How bad was the First Fleet?

Some of the First Fleet convicts had been found guilty of serious crimes, such as assault and highway robbery. But most had committed nonviolent offenses, mainly theft. Among the wide range of items they were convicted of stealing were livestock, tea, clothes, bedding, watches, mugs, and handkerchiefs.

What was the death rate on the First Fleet?

The death rates on those fleets was horrendous. The death rate on the First Fleet was something like 2%. The average death rate of a convict voyage across the Atlantic was 14%.

Was the First Fleet full of convicts?

Perhaps most famously, the First Fleet included more than 700 convicts. The settlement at Botany Bay was intended to be a penal colony. The convicts of the First Fleet included both men and women. Most were British, but a few were American, French, and even African.

Did any convicts died on the First Fleet?

THE FIRST FLEET

They carried around 1400 convicts, soldiers and free people. The journey from England to Australia took 252 days and there were around 48 deaths on the voyage.

How many Marines died on the First Fleet?

The chief surgeon for the First Fleet, John White, reported a total of 48 deaths and 28 births during the voyage. The deaths during the voyage included one marine, one marine's wife, one marine's child, 36 male convicts, four female convicts, and five children of convicts.

If Superwog was on the First Fleet

How many babies were born on the First Fleet?

It is estimated there were about 50 children on the First Fleet when it arrived at Botany Bay. Over 20 children were born at sea during the eight-month voyage.

Who was the youngest convict on the First Fleet?

This is John Hudson, the youngest convict on the First Fleet. At the age of 9 he was convicted of 'breaking and entering' and sentenced to 7 years in Australia, along with 34 other child convicts.

How old was the youngest female convict on the First Fleet?

was the youngest female convict, at 13, on the First Fleet. She received seven years transportation at the Old Bailey in January 1787, for being accused of stealing clothes from the clog maker she was working for.

What was the most common crime on the First Fleet?

Some of the First Fleet convicts had been found guilty of serious crimes, such as assault and highway robbery. But most had committed nonviolent offenses, mainly theft.

Who was the richest convict on the First Fleet?

Samuel Terry (c. 1776 – 22 February 1838) was transported to Australia as a criminal, where he became a wealthy landowner, merchant and philanthropist. His extreme wealth made him by far the richest man in the colony with wealth comparable to the richer in England.

Were there female convicts on the First Fleet?

“The convict men were transported first and soon outnumbered women nine to one in Australia. You can't have a colony without women so the female convicts were specifically targeted by the British government as 'tamers and breeders'.”

What food did the convicts eat?

It was usually 450 grams of salted meat (either mutton or beef), cooked again into a stew, and some bread. By 1826, the government also had a more established cattle stock available and so the meat served to convicts was fresher and taken from better-quality cuts than before.

What were the punishments on the First Fleet?

Those punishments which were recorded in surgeon superintendents' journals included: head shaving; solitary confinement; bread and water; handcuffing; use of the “straight waistcoat”; and putting women on the 'black list' for dirty work.

Who was the last survivor of the First Fleet?

Elizabeth Thackery (1767 – 7 August 1856) is the last known survivor of the First Fleet, male or female, and was generally known throughout her long lifetime as the first female convict to land in Australia.

Did people get sick on the First Fleet?

As in previous invasions and colonisations around the world the British First Fleet arrived in 1788 carrying new and deadly epidemic diseases such as tuberculosis, influenza, measles and smallpox.

Were there sick people in the First Fleet?

Although only 39 of the 759 convicts on the first fleet died, conditions deteriorated. By the year 1800 one in 10 prisoners died during the voyage. Many convicts related loosing up to 10 teeth due to scurvy, and outbreaks of dysentery made conditions foul in the confined space below deck.

How many boys were on the First Fleet?

Find information about the lives of children on the First Fleet including what happened to them once they arrived. There were about 50 children on the First Fleet when it arrived in Sydney. Some were convicts, some were children of marines and others were born on the ship on the journey out.

Who was a child convict on the First Fleet?

Beth - The Story of a Child Convict, is an incredibly moving tale inspired by the experiences of Elizabeth Hayward, the youngest female convict on the First Fleet and the journals of naval officer William Bradley and Arthur Bowes Smyth, the surgeon and artist also onboard.

What was life like on the First Fleet?

The First Fleet sailed from Portsmouth, England on the 13 May 1787. Life on board the Lady Penrhyn was hard, uncomfortable and crowded. Food was rationed and the women had only the clothing they were wearing.

How were children treated on the First Fleet?

They imposed harsh penalties for even minor crimes like theft and being a child did not protect you from the harsh punishments. In fact, children as young as seven were treated the same as adults in the courts. They were thrown in jail, transported beyond the seas, or worse still hanged.

What was the average age on the First Fleet?

The average age of the convicts was about 27 years. Only a few of the First Fleet convicts were dangerous criminals. Most of the convicts had committed petty crimes, such as minor theft or theft with some degree of violence. It was a long sea voyage of over 15,000 kilometres of ocean.

Who was the first girl on the First Fleet?

Jessica North, Esther; The extraordinary true story of the First Fleet girl who became First Lady of the colony | The Dictionary of Sydney.

How long did the First Fleet take?

Transportation to the Australian colonies began in 1788 when the First Fleet, carrying between 750 and 780 convicts plus 550 crew, soldiers and family members, landed at Sydney Cove after an eight-month voyage.

What was the First Fleet kid facts?

The First Fleet sailed from Portsmouth, England, on May 13, 1787. The fleet consisted of 11 ships carrying about 1,000 people. Most of the people were convicts. The fleet reached Botany Bay on January 19–20, 1788.

Which ship carried the most convicts?

Alexander, weighing in at 452 tons, 114 ft long and 31 ft at the beam, the Alexander was commanded by Master Duncan Sinclair. She carried 192 male convicts and was the largest ship in the fleet.