library &
Research Collection Tap for full size image
Food
Preparing food. Re-enactment at 'Redcoats & Convicts' 2009, Hyde Park Barracks Museum. Photo ©
Leo Rocker.
Food was scarce during the first few years of the colony. Crops did badly so people relied heavily on
supplies shipped from England. But by the time Hyde Park Barracks was built in 1819, a lot of the
food was grown locally. Convict rations varied from year to year.
For example, in 1820 convicts working in government service were given 3.1 kg of salt beef, 1.8 kg of
salt pork, 3.1 kg of flour (to be baked into bread), 1.6 kg of maize (corn) meal (to be eaten as
‘hominy’ porridge for breakfast), 110 grams of tea, 450 grams of sugar and 220 grams of salt (when
fresh meat was issued). At other times convicts were also given peas, rice, oatmeal and sometimes
green vegetables such as cabbage, for their soup.
The greens probably came from the large vegetable garden near the Hyde Park Barracks, where
some of the convicts worked. Female convicts were given fewer rations, as their work was
considered less physically demanding. Convicts who worked for free settlers were expected to be
fed by their masters.
Read below about Canadian convict Pierre-Hector Morin, who came to Hyde Park Barracks to collect
his rations.
Read about convict Thomas Haynes (Trove article), who refused the ‘good and wholesome’ bread at
Hyde Park Barracks.
Watch a video of how a convict started a fire.
<img
src="http://sydneylivingmuseums.com.au/sites/default/files/styles/image-gallery/public/Pierre-
Hector-Morin-LON13_CHI_0038.jpg?itok=cAGMVsVS" alt="Oil painting of dark haired man against
dark background." title="" width="203" height="203" /> Pierre-Hector Morin: Royally pardoned
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haired man against dark background." title="" width="1098" height="1487" />
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haired man against dark background." title="" width="1098" height="1487" />
Pierre-Hector Morin: Royally pardoned
Many convicts successfully earned their freedom through hard work and good behaviour, and a
select few, such as Pierre-Hector Morin and his son, received their pardons from the King.
French-Canadian steamship captain Pierre-Hector Morin and his son Achille were captured by British
troops during the Lower Canadian rebellion of 1838. Their death sentences for treason were
reduced to transportation for life, and in 1839 they departed Quebec for Sydney on HMS Buffalo.
Pierre-Hector, an educated, well-respected citizen in his home country, spoke no English. Despite
gaining a ticket of leave in 1842, he remained unemployed and destitute in the colony, although he
was allowed rations of tea, tobacco, sugar, flour and meat from the Hyde Park Barracks. He and his
son eventually received royal pardons and in 1847 returned to Canada, where Pierre-Hector later
became harbourmaster of Montreal.
Other convicts might have described Morin as: swell, lagger, scurf’d, boned, done, grab’d, nibb’d,
pulled up, lifer, bellowser. See our glossary of convict slang words to find out what these words
mean.
This convict profile and image is from the Lags and swells interactive at the Hyde Park Barracks
Museum, which explores the stories of 50 convicts.
Portrait de Pierre-Hector Morin, 1808. Parks Canada - Fort Malden NHS Tap for full size image
Clothes
Convict shirt, c1840. Blue and white striped Indian cotton shirt was excavated from under the
floorboards on level three of the Hyde Park Barracks, apparently near the staircase during
restoration in 1980. Hyde Park Barracks Archaeology Collection. Photo © Alex Kershaw for Sydney
Living Museums
Convicts often looked ragged and untidy. Most arrived in Sydney wearing their own clothes and
without a change of clothing. Men wore coarse cotton shirts and trousers, waistcoats and jackets.
According to regulations, each year every male convict was issued with:
2 jackets
1 waistcoat
1 pair breeches
2 shirts
1 hat
1 woollen cap
2 pairs shoes and stockings
Each female convict received:
1 jacket
2 petticoats
2 shifts (plain dresses)
2 pairs shoes and stockings
2 caps
1 handkerchief
1 hat
Every Saturday convicts were ordered to wash their clothes to be clean and ready for church the
next day.
Read below about convict Walter Power who was found wearing another man’s shirt
Listen to what convict Charles Cozens said about how the convicts dried their shirts on washing day.
<img
gallery/public/DES_HPB_UF51a.jpg?itok=47-GqmKT" alt="Striped shirt." title="" width="203"
height="203" /> Walter Power: Petty thief
details/public/DES_HPB_UF51a.jpg?itok=GVeMjzgp" alt="Striped shirt." title="" width="1098"
height="1300" />
details/public/DES_HPB_UF51a.jpg?itok=GVeMjzgp" alt="Striped shirt." title="" width="1098"
height="1300" />
Walter Power: Petty thief
Among convicts, theft of clothing and personal possessions was common and often overlooked by
the authorities.
Irish convict Walter Power was a tobacco spinner by trade.In 1831, aged 18, he was transported for
life for committing highway robbery in Waterford, Ireland. Once in the colony he ran away, for which
he was sentenced to two years in irons on Cockatoo Island. The day after his sentencing, before he
had left the Hyde Park Barracks, he was discovered wearing a shirt marked with another prisoner’s
name, but the authorities let it go. Power eventually received a ticket of leave but never his
complete freedom. He died in Goulburn in 1856, still a convict.
Other convicts might have described Power as: croppy, tobyman, scamp, prig, nibbler, scurf’d,
boned, done, grab’d, nibb’d, pulled up, bolter, cockatoo, darbie’d, slang’d, lifer, bellowser, ticketer.
See our glossary of convict slang words to find out what these words mean.
Convict shirt, c1840. Blue and white striped Indian cotton shirt was excavated from under the
floorboards on level three of the Hyde Park Barracks, apparently near the staircase during
restoration in 1980. Hyde Park Barracks Archaeology Collection. Photo © Alex Kershaw for Sydney
Living Museums Tap for full size image
Shoes and socks

A convict shoe found at Hyde Park Barracks. Hyde Park Barracks Archaeology Collection. Photo:
Jamie North © Sydney Living Museums.
Convicts sent to Hyde Park Barracks weren’t always lucky enough to be issued with socks. And to
make matters worse, their shoes weren’t made for the left or right foot, making them
uncomfortable and painful. Some convicts at Hyde Park Barracks were shoemakers by trade and
worked in a shoemaking and tailoring workshop.
Read below about George Farrell, one of the shoemaker convicts at Hyde Park Barracks.
Read about convict Samuel Davis (Trove website) who stole a pair of shoes at Hyde Park Barracks.
Watch a video about how convicts dealt with having no socks.

<img
src="http://sydneylivingmuseums.com.au/sites/default/files/styles/image-gallery/public/George-
Farrell-LON13_CHI_0034.jpg?itok=Xj21gb0D" alt="Book illustration of convict wearing punishment
band across wrists and connected to ankle chains." title="" width="203" height="203" /> George
Farrell: Escapee
details/public/George-Farrell-LON13_CHI_0034.jpg?itok=UX8Rrxm6" alt="Book illustration of convict
wearing punishment band across wrists and connected to ankle chains." title="" width="1098"
height="1805" />
details/public/George-Farrell-LON13_CHI_0034.jpg?itok=UX8Rrxm6" alt="Book illustration of convict
wearing punishment band across wrists and connected to ankle chains." title="" width="1098"
height="1805" />
George Farrell: Escapee
Prison ships, called ‘hulks’, were moored not only on the River Thames in London. One named the
Phoenix was used to hold prisoners in Sydney Harbour (in Hulk Bay, now Lavender Bay), but it didn’t
hold George Farrell for long.
Cobbler George Farrell, originally from Belfast, Ireland, was sentenced to seven years’ transportation
for stealing a watch. At the Hyde Park Barracks he worked as a shoemaker. In 1828 he was involved
in a daring, though ill-fated, robbery of the Bank of Australia. After tunnelling through an
underground sewer and striking the bank vault from below, Farrell and his group of convict thieves
made away with £14,000, at the time a fabulous sum, only to be caught and incarcerated on board
the Phoenix. Three years later Farrell was on the run, having sawed through the bars of his floating
cell and escaped into a waiting boat.
Other convicts might have described George Farrell as: croppy, prig, scurf’d, boned, done, grab’d,
nibb’d, pulled up, sevener, bolter.
See our glossary of convict slang words to find out what these words mean.
‘The 'Punishment Band', in The history of the convict hulk 'Success' and 'Success' prisoners, Joseph C.
Harvie, 1895. State Library of Victoria Tap for full size image
Tattoos
'Tattoos of a criminal sailor' (detail) from L'uomo delinquent, Cesare Lambroso, 4th edn [1876],
reproduced in Criminal man, Cesare Lombroso, translated and with a new introduction by Mary
Gibson and Nicole Hahn Rafter, Duke University Press, 2006. Justice & Police Museum Library.
Around one in every four male convicts had tattoos on his body. Some tattoos were made to
remember loved ones left behind, like the initials of a wife, parent, child, brother, sister or friend.
Other tattoos were made to symbolise courage or strength, or to protect the wearer from danger or
evil spirits. Convicts tattooed themselves to show that they belonged to a particular group or clan,
like the Masonic Society or a specialist guild or even an underworld society. Common tattoos
included mermaids, anchors, love hearts, stars, moon and sun, religious symbols, letters and
numbers.
Read below about Charles ‘Bony’ Anderson, a convict who was covered in tattoos.
<img
gallery/public/COL_CSLRC_JP364_3LOM_page62-crop.jpg?itok=KiUGP6O4" alt="Print from book."
title="" width="203" height="203" /> Charles Anderson: Tattooed seaman
details/public/COL_CSLRC_JP364_3LOM_page62-crop.jpg?itok=XmK1ad6O" alt="Print from book."
title="" width="1098" height="986" />
details/public/COL_CSLRC_JP364_3LOM_page62-crop.jpg?itok=XmK1ad6O" alt="Print from book."
Charles Anderson: Tattooed seaman
Some hapless individuals experienced the full horrors of convict transportation. It was no wonder
that some, like Anderson, endured periods of mental instability.
Navy seaman and thief Charles ‘Bony’ Anderson arrived in Sydney from Devonshire in 1834, aged 24.
He was heavily tattooed, with designs of a mermaid, anchor, buoy, cottage, flag, heart, crucifix, sun,
moon and seven stars, Adam and Eve, serpent and tree. In coming years he was frequently flogged,
for mutinous conduct, striking fellow prisoners, assaulting an overseer and neglect of work. After
one offence he was apparently cruelly chained to a rock on Goat Island, in public view and fed with a
long pole. In 1838 the barracks’ court sentenced him to the horrific punishment of life in ‘double
irons’ on Norfolk Island, but he was later returned to Cockatoo Island, where he was considered a
lunatic and kept in a straightjacket. Following his transfer to the Tarban Creek Lunatic Asylum,
Anderson was pronounced sane. He received his freedom in 1854.
Other convicts might have described Anderson as: bug, lagger, cracksman, sevener, cockatoo,
pebble, rump’d, darbie’d, slang’d, rock’d, shook. See our glossary of convict slang words to find out
what these words mean.
Image: 'Tattoos of a criminal sailor' (detail) from L'uomo delinquent, Cesare Lambroso, 4th edn
[1876], reproduced in Criminal man, Cesare Lombroso, translated and with a new introduction by
Mary Gibson and Nicole Hahn Rafter, Duke University Press, 2006. Justice & Police Museum Library.
Tap for full size image
Entertainment
Bone domino game piece, used by 19th century occupants of the Hyde Park Barracks and discovered
under floorboards by archaeologists in the early 1980s. Photo Gary Crockett © Sydney Living
Museums
Each night, convicts at Hyde Park Barracks had one hour of recreation in the yard before going to
bed. Gambling was illegal but they played cards, marbles and other games of chance. Improvised
musical instruments, storytelling, juggling and other pastimes probably relieved the boredom. A
number of convict game tokens and marbles made out of bone and wood were discovered under
the floorboards of Hyde Park Barracks. Convicts sometimes wove cabbage-tree hats to pass the time
and to trade in town.
Read below about William Ockenden, a convict who liked to make money by gambling, and listen to
what the judge said about him in court.
<img
gallery/public/ARC_HPB_UG1017.jpg?itok=JTWmUXw8" alt="Close up of die." title="" width="203"
height="203" /> William Ockenden: Gambler and escapee
details/public/ARC_HPB_UG1017.jpg?itok=JhdOzFoX" alt="Close up of die." title="" width="1098"
height="993" />
details/public/ARC_HPB_UG1017.jpg?itok=JhdOzFoX" alt="Close up of die." title="" width="1098"
height="993" />
William Ockenden: Gambler and escapee
Although the authorities frowned on it, gambling at the barracks and in public houses was common
among the convicts. Ockenden seems to have made it an art form.
A tailor by trade, William Ockenden was originally sentenced for robbery in 1828 in Sussex, England,
and arrived in the colony on the Marquis of Hastings at the age of 21. Three years later he came
before the court at the Hyde Park Barracks for fleeing his road gang. Like many convicts, Ockenden
liked to drink and gamble, and he was caught red-handed in a drinking establishment with plenty of
cash, fake coins and gambling tools. The money was confiscated and he was locked in a solitary cell.
In February 1832 Ockenden was again caught attempting to escape. This time, branded a ‘notorious
runaway and bad character’, he was sent to Norfolk Island. Back at the barracks in 1834, Ockenden
made another attempt at escape. Four years later he gained his certificate of freedom.
Other convicts might have described Ockenden as: bug, sharp, lushy cove, scurf’d, boned, done,
grab’d, nibb’d, pulled up, floor’d, bolter, pebble, cockatoo. See our glossary of convict slang words to
find out what these words mean.
Die (bone) found underfloor at Hyde Park Barracks during archaeological excavations. UG1017. Hyde
Park Barracks Collection. Photo © Jamie North for Sydney Living Museums Tap for full size image
Religion
Bible of Thomas Bagnall. Photo © Alex Kershaw
Sunday was the only day convicts didn’t have work. Instead they went to church – as religion was
considered very important.
Read below about convict Thomas Bagnall and see the prayer book he left behind at Hyde Park
Barracks and about George Vigors, a convict who escaped on his way to church one Sunday.
Read about how some convicts (Trove website) switched from being Protestant to being Catholic so
they only had to go to church once a week!
<img
gallery/public/THOMAS_BAGNALL.jpg?itok=w2muiXr9" alt="Bible on wooden table." title=""
width="203" height="203" /> Thomas Bagnall: Reader <img

src="http://sydneylivingmuseums.com.au/sites/default/files/styles/image-gallery/public/George-
Vigors-LON10_CONSYD_070.jpg?itok=vrphokzg" alt="Reproduction of pencil drawing of
man's face." title="" width="203" height="203" /> George Vigors: Murderer
details/public/THOMAS_BAGNALL.jpg?itok=WIpKLU3g" alt="Bible on wooden table." title=""
width="1098" height="718" />
details/public/THOMAS_BAGNALL.jpg?itok=WIpKLU3g" alt="Bible on wooden table." title=""
width="1098" height="718" />
Thomas Bagnall: Reader
Religious texts were often donated to convicts like Bagnall who were being held on the hulks and
transport ships, to encourage their reform through spiritual enlightenment.
A Protestant Bible and prayer book inscribed with convict Thomas Bagnall’s name and the date 1837
were found hidden together under the floorboards of the Hyde Park Barracks. In that year Bagnall
received a sentence of seven years for robbing a warehouse, then spent several years on prison
hulks on the River Thames awaiting transportation. It is likely that he travelled to Sydney with his
new books on the Earl Grey in 1839. Bagnall is known to have been a brass founder who could read
and write, and with a reputation for ‘bad character’, but we know little about his experience in the
colony or whether he was in fact religious. He gained his ticket of leave in 1843.
Other convicts might have described Bagnall as: bug, cracksman, scurf’d, boned, done, grab’d,
nibb’d, pulled up, sevener, ticketer. See our glossary of convict slang words to find out what these
words mean.
Bible of Thomas Bagnall. Photo © Alex Kershaw Tap for full size image
details/public/George-Vigors-LON10_CONSYD_070.jpg?itok=DEyOHhJh" alt="Reproduction of pencil
drawing of man's face." title="" width="1098" height="1304" />
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drawing of man's face." title="" width="1098" height="1304" />
George Vigors: Murderer
Once in the colony, some convicts, like Vigors, got themselves into even deeper trouble, one crime
sometimes leading to another more serious crime. Shoemaker George Vigors arrived in Sydney in
1828 sentenced to seven years for stealing a watch and shoes. Vigors went on to notch up a long list
of criminal convictions, including for escape, highway robbery, theft, forgery and, eventually,
murder. His punishments included more than 1100 lashes, many probably inflicted at the Hyde Park
Barracks by scourger Alexander Green. In 1844, while en route to the compulsory Sunday service at
St James’s Church, Vigors escaped with two others. They knocked on the door of a James Noble in
Clarence Street and attempted to rob him, in the process of which Noble was stabbed. He later died.
Vigors was captured a week later, tried, and executed in August 1844. His death mask was made by
convict potter John Moreton.
Other convicts might have described Vigors as: bug, sevener, scurf’d, boned, done, grab’d, nibb’d,
pulled up, prig, bolter, rump’d, pebble, scrag’d top’d. See our glossary of convict slang words to find
out what these words mean.
George Vigors. For trial for the murder of the late Mr Noble (detail), Thomas A Newall, 1844.
Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW: A 1493. Tap for full size image
Language
Convicts talking over dinner in the mess room. Re-enactment 2010. Hyde Park Barracks Museum.
Photo © Fiona Morris.
Convicts had their own slang words called the ‘flash’ language. They used these words to talk to each
other so that the authorities couldn’t understand them.
Read some of the words convicts used to describe each other.
Bad behaviour and punishment

Convict being flogged with the cat-o’-nine-tails. Re-enactment, Hyde Park Barracks Museum. Photo
© Fiona Morris.
Some convicts just couldn’t stay out of trouble. Punishments were common for bad behaviour like
swearing, laziness, being drunk, returning late from work and stealing small items. For this, convicts
were whipped with the ‘cat-o’-nine-tails’ or kept in solitary confinement for several days, with only
bread and water to eat.
Convicts who ran away from their work were often sentenced to wear heavy leg-irons for at least six
months and up to three years. These leg-irons could be put on or taken off only by a blacksmith.
Some convicts were even ordered to walk on a big wooden treadmill to grind the corn used to make
their breakfast.
If a convict’s crime was really serious, they might be sent to a distant penal settlement like Port
Macquarie, Newcastle, Norfolk Island or Port Arthur.
Read below about convict Samuel Frith, who lost almost two kilograms when he was made to walk
on the treadmill and convict William Swallow who stole a ship and was caught and severely
punished, and listen to a song written about the episode.
Read about the punishment convict Michael Coffee received (Trove website), after he returned
drunk to Hyde Park Barracks one Sunday night.
<img
gallery/public/LON13_CHI_0016.jpg?itok=U2zicO5u" alt="Illustration from book." title=""
width="203" height="203" /> Samuel Frith: Murderer <img

gallery/public/LON13_CHI_0037.jpg?itok=RQ9mCx1d" alt="Print reads: The making of the coracle,
which was the means of saving the lives of the crew and passengers of the brig Cyprus." title=""
width="203" height="203" /> William Swallow: Mutineer
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width="1098" height="692" />
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width="1098" height="692" />
Samuel Frith: Murderer
Murder is the darkest of all crimes, and yet some murderers, like Frith, were freed after only a few
years.
Samuel Frith was a footman and soldier with the Bengal Horse Artillery when convicted of murder in
Meerut, India. Sentenced to transportation for life, Frith was shipped to Sydney in 1838 and assigned
to work for a Mr Coleman of Brisbane Water. A few months later he was punished for drunkenness
with ten days on the treadmill, losing 4 pounds (nearly 2 kilograms) of weight in the process. Frith
was then transferred through the Hyde Park Barracks and returned to service. In April 1843 he was
confined in Darlinghurst Gaol, and then punished again with 12 months on Cockatoo Island, after
which he was discharged at the barracks. In 1845 he received his ticket of leave and in 1850 he was
granted a conditional pardon.
Other convicts might have described Frith as: bug, swoddy, galloot, scurf’d, boned, done, grab’d,
nibb’d, pulled up, bellowser, lushy cove, floor’d, cockatoo, darbie’d, slang’d. See our glossary of
convict slang words to find out what these words mean.
‘Bengal Horse Artillery’, artist unknown, The Illustrated London News, no 355, vol XIV, 27 January
1849. Image courtesy www.iln.org.uk. Tap for full size image
details/public/LON13_CHI_0037.jpg?itok=FTL2LT7Z" alt="Print reads: The making of the coracle,
width="1098" height="818" />
details/public/LON13_CHI_0037.jpg?itok=FTL2LT7Z" alt="Print reads: The making of the coracle,
width="1098" height="818" />
William Swallow: Mutineer
One way to escape from a colonial outpost where you were held against your will was to
commandeer a ship and sail it to another country. This Swallow did, with great bravado.
In 1829 the convict mariner and sail maker William Swallow was on board the brig Cyprus being
moved with fellow convicts from Hobart to the dreaded Macquarie Harbour settlement, also in Van
Diemen’s Land. Swallow led a group of convicts to take control of the ship. Abandoning the captain
and his wife, the military crew and remaining convicts on a remote beach, the mutineers set sail for
New Zealand, Japan and finally China. Later discovered back in London and hauled before the court,
Swallow’s cunning account of the events saved him from being hanged. However, he was
transported for a second time, arriving in Sydney in July 1831. He was briefly at the Hyde Park
Barracks before being removed to Macquarie Harbour, his original destination before he had seized
the ship.
Other convicts might have described Swallow as: bug, lagger, scurf’d, boned, done, grab’d, nibb’d,
pulled up, bolter, lifer, bellowser, fly. See our glossary of convict slang words to find out what these
words mean.
Convict castaways from the Cyprus, W B Gould [attrib], in The Hobart Town Courier, 12 September
1829. Tasmanian Archive and Heritage Office. Tap for full size image
Rewards
A ticket of leave, issued on 8 October 1840 and numbered 2079, permitting convict Thomas Beaton
to work in the Yass district of New South Wales. Hyde Park Barracks Collection. Photo: Lucy Clay ©
Sydney Living Museums
Of course, there were many well-behaved convicts, and they could be rewarded with responsible job
or allowed time away from the barracks. A well-behaved convict might be given a ‘ticket of leave’
that allowed them to work for money and own land but not to leave the colony. They could even
receive a pardon. A ‘conditional pardon’ allowed them to live anywhere in the colony and an
‘absolute pardon’ allowed them to travel abroad, even back to England if they chose. Once a
sentence had been served, a convict received a ‘certificate of freedom’.
Read below about Irish convict Dennis Dougherty, who served a sentence of 43 years before he got
his ticket of leave.
Read about convict John Graham, and listen to what he said to the Governor when he pleaded for
his sentence to be reduced as a reward for good behaviour.
<img
gallery/public/LON13_CHI_0032.jpg?itok=2dtRJgo2" alt="Faded, sepia toned headshot of man."
title="" width="203" height="203" /> Dennis Dogherty: Deserter

<img src="http://sydneylivingmuseums.com.au/sites/default/files/styles/image-
gallery/public/LON13_CHI_0019.jpg?itok=wzA-JPQh" alt="Print of woman running from group into
canoe." title="" width="203" height="203" /> John Graham: Rewarded
details/public/LON13_CHI_0032.jpg?itok=k8yVFlcX" alt="Faded, sepia toned headshot of man."
details/public/LON13_CHI_0032.jpg?itok=k8yVFlcX" alt="Faded, sepia toned headshot of man."
Dennis Dogherty: Deserter
Not even men in uniform were spared the gruelling punishment of transportation. Desertion from
the military was regarded as a serious crime, as Irishman Dennis Dougherty found out.
Dennis Dougherty (also Dogherty) was a 19-year-old soldier from Londonderry, Ireland, when he
deserted his regiment on its way to India in early 1833. Captured soon after, he was court-martialled
and sent to New South Wales on the Aurora. Life in the colony was hard. As a gang worker at the
Hyde Park Barracks, Dougherty was repeatedly flogged for running away, assault and disobedience.
Following a series of failed escapes, and convictions for bushranging and robbery, he was finally
sentenced to a stint at the notorious Port Arthur. By all accounts Dougherty fought the system every
step of the way. After almost 43 years as a convict, and despite his reputation as one of the most
troublesome in the colony, Dougherty got his ticket of leave in 1876.
Other convicts might have described Dougherty as: croppy, galloot, swoddy, scurf’d, boned, done,
grab’d, nibb’d, pulled up, bolter, rump’d, pebble, tobyman, scamp, ticketer. See our glossary of
convict slang words to find out what these words mean.
Dennis Dogherty, per Aurora, photographer unknown, part of collection, Convict portraits, Port
Arthur, 1874. National Library of Australia. Tap for full size image
details/public/LON13_CHI_0019.jpg?itok=jL5wNxcq" alt="Print of woman running from group into
canoe." title="" width="1098" height="668" />
details/public/LON13_CHI_0019.jpg?itok=jL5wNxcq" alt="Print of woman running from group into
canoe." title="" width="1098" height="668" />
John Graham: Rewarded
Escaping and living with the Aboriginal people was one way to avoid the drudgery of a life in
custody. Graham used his knowledge of Aboriginal ways to achieve his liberty.
Irish convict John Graham arrived in the colony in 1825 with a seven-year sentence for stealing
hemp. Graham befriended Aborigines in the Parramatta area, becoming familiar with their culture
and skilled in their fishing and food-gathering ways. A conviction for theft saw him sent to Moreton
Bay (now Brisbane) in 1826, but he escaped and lived for several years with the local Aborigines. A
decade later the brig Stirling Castle was wrecked on the Great Barrier Reef and Aboriginal people
held the survivors captive. Graham volunteered to rescue the party, which included the captain's
wife. After he was transferred back to the Hyde Park Barracks, Graham petitioned the Governor to
reduce his sentence. Along with a ticket of leave, he was rewarded with £10.
Other convicts might have described Graham as: croppy, prig, scurf’d, boned, done, grab’d, nibb’d,
pulled up, sevener, bolter, ticketer. See our glossary of convict slang words to find out what these
words mean.
Mrs Fraser’s escape from the savages: 'Shipwreck of the Stirling Castle', John Curtis, 1838, John
Oxley Library negative 31363, State Library of Queensland. Tap for full size image
Escape
Convict escaping over wall at Hyde Park Barracks. Re-enactment by Darby Carr. Image: still from
video © Sydney Living Museums.
Convicts were supposed to remain in the barracks all night. Some did not return after work, or
climbed over the wall to go out at night. Others even escaped from the barracks for good.
Read about Lawrence Kavanagh who escaped from the Hyde Park Barracks and became a
bushranger and James Hardy Vaux who escaped repeatedly from the colony, and was each time
recaptured and sent back to New South Wales. He was transported three times.
Read about convict John Horton and his friends (Trove website) who climbed over the wall of Hyde
Park Barracks.
<img
gallery/public/LON13_CHI_0040.jpg?itok=jzYEWDXS" alt="Print of man, head and shoulders."
title="" width="203" height="203" /> James Hardy Vaux: Repeat offender
<img
gallery/public/LON13_CHI_0036.jpg?itok=4HJjwk4P" alt="Painting of man with arm in sling in dock."
title="" width="203" height="203" /> Lawrence Kavanagh: Escapee
details/public/LON13_CHI_0036.jpg?itok=MWlP3PsL" alt="Painting of man with arm in sling in
dock." title="" width="1098" height="1471" />
details/public/LON13_CHI_0036.jpg?itok=MWlP3PsL" alt="Painting of man with arm in sling in
dock." title="" width="1098" height="1471" />
Lawrence Kavanagh: Escapee
Convicts commonly escaped over the wall of the Hyde Park Barracks. Some returned after a short
outing, but others, like Kavanagh, intended to disappear more permanently.
Irishman Lawrence Kavanagh was no stranger to violence and strife. Convicted for burglary in 1829
and transported to Sydney for life, he was soon in trouble again and banished to Norfolk Island. In
1842, after escaping and making his way back to Sydney, Kavanagh was recaptured and thrown into
the cells at the barracks. Yet again he escaped and, according to a newspaper account, was lurking in
the dark outside the barracks’ walls, disguised in a white hat and glasses, intending to shoot the
superintendent. When next he was caught, Kavanagh was sent to Port Arthur but again escaped.
After two years on the run in Van Diemen’s Land, as a bushranger, Kavanagh was returned to
Norfolk Island where he was executed in 1846 for taking part in the convict mutiny led by William
Westwood.
Other convicts might have described Kavanagh as: croppy, scurf’d, boned, done, grab’d, nibb’d,
pulled up, lifer, bolter, scamp, tobyman, pebble, crap’d, scrag’d, top’d. See our glossary of convict
slang words to find out what these words mean.
The man in the dock pictured in this painting is thought to be Lawrence Kavanagh. ['Portrait of a man
in the dock'], Charles Henry Theodore Costantini, date unknown, watercolour, Tasmanian Times, 6
September 1843. Allport Library and Museum of Fine Arts, Tasmanian Archive and Heritage Office
Tap for full size image
details/public/LON13_CHI_0040.jpg?itok=MuO2MDEf" alt="Print of man, head and shoulders."
details/public/LON13_CHI_0040.jpg?itok=MuO2MDEf" alt="Print of man, head and shoulders."
James Hardy Vaux: Repeat offender
Some convicts were transported more than once. Vaux was sent to the colony three times, each
time arriving under a different name.
London clerk James Hardy Vaux became an expert pickpocket, swindler and gambler. His first
sentence to the colony was for seven years, after which he returned to England in 1807 and was
soon up to his old tricks. His next sentence, for robbing a jeweller’s shop in Piccadilly, saw him
transported to New South Wales for life. After being given a conditional pardon he broke its terms
by fleeing to Ireland, where he was caught with counterfeit money and banished to the colony for
the third time. During the 1830s Vaux spent short periods at the Hyde Park Barracks. His lasting
contribution to convict history was his widely read book on convict slang, A vocabulary of the flash
language, compiled in 1812. Our glossary (see link below) is based on this work.
Other convicts might have described Vaux as: bug, swell, file, buz cove, cly-faker, knuckler, sharp,
prig, fly, scurf’d, boned, done, grab’d, nibb’d, pulled up, lifer, bellowser. See our glossary of convict
slang words to find out what these words mean.
James Hardy Vaux, artist unknown, c1825. Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW: P1V SPF Vaux. Tap
for full size image
Related stories
A convict’s life depended on who they worked for, where they worked and the kind of skills they had
to offer.
Archaeology in action: Hyde Park Barracks
Occupied continuously by government institutions throughout its history and with over 100,000
individuals passing through, Hyde Park Barracks has a rich archaeological record.
Australian Convict Sites: World Heritage
Between 1788 and 1868, more than 166,000 British convicts were banished to Australi. In
recognition of this extraordinary story, the Hyde Park Barracks and ten other Australian convict sites
have been added to the World Heritage List.
Convict hulks
In the 21st century we are accustomed to thinking of imprisonment as one of the more obvious
forms of punishment for convicted criminals. This was not so in the past.
Enough rope
More than a kilometre of rope suspended the hammocks required to sleep 600 or more convicts in
the Hyde Park Barracks dormitories between 1819 and 1848.
How the ‘Sidney Slaughter House’ got its name
During archaeological excavations at the Rum Hospital south wing (now The Mint) on Sydney’s
Macquarie Street in 1980-81, a few small traces of the site’s dark and often painful past were
discovered.
Lost convict lodge rediscovered
A recently discovered photograph of a convict gardener’s lodge, built near Hyde Park Barracks in
early 1825, reminds us that new stories about our convict heritage still remain to be told.
Who were the Hyde Park Barracks convicts?
Pick-pockets and pirates, confidence tricksters and conspirators, rebels and rascals – between 1819
and 1848, Hyde Park Barracks had them all.
Why were convicts transported to Australia?
Until 1782, English convicts were transported to America. However, in 1783 the American War of
Independence ended. America refused to accept any more convicts so England had to find
somewhere else to send their prisoners. Transportation to New South Wales was the solution.
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A Day in The Life of A Convict

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A day in the life of a convict

Convict life in the New South Wales penal colony

width="203" height="203" /> John Moreton: Potter <img

John Moreton: Potter

James Gough: Builder

Pierre-Hector Morin: Royally pardoned

2 pairs shoes and stockings

Each female convict received:

2 shifts (plain dresses)

2 pairs shoes and stockings

Walter Power: Petty thief

Shoes and socks

Watch a video about how convicts dealt with having no socks.

George Farrell: Escapee

Charles Anderson: Tattooed seaman

William Ockenden: Gambler and escapee

width="203" height="203" /> Thomas Bagnall: Reader <img

Thomas Bagnall: Reader

George Vigors: Murderer

Read some of the words convicts used to describe each other.

Bad behaviour and punishment

width="203" height="203" /> Samuel Frith: Murderer <img

Samuel Frith: Murderer

title="" width="203" height="203" /> Dennis Dogherty: Deserter

Dennis Dogherty: Deserter

John Graham: Rewarded

Lawrence Kavanagh: Escapee

James Hardy Vaux: Repeat offender

A day in the life of a convict

Australian Convict Sites: World Heritage

How the ‘Sidney Slaughter House’ got its name

Lost convict lodge rediscovered

Why were convicts transported to Australia?

The Unauthorised History of Australia $29.99

The Big Book of Australian History

Notable Book: Children's Book Council of Australia 2014

Joseph Lycett: Convict Artist

One of Australia's earliest colonial artists

1788: Text Classics

Watkin Tench's account of the infant colony

A day in the life of a convict

Hyde Park Barracks Museum•

Justice & Police Museum•

Rose Seidler House•

Rouse Hill House & Farm•

Susannah Place Museum•

Caroline Simpson Library & Research Collection•

Irish Minister of State visits Hyde Park Barracks—Friday 17 March 2017

The Stewart Symonds Sheet Music Collection—Friday 17 March 2017

Let’s katchup sometime—Thursday 16 March 2017

New Library Displays—Friday 10 March 2017

First catch your eel…—Thursday 9 March 2017

Head Office, The Mint

Hyde Park Barracks Museum

Search form-T7g2tHx4ab search_block_for

Houses & Museums

Events & Exhibitions

Research & Collections

Stories & Histories

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