JSM - edition one

W illiam P earson

I was born in 1825 but I wish wasn’t. Me life’s a mess. I was part of a family with five kids. Me Pa was sentenced to seven years transportation when I was just three cause he hurt Ma. Ma died when she was giving birth. I was only six. We managed to save the young’un though. We named her Sarah – after me Ma. I loved me Ma – she kept our family together. Me family was forced into crime after she died – we were paupers. I was a fly Buz cove. Good at stealing, we were, when we worked together. All in all I committed 30 crimes and I’m proud of it! Me older brother Isaac died when I was eight and I was forced to look after me family. That was much harder than I thought it would be. No one knew how he died. Found his body in gruesome state, coiled into a tight ball – obviously from the pain. When I was just 1o I was sentenced to seven years transportation but escaped 16 months later. A young ‘un like me should not go through those horrors…it was only out of sheer necessity. In 1837 I was sentenced to seven years transportation - again for stealing razors. I was only twelve. I was sent to Van Diemen ’s Land on the Francis Charlotte and this time – there was no escape. Yeah, I often disobeyed rules in the prison – 94 times to be exact – with harsh punishment. I’m proud of that score! Nothing can break me; No dark rooms or heavy logs, no whips or treadmills. On the first of July 1846, when I was 21 I ran out of the prison barracks shouting, “Follow me and you follow to the gallows.” 50 men followed me! We killed three men trying to block our path. We were captured. As one of the twelve ring leaders I was sentenced to be scragged three times later. Till that day comes – in two more days, I will fight and continue to defy what comes me way.

A my F rench Y ear 6M

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JSM Edition One