White rag burning : Irish women committing arson to be transported

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Title:

White rag burning : Irish women committing arson to be transported / Dianne Snowden.

Author/Creator:

Snowden, Dianne, author.

Publication:

Hobart, Tasmania : Forty South Publishing, [2018].

Physical description:

xi, 236 pages : illustrations, portraits, charts ; 25 cm.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 220-227) and index.

Summary:

"Between 1841 and 1853, nearly 250 women were transported from Ireland to Van Diemen's Land on the other side of the world for committing arson... The arsonists were poor and actively sought to change their circumstances and improve their conditions. This book looks at the Irish experience of the arsonists, when and where they were tried and their motivation in committing arson. The book follows them to Van Diemen's Land and explores their colonial experience, when they were under sentence and when they were free. The story of the Irish arsonists is a remarkable one, challenging the idea that Irish convict women were passive victims, particularly during the years of the Great Famine. Using original records, this study reveals the reality of convict life together with the legacy left by these women in Tasmania and beyond."--Back cover.

ISBN:

9780648265177

Subjects:

Arson -- Ireland -- History -- 19th century.

Women prisoners -- Ireland -- History -- 19th century.

Women convicts -- Tasmania -- History -- 1803-1900.

Women prisoners -- Tasmania -- History -- 1803-1900.

Women prisoners -- Transportation -- Ireland -- History -- 19th century.

Penal colonies -- Tasmania -- History.

Australia -- Emigration and immigration -- History.

Ireland -- History -- 19th century.

Record ID:

SD_ILS:1275989

Available:

Library	Shelf Location	Shelf Number	Item Category 2	Item category 3	Status
Searching... Bridgewater Library	Adult non-fiction	364.37409946 SNO	Adult General	Tas content	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Bridport Library	Adult non-fiction	364.37409946 SNO	Adult General	Tas content	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Kingston Library	Adult non-fiction	364.37409946 SNO	Adult General	Tas content	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Rosny Library	Adult non-fiction	364.37409946 SNO	Adult General	Tas content	Searching... Unknown
Searching... St Helens Library	Adult non-fiction	364.37409946 SNO	Adult General	Tas content	Searching... Unknown
Searching... State Library Reading Room	Reference	364.37409946 SNO	Adult General	Undefined	Searching... Unknown
Searching... State Library Reading Room (Tas)	Tas Stack	364.37409946 SNO	Adult General	Undefined	Searching... Unknown
Searching... State Library Reading Room (Tas)	Tas Stack	364.37409946 SNO	Adult General	Undefined	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Westbury Library	Adult non-fiction	364.37409946 SNO	Adult General	Tas content	Searching... Unknown

Bound With These Titles

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Summary

Between 1841 and 1853, nearly 250 women were transported from Ireland to Van Diemen's Land on the other side of the world for committing arson. During the Great Famine, the number of Irish women transported for arson increased dramatically. In comparison, only small numbers of other convicts were transported for arson.Many of these Irish women committed arson in order to be transported. Why did these women commit arson and not some other crime? What led to the increase in numbers? Why didn't the women simply emigrate if they wanted a better life? White Rag Burning reveals the answers to these questions and in doing so, tells the individual stories of the convict women.The arsonists were poor and actively sought to change their circumstances and improve their conditions. This book looks at the Irish experience of the arsonists, when and where they were tried and their motivation in committing arson. The book follows them to Van Diemen's Land and explores their colonial experience, when they were under sentence and when they were free.The story of the Irish arsonists is a remarkable one, challenging the idea that Irish convict women were passive victims, particularly during the years of the Great Famine. Using original records, this study reveals the reality of convict life together with the legacy left by these women in Tasmania and beyond.