Female penitentiary or factory, Parramatta, watercolour; 15.9 x 25.7 cm.
- National Library of Australia. circa 1826
The Colonial Secretary's Office was very familiar to citizens in the 1800s. It seemed that whatever happened in the colony, the Colonial Secretary had the rules or the guidelines. It was this office that decreed the rules of the Governors. You can find more about the Colonial Secretaries of each state by using simple Google search... just one example of what a goldmine of information can be found by looking at their indexes/records. Most were included in the Government Gazettes of the time.
Female convicts had to follow a whole lot of guidelines as shown below...
New South Wales Government Gazette (Sydney, NSW : 1832 - 1900), Wednesday 8 May 1839 (No.414) National Library of Australia http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article230383601
Please click to enlarge...
Free citizens also had to fill out an affidavit before being granted permission to marry, not a great deal different to today's forms, just a bit more formal... this one is from 1847.
AFFIDAVIT
To be made and subscribed by one of the Parties applying for Marriage by Licence
or Banns.
This day came before me an appointee of the
The Reverend the Moderator of the Presbytery of Van Dieman’s Land William
Brakefield of Evandale in the Colony of Van Dieman’s
Land Bachelor and voluntarily made oath that he is at this present
time above Twenty-one years of age (free) and unmarried: also that Maria
Downes of Evanvale in the said
Colony Spinster with whom said deponent is now desirous of proceeding to
The solemnization of true and lawful Matrimony according to the rites and cere-
monies of the Church of Scotland, it at this present time above Twenty-one
years of age (free) and unmarried: and that said deponent believeth that there is no
Impediment of kindred or alliance or of any other lawful cause, nor any suit com-
Fenced in any Ecclesiastical Court, to bar or hinder the proceeding of the said
Matrimony: and that the said William Brakefield hath for the
space of Fifteen days immediately preceding the Twenty Second day
of August in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
forty- Seven had his usual place of residence within the Parish or
District of Morven in the said Colony.
William Brakefield
[ Signature of Party}
Sworn before me at Evandale
in Van Dieman’s Land this twenty fourth
day of August One
thousand eight hundred and forty- seven
(Can’t read the signature)
{Signature of Moderator or his Appointee}
Note: ‘free’ is crossed out
There are some side notes which suggest what needs to be filled in.
As there was a shortage of single women in the colony, the Parramatta Female Factory was far more than a workhouse or prison...
Propeller (Hurstville, NSW : 1911 - 1954), Thursday 14 May 1953, page 6
AUSTRALODDITIES
MARRIAGE IN CONVICT DAYS.
By BILL BEATTY
In the first fifty years of white settlement In Australia the authorities had many problems to solve, but not many of them were harder of solution than those which concerned female convicts. When a transport carrying female prisoners arrived in Port Jackson the ladies were usually sent up the harbour to an establishment at Parramatta called The Factory. This stood at the north end of Parramatta Park, and from beginning to end seems to have been the queerest of queer establishments... It was not only a prison for females, but also a matrimonial bureau. To The Factory came both male convicts and settlers to pick their brides. The whole assembly of ladles (and they always referred to themselves as ladies) lined up whilst the bashful bride-groom walked the line to select a wife unto himself. It was from this place that the ancestors of many a good Australian went to the hunt of the man who had chosen her to be his bride and his help mate in the conquest of the wilderness.
Indeed, Australia owes much to many of the women of The Factory whom emancipated prisoners and settlers took to wife, because they could get no others. Most of them valiantly pioneered the new wild country with their men, and played their parts nobly. Many a splendid "Hawkesbury native”, whose manhood helped to make the Commonwealth, could look back with loving pride to the woman whom The Factory had provided him with as a mother. In what she did after she left it she generally gave abundant proof that even The Factory couldn't keep a good girl down. Anyway, for a little more detail - as to the procedure of wife selection we can do no better than refer to the evidence of Mr. Mudie, a settler who was examined before a committee of the English House of Commons. These were his words : "Gentlemen, you wish to hear about the system of obtaining a wife from the Parramatta Female Factory. Well, If a master has a convict that he la anxious to keep, and whom he considers to be well behaved, it is considered a great indulgence if he gives him permission to get a wife from The Factory, but the master must enter into an agreement to feed and support the woman and the offspring to prevent there being a burden on the Government. This being done, the man goes and obtains an order to the matron of The Factory for a wife. The women are turned out and they all stand up as you would place so many soldiers, or so many cattle at a fair. The same sort of ceremony and the same mode occurs with a free man; for the settlers also go to The Factory to select a wife. The man goes up and looks at the women; and if he sees a lady that takes his fancy he makes a sign to her, and she steps to one side. Some of the women refuse and stand still, for they have no wish to be married ; but this is very rare. Then, of course, they have some conversation together, and if the lady is not agreeable, or if the man does not fancy her from her conversation, she steps back into the line and the same ceremony goes on with two or three more. I have known instances of men going to The Factory and having the pick of two hundred ladies without finding anyone to please them. But eventually they find someone suitable and then they get married.
A Colonial Wedding 1788-1880
Source: Penrith Regional Gallery & The Lewers Bequest
Archived 18 May 2019 - Posted: 20 Mar 2019
THE CONVICT DAYS
An interesting summary of the convict days..
Sun (Kalgoorlie, WA : 1898 - 1929), Sunday 29 June 1902, page 3. National Library of Australia http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article211215237
Please click to enlarge...
Please click to enlarge...
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