Principal families included in the book:
Higgins, Seymour, Ryan, Campbell, Boyd, Hoare, Love and many others.
Recently republished, this book tells all the real life stories of the ex-convict characters that lived at the
early settlement along the Cowpastures River in the early 1820s. Based
on actual court records from the Bench Books of Cawdor, Liverpool and Campbelltown, there are stories of theft, bushranging, arson,
brawling and murder. Stealing pigs and cattle were common pastimes and
the sly grog shops did a roaring trade in illicit rum sales.
Why at Seymour’s drinken’! replied Jimmy
On Saturday las’ ole Tom Seymour brought up a keg of the best stuff I ‘ave ever ‘ad in the colony!
With
fully sourced biographical details for 122 people, this is an excellent
family and local history resource. As well there are detailed maps of
the land grants and a convict trail that traces the location of the
events in the stories. If you have convict ancestors you will certainly enjoy this book.
Congratulations!
Your book brings to life many early pioneers of the Camden district.
This book will be of great interest and use to many family researchers
and future historians.
John Wrigley, Camden Historical Society NSW
The
whole book is exemplary in its scholarly cross referencing to primary
sources, its indexes of convicts, details from the 1822 Muster and maps.
It is a most valuable source for anyone researching the lives of these
early settlers and convicts, and is a very thorough historical study.
E.C. Best, Society of Australian Genealogists
