The convict Ellen Harper
About the book The Convict Ellen Harper
This is a book of fiction based on research of Ellen Harper and James Theodore Harper
The Story
Birmingham
Ellen was the youngest child of a middle-class family in the industrial city of Birmingham, but she defied her father and married without his permission.
She was transported to Van Diemen's Land in 1848 with her ten-month old son, James, and found herself imprisoned on the probation hulk The Anson. When her son was 18 months old, he was sent to the Queens Orphan School at New Town and Ellen was assigned to a farmer northwest of Ross to assist his ill wife.
Ellen had arrived in Van Diemen's Land when the island prison was in chaos and facing bankruptcy; with the convicts and emancipists bearing the brunt of the anger and frustration of free settlers who wanted an end to transportation.
Campbell Town
Ellen eventually married John Forster who had been sent to Point Puer boy's prison as a 13-year-old, and now owned a blacksmith shop in Campbell Town. They had three children when John met an untimely death at age 26. From then on Ellen's life went downhill.
The story is predominately set in the towns of Campbell Town, Ross and Launceston and follows Ellens life as she survives years of violence, the loss of three husbands, two sons and a granddaughter in devastating circumstances and the despair which followed. The book is based on real characters and true events.
The main characters include Ellen, James Theodore Harper, John Forster, David Bestwick and Elizabeth Caroline Harper and is set in the tumultuous era of Tasmania's history.
The Convict Ellen Harper is available through Smashwords by following the link: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1167451 eBook formats include Kindle, Kobi, Amazon, ePub and PDF.
The printed version of Ellen Harper will be available in July 2023.
This is a book of fiction based on research of Ellen Harper and James Theodore Harper
The Story
Birmingham
Ellen was the youngest child of a middle-class family in the industrial city of Birmingham, but she defied her father and married without his permission.
She was transported to Van Diemen's Land in 1848 with her ten-month old son, James, and found herself imprisoned on the probation hulk The Anson. When her son was 18 months old, he was sent to the Queens Orphan School at New Town and Ellen was assigned to a farmer northwest of Ross to assist his ill wife.
Ellen had arrived in Van Diemen's Land when the island prison was in chaos and facing bankruptcy; with the convicts and emancipists bearing the brunt of the anger and frustration of free settlers who wanted an end to transportation.
Campbell Town
Ellen eventually married John Forster who had been sent to Point Puer boy's prison as a 13-year-old, and now owned a blacksmith shop in Campbell Town. They had three children when John met an untimely death at age 26. From then on Ellen's life went downhill.
The story is predominately set in the towns of Campbell Town, Ross and Launceston and follows Ellens life as she survives years of violence, the loss of three husbands, two sons and a granddaughter in devastating circumstances and the despair which followed. The book is based on real characters and true events.
The main characters include Ellen, James Theodore Harper, John Forster, David Bestwick and Elizabeth Caroline Harper and is set in the tumultuous era of Tasmania's history.
The Convict Ellen Harper is available through Smashwords by following the link: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1167451 eBook formats include Kindle, Kobi, Amazon, ePub and PDF.
The printed version of Ellen Harper will be available in July 2023.
