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Maria Stuart Collins
Maria Stuart Collins (nee Proctor) (c. 1760 – c. 1830) was a novelist and the editor of the abridged version of ''Journals of the First Fleet, An Account of the English Colony in New South Wales'', one of the most important contemporary historical documents recording the First Fleet and development of Sydney from its early days as a convict colony. Her correspondence with her husband's family survives and provided insights on the life for an officer's wife who was separated from her husband for a long time, while he was overseas on colonial business. Maria was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, c. 1760. She married David Collins (lieutenant governor), David Collins, an English marine officer, in 1777 in Halifax. She gave birth to a daughter in 1778 who died in infancy. Although born to one of the most prominent Nova Scotia families, Maria was in great financial distress after her husband's death in 1810, and petitioned the UK government for a number of years before being awarded a pensio ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Journals Of The First Fleet
There are 20 known contemporary accounts of the First Fleet made by people sailing in the fleet, including journals (both manuscript and published) and letters. The eleven ships of the fleet, carrying over 1,000 convicts, soldiers and seamen, left England on 13 May 1787 and arrived in Botany Bay between 18 and 20 January 1788 before relocating to Port Jackson to establish the first European settlement in Australia, a penal colony which became Sydney. At least 12 people on the fleet kept a journal of their experiences, some of which were later published, while others wrote letters home during the voyage or soon after their arrival in Australia. These personal accounts of the voyage were made by people including surgeons, officers, soldiers, ordinary seamen, and Captain Arthur Phillip, who commanded the expedition. Only one known account, that of James Martin, was by a transported convict. Their journals document the day-to-day experiences of those in the fleet, and record signifi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
