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 Replies: 12 / Views: 2,141 |
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Moderator
 United States
23484 Posts |
I finally did it
I have been able to prove I am a descendant of an Convict settler.
He arrived in 1823 on the Henry from England.
His crime (this is no joke)
He stole a female ass worth 11 shillings.
So who can help me figure out what the 11 shillings was worth (not as a collectible) but in today's dollars and the value of a "female ass" (donkey) in 1823
remember these were English shillings -
not posted on UK coins section- because they don't place the same value on Convict settlers as we do.
Keep it clean this is about history not anatomy! rggoodie
aka Richard
"catch em doing something right"
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Moderator
Australia
16808 Posts |
No convict ancestors here - my mum's into genealogy and found they're all free settler folks who came to Queensland in the late 1800s, except for one bloke who came here as a missionary in the 1840s. The closest she's found to "convicts" were one or two that ended up in the Workhouse. As for your question, I believe that the fans of Jane Austin novels are probably among the best people to ask about the value of money in early 19th century England, since her books have a great deal to do with how much money one has and how eligible a person therefore is because of it. This website, for instance, has some excellent calculations and comparisons of the value of items between 1810 (the time period of "Pride and Prejudice") and the time the article was written (1988). Based on that, some other things that would be worth about 11 shillings (or about half a guinea) are: a pair of leather men's gloves, a pair of ladies' silk stockings, and a small silver knife. When it first came out, a copy of "Pride and Prejudice" cost 18 shillings. We can also see that 11 shillings is definitely down towards the lower end of valuable working animals; a pair of coach horses cost 60 guineas, and a milking cow 20 guineas. Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis
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Moderator
 United States
23484 Posts |
Thanks mate
Can't wait to see other replies
rggoodie
aka Richard
"catch em doing something right"
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Pillar of the Community
United States
570 Posts |
Just looked up some info in this book A statistical account of the British settlements in Australasia ..., Volume 1 By William Charles Wentworth written in 1824. Page 446 indicates that the average daily cost of a carpenter, stonemason, bricklayer, wheel and plough-wright, blacksmith, copper, harness maker, sawyer, shoemaker, cabinet maker, courier, or handyman can earn between 5-7 shillings a day. So a female donkey would be worth about 2 days wages. Looks like a very informative book, I just don't have time to read the whole thing. Hopefully this can give you some more information on what you are looking for. Edited by mmorgan22
09/21/2011 11:07 am
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10045 Posts |
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Moderator
United States
23484 Posts |
mmorgan22 & DVC
That's great thanks
These types of post has kept this thread about money.
rggoodie
aka Richard
"catch em doing something right"
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
2830 Posts |
Congratulations on your research reaching this milestone, but I have to say this: "Now the hard work begins".
In my reading of that era, it seems to me that "things" were very cheap, but wages and salaries varied enormously.
The tax system was rudimentary. Politicians and Magistrates were unpaid.
I find it intrinically difficult to compare 11 shillings in 1823 to anything today. The best comparison might be to a day's wages ?
Now you've got the ship, you want to get hold of the Surgeon's Journal: I see that it's available at TNA.
My ancestors are:
a 17 y.o. female burglar from Devon, arrived Hobart 1820; and
one of a group convicted of High Treason at York, sentenced to be beheaded; commuted; arrived Hobart 1821.
It's a lot of fun researching them. I'm having a lot of fun with "Trove", and if you get a NLA Reader's card (free), then you can access old UK newspapers from your own computer.
I merged my interest in family history with coin collecting: I put together a set of coins circulating in 1820. It took me three years, but I got them all - the maundies were the difficult ones.
A lot of people don't understand the pride one might take in having a convict-ancestor.
I explain to the un-informed that my ancestors "were selected, by the finest judges in England, to become colonists."
"True patriots all !
For be it understood:
they left their country,
for their country's good."
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
652 Posts |
I don't believe I have any convict ancestors, but my mother spins great tales about the two-up schools in Melbourne (Yarraville and North Melbourne)in the 30s and 40s. She said it was not uncommon to have people race through the house whilst fleeing police raids on the local two-up sessions. They obviously had not paid their 'dues' LOL Disconcerting, but always very polite and apologetic of course. Apparently I may have some 'gangster' type ancestors. Having said that, perhaps there is a convict gene or two in the family.
Edited by Yass
09/21/2011 9:06 pm
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Rest in Peace
United States
4078 Posts |
"A lot of people don't understand the pride one might take in having a convict-ancestor. I explain to the un-informed that my ancestors "were selected, by the finest judges in England, to become colonists." Thank you Peter THOMAS history of family roots is amazing. Now rggoodie! You told us all about the donkey. Still waiting for this Quote:
OK the truth
I am 11d seven
that is elevendy seven
numerically that is expressed
11d7 How old are you? As a Moderator no fibbing. Aussie people help!  |
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Moderator
United States
23484 Posts |
No fibbing
I am so old:
we used to break rocks to make dirt to play with
I learned to read from the dead sea scrolls
When god said let there be light, I turned on the switch.
When I was in school there were no history classes.
My first job was gardener in the Garden of Eden..
Remember you are only as old as you feel and act
This forum keeps me young.
So I am going through my second childhood.
The Aussies can't help you because
I am so old I taught the Aboriginals to go walk about.
and that was before their ancestors were sent to settle the Great Sun burnt Country
rggoodie
aka Richard
"catch em doing something right"
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Rest in Peace
United States
4078 Posts |
Rggoodie, you really break me up . Let me see  . I know  ! Sap  would know. Rggoodie who is your boss besides God?  You need a raise. |
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Moderator
United States
23484 Posts |
rggoodie
aka Richard
"catch em doing something right"
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
852 Posts |
7 of my ancestors were convicts, earliest was a tart in the 2nd fleet and one man was sentenced to death (got commuted, ended up becoming a policeman in NSW).
We must be the only country where having criminal ancestors is better than having honest ancestors, the more outrageous crime they did the greater the honour.
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Replies: 12 / Views: 2,141 |
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Posted 09/21/2011 10:35 am
