Mortmain: A Collection Of Choice Petitions, Memorials and Letters of Protest and Request From The Convict Colony Of Van Diemen's Land
Published by Sullivans Cove Publisher: Hobart 1977
Limited Edition - 1 of 500 Copies 107/500
"Mortmain: Van Diemen's Land is a remarkable and highly original compilation of early colonial manuscripts, bringing together a vivid cross-section of petitions, memorials, and personal letters written within the penal society of Van Diemen's Land. Edited and transcribed by Eustace FitzSymonds, the work reveals voices rarely heard in formal histories—convicts, officials, bushrangers, and settlers—captured in moments of desperation, protest, confession, and appeal. These documents, many reproduced in facsimile, provide an unfiltered glimpse into the lived realities of the Tasmanian convict era, from gaol cells and bush encampments to the desks of colonial administrators.
Rather than a conventional narrative, the book presents history in its rawest form: firsthand accounts that illuminate the moral tensions, social hierarchies, and personal struggles of early colonial life. Figures such as Michael Howe, John Charles Darke, and other notable and obscure individuals emerge through their own words, offering a deeply human perspective on punishment, survival, and authority in the colony. Published in Hobart in 1977 in a strictly limited edition of just 500 copies (this being No. 107), it stands as a scarce and significant work, appealing strongly to collectors of Australian colonial history, Tasmanian heritage, and convict-era manuscripts."
Dustjacket with light wear as shown. Book is clean with no inscriptions. An excellent copy of this limited edition book. Please study photos to further understand condition.
