? A record of Irish transporation and how the women who left shaped Tasmania On 2 September 1845 the convict ship Tasmania left Kingstown Harbour for Van Diemen's Land, with 138 female convicts and their 35 children. On 3 December, the ship arrived into Hobart. While the book looks at the lives of all the women, it focuses on two women in particular; Eliza Davis ,who was transported, from Wicklow Gaol, for life for infanticide, having had her sentence commuted from death and Margaret Butler sentenced to seven years transportation for stealing potatoes in Carlow. What emerges is a picture of the reality of transportation, together with the legacy left by these women in Tasmania, and asks the question about whether this Draconian punishment was, for some, a life-saving measure. AUTHOR: Joan Kavanagh is an author and historian, and former manager of the Wicklow Family History Centre, based in Wicklow Gaol. Her previous books include histories of Wicklow, Rathdrum and Glendalough, and she is a frequent speaker on the local historical society circuit. Dianne Snowden is a professional historian and genealogist based in Hobart, Tasmania, and is a former Chair of the Tasmanian Heritage Council. She is an Honorary Research Associate at the University of Tasmania and has taught Adult Education classes in family history for more than 25 years. She is a lecturer for the UTAS Winter School researching Family History. SELLING POINTS: ? An expert analysis, building on the original records and primary research ? Written in a clear and accessible style ? Authors highly experienced in this field with publishing and media experience
