This
is the story of Nathaniel Lucas. He was my 1st
Fleet convict ancestor, charged, tried, convicted and transported
from England to
Australia in 1787 for a life completely removed from anything
he had ever known or expected.
It is believed that Nathaniel Lucas was born in 1764 in
Thames Ditton, Surrey, England, the son of John William Lucas
and Mary Bradford. Not
much is known of Nathaniel Lucas's early life, although
research
continues to this day to find his origins.
At
the age of 20 years in 1784, Nathaniel was
working as a joiner and carpenter. This was the time
of the Industrial Revolution in England and a lot of
the poorer population was starving and out of work.
Many turned to petty crime to survive.
This
period in England was devastating for working
class families that lived off the land. The free land
that these people had previously had access to for food
and farming, became more and more fenced off by
rich land owners or the government of the day, and therefore
restricting common people from farming or growing crops
to survive.
It
was also at this time that England had been transporting convicts to
America. However with the war between England and America,
relations deteriorated and a new colony was sort for the
transportation of prisoners.
Captain
Cook had previously discovered Botany Bay, later named
Sydney of the new land that was to become known as Australia.
It was decided
that this new colony would become the destination for the growing
numbers of prisoners that were filling up the goals in London.
Most
of these prisoners were jailed for petty crimes that would
not carry a heavy sentence today. But many prisoners were
sentenced to either 7 years transportation or even to hang
for stealing
a flitch of bacon or an article of clothing. Many of these
prisoners were simply trying to keep their families clothed
and fed in the most simplest ways.
Unfortunately
Nathaniel Lucas was in the wrong place at the wrong time.........
Next.....
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