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herself. Over time, she made a fortune. fortune. a made she time, Over herself.

she ran the business successfully by by successfully business the ran she

She had seven children to care for, but but for, care to children seven had She

they married free settlers. free married they

Mary took over his shipping business. business. shipping his over took Mary “

convicts were emancipated if if emancipated were convicts

emancipated . When her husband died, died, husband her When .

“ women colonies, the in women

Mary married a free settler and was was and settler free a married Mary

Because there were very few few very were there Because

to for seven years. years. seven for Australia to transported

aussie fact aussie

stole a horse. As punishment, she was was she punishment, As horse. a stole

When she was 13 years old, Reibey Mary old, years 13 was she When

from the thriving wool industry. wool thriving the from

properties and made fortunes fortunes made and properties

Many owned large large owned emancipists Many

colonies had been set up especially for them. for especially up set been had colonies

believed they had the natural right to live in the colonies, because the the because colonies, the in live to right natural the had they believed

down on them because of their convict backgrounds. The emancipists emancipists The backgrounds. convict their of because them on down

Although many emancipists became successful citizens, free settlers looked looked settlers free citizens, successful became emancipists many Although

Emancipists

emancipists. Other convicts tried to gain their freedom by escaping. escaping. by freedom their gain to tried convicts Other emancipists.

were freed and given the same rights as free settlers. They were called called were They settlers. free as rights same the given and freed were

by the Governor Governor the by pardoned were or sentence their finished who Convicts

escaped convicts escaped Emancipists and and Emancipists A police magistrate could offer a ticket of leave to convicts who worked hard and behaved themselves.

Convicts with tickets of leave Some convicts who behaved well qualified for a ‘ticket of leave’ or ‘certificate of freedom’. They became emancipists and could earn their own living. They were watched, however, for the rest of their sentence. If they misbehaved, their ticket could be cancelled.

Escaped convicts

Convict William Buckley escaped in 1803. In the penal colonies, convicts were not kept behind bars. The thought He was found starving and near death by

of trying to survive in the Australian the Wathawurung people. They believed bush kept most convicts from he was a warrior who had returned from escaping. Those who did escape “the dead and they welcomed him into their “ often returned, starving. group. He lived with them for 32 years. One day, Buckley came across a camp of European settlers. He rejoined European society and became an interpreter and peacemaker.

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