Sidesaddle
Elizabeth Macarthur was a horsewoman. She wrote a letter describing riding through the bush on a three day trip to the Hawkesbury. Governor Macquarie wrote about encountering her on horseback. But that’s all I know. I can’t tell you if Elizabeth rode for pleasure, although her friend Betsy Marsden certainly did (Betsy’s husband wrote to…
Stories in the Archives – the tragedy of triplets
A very kind person (although no one I know) has transcribed the Births, Burials and Marriages registers of the church of St Bridget’s in Bridgerule (a tiny English farming village in North Devon). They’re all available online. Marvellous. So I was browsing through them the other day, as you do, and a story leaped out…
Beginnings
Convict ship Scarborough was no place for a gentleman’s daughter. Elizabeth Macarthur – wife of soon to be notorious John – was cold, pregnant and bone-weary. The Southern Ocean pummelled the ship with storm after storm but Elizabeth hardly noticed: her soldier husband and infant son were both grievously ill. She lofted some desperate prayers. …