Welsh Convict Women: A Study of Women Transported from Wales to Australia, 1787-1852 Book

From dj flap: "The story of nearly 300 women from Wales who sailed as convicts to the penal colonies of Australia. They came from every single county of Wales and some from over the border. More than 70 women from Glamorgan alone were amongst this number. They were young women, many in their 'teens or early twenties, servant girls from small villages and remote farms, and others who had been walking the ill-lit streets of the big crime centres of Cardiff, Merthyr and Swansea. In many cases their young children accompanied them on their long voyages. The horror and brualtality of the transportation system is fully realised when one reads about the crimes these 'wicked women' committed. They stole bread, bacon, cabbages, worn shoes, stays and dresses, and watches from gentlemen's pockets. One in three of these Welsh convict women was a first offender. ... traces the fate of the women from Wales in the colonies -- some to brothels in Syndey and others to quiet homesteads in the bush. It is essential reading for anyone interested in Welsh history or women's history."Read More