NO CHOICE!
Elizabeth shaded her eyes, focusing on all the sights vying for her attention. The sea was so blue, but the overwhelming heat made her head swim. It was a vivid contrast to the stench and close conditions of below deck.
Her thoughts drifted to the time when she had boarded the Pitt, six and a half months ago. She shuddered with the memories of all she had seen.
Seven years transportation for stealing items of apparel, she thought. She had needed the money for Mumma to buy food for the rest of the family. What would they do now, left without her meager downstairs maid wages?
Shuffling behind the other female convicts, she found herself herded like sheep on one side of the deck, with the men on the other side.
She felt the trickle of apprehension down her neck, as she had experienced many times during the voyage.
There he was again!
He was watching, just like the other times during the female convict exercise breaks.
A soldier gave orders for disembarkation. Turning her attention toward him, she wondered why she bothered. It wasn’t as though she would be given any choices in the matter.
“Elizabeth Selwyn, sentenced for seven years, assigned to Lieutenant Thomas Rowley as Housekeeper,” he read.
Then she saw the Lieutenant, motion to her to follow. So he is an Officer, she thought. Picking up her cloth bundle she made her way to his side.
No, not a choice, but maybe a better option, she thought. Housekeeper, I can do this!
Reflective Statement
I chose this story to showcase the arrival of my first two ancestors on Australian soil.
In writing about Elizabeth and Thomas, I found myself trying to focus on just one scene as taught in Writing Family History. I feel that I might have finally succeeded!
I found myself looking for what was important to tell this story.
It is difficult finding a balance between non-fiction and fiction, as there is so much conjecture in my stories because of evidence yet to be found. So I am finding my writing leaning towards the Creative Non-Fiction genre.
Her thoughts drifted to the time when she had boarded the Pitt, six and a half months ago. She shuddered with the memories of all she had seen.
Seven years transportation for stealing items of apparel, she thought. She had needed the money for Mumma to buy food for the rest of the family. What would they do now, left without her meager downstairs maid wages?
Shuffling behind the other female convicts, she found herself herded like sheep on one side of the deck, with the men on the other side.
She felt the trickle of apprehension down her neck, as she had experienced many times during the voyage.
There he was again!
He was watching, just like the other times during the female convict exercise breaks.
A soldier gave orders for disembarkation. Turning her attention toward him, she wondered why she bothered. It wasn’t as though she would be given any choices in the matter.
“Elizabeth Selwyn, sentenced for seven years, assigned to Lieutenant Thomas Rowley as Housekeeper,” he read.
Then she saw the Lieutenant, motion to her to follow. So he is an Officer, she thought. Picking up her cloth bundle she made her way to his side.
No, not a choice, but maybe a better option, she thought. Housekeeper, I can do this!
Reflective Statement
I chose this story to showcase the arrival of my first two ancestors on Australian soil.
In writing about Elizabeth and Thomas, I found myself trying to focus on just one scene as taught in Writing Family History. I feel that I might have finally succeeded!
I found myself looking for what was important to tell this story.
It is difficult finding a balance between non-fiction and fiction, as there is so much conjecture in my stories because of evidence yet to be found. So I am finding my writing leaning towards the Creative Non-Fiction genre.
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