|
Australias DISTURBING Penal Colonies History-Where GHOSTS Linger in Cells
CRIMINALS DEPORTED From ANGELSEY, BRITAIN and IRELAND TO Australia Between 1788 and 1868
Australias 'Badge of Shame'; About 162,000 convicts were transported from Britain and Ireland to various penal colonies in Australia AI Brings 19th Century Welsh Convicts to Life in Australia BBC 22 AUG 2025 https://shunculture.com/images/resou...520184348.webp Faces of Welsh Convicts Sent to Australia Recreated by AI https://script-news.com/wp-content/u...-australia.jpg John Frost, a prominent leader of the Chartist movement involved in the Newport Rising. Initially sentenced to death, his punishment was later commuted to transportation to Van Diemens Land, now known as Tasmania Artificial Intelligence has helped researchers generate what they believe could have been the faces of Welsh convicts sent to Australia in the 19th Century The lives of 60 criminals transported from Anglesey for crimes as small as stealing a handkerchief have been traced by a team of volunteers and researchers. They have used detailed prisoner records from the time, historical sketches and, where possible, photos of the prisoners' modern day descendants to create a profile of what they may have looked like. Most convicts had been found guilty of theft, with many being repeat offenders, but some were transported for crimes as petty as trampling on the turnips of the local aristocracy. An estimated 162,000 convicts were sent to Australia, at least 1,000 of which were Welsh. They included John Frost, one of the leaders of the Chartist movement and the Newport Rising, who was initially sentenced to death before his sentence was reduced to transportation to Van Diemens Land, as Tasmania was then called. Roger Vincent has been a volunteer guide at Beaumaris Gaol on Anglesey for a number of years. The jail was in operation for just under 50 years in the 1800s, its 31 cells housing both men and women separated in total silence. Any talking was met with solitary confinement. After a holiday to Australia, Mr Vincent began wondering about the historical connections between the two countries. I was amazed how many people had been transported to Australia, so I started concentrating on that and I found 60 Anglesey islanders that were transported to Australia over a relatively short period, he said. https://nation.cymru/wp-content/uplo...3/10/Gaol.jpeg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...10ed468b_b.jpg https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/p/...68-h768-n-o-v1 https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0...9c8ea3~mv2.jpg https://wordlander.com/wp-content/up...4820.jpg?w=900 https://cdn.seearoundbritain.com/ima...4/p1370271.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...7925ce33_b.jpg https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0...876c7a~mv2.jpg Beaumaris Gaol was in operation for just under 50 years in the 19th Century Mr Vincent spent hours searching through the archives in Llangefni, Anglesey, to trace the lives of those transported and found that some of the crimes committed, and sentences given, were extremely harsh compared to today. They include; John Hughes, stole a handkerchief and glass, given 10 years -transported Hugh Hughes, stole five sheep, life sentence -transported William Williams, stole 29 shillings from a boy, seven years -transported There were three reasons for transportation prisons in the UK and Ireland were overcrowded, it was expensive to keep people in jails, and bodies were needed for manual labour work in Australia. An estimated 20% of all Australians are descendants of convicts, while in Tasmania that figure is at least 50%. Prof Hamish Maxwell Stewart, an academic specialising in convict life in Australia, said it used to be considered a badge of shame that Australias origins as a settler society were based on criminal transportation But now, increasingly and I think especially Tasmanians are proud that they've had a convict in the past, he said. Prof Maxwell Stuarts work has led to the creation of what was recently Tasmanias number one listed experience on Tripadvisor, the Unshackled memorial of convicts in Hobart, the state capital. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standar...c864367b51.jpg An AI generated image of Ann Williams, who was deported from Wales to Tasmania in 1842 for stealing Due to the distance, many convicts never returned home, staying in Australia to forge new lives, including starting families. Caterina Giannetti now lives in Sydney, and is the direct descendant of Ann Williams who was transported from north Wales to Hobart in 1842 after being sentenced to 10 years for stealing. Its really fascinating to know where you've come from, if there are any family traits or abilities to find out when they started. Its very exciting to find out where your origins lay https://wallpaperaccess.com/full/1458377.jpg And of course its almost a badge of honour for an Australian to have a convict in their line Unveiling Beaumaris Castle; A Journey Through History Beaumaris isnt just about castles. Experience a shiver of a different kind at the Beaumaris Jail and Courthouse, where the ghosts of the past might just linger in the cells. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2heZOGgfJU&t=682s Exploring Beaumaris, History & Charm in a Welsh Coastal Town- North Wales https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CSg5t5r-Sk&t=4s |
| All times are GMT. The time now is 20:50. |
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2026, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
SEO by vBSEO 3.5.2