Amazing Women: Inspirational Stories by Charles Margerison

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The husband or the lover? It was better not to ask and so that was the way it was At first, I was shocked, but came to realise the reality I was in France It was the French way of dealing with issues Indeed, was it so different than relationships at home in Virginia? The slave owners had both wives and slave mistresses Of course, children were born Few questions were asked about who their fathers were It was all part of the accepted way of life Marriages and mistresses, side by side I wondered if it would ever happen to me If so, it seemed a long way away Or was it?

Postscript Sally Hemings died, without marrying, at 62 years of age in 1835.

S. Lindsay, built the Caroline Chisholm sailing boat Its maiden voyage in 1853 had many young girls on board © Dr Charles J Margerison - The Amazing People Club 27 Amazing Women They came from the Jewish Ladies Benevolent Society They sailed under the new laws of the Passenger Act of 1852 In England, some positive changes had been made But, what was happening in Australia? Indeed should I return to supervise the new developments? It would have been easier for me to stay in Britain By that time, I was the mother of five children Therefore, I had my hands full in more senses than one However, duty called and we set off on the long sea voyage In 1854, I returned on the Ballarat ship bound for Melbourne Over 900 pounds in subscriptions had been collected I guarded it carefully There were many people in need of finances Over 3000 people had emigrated under the Loan Society My husband was on the quay waiting to welcome me He had returned in 1851 to work as a Colonial Agent Archibald was delighted to see the family again His news worried me Gold fever had broken out and thousands of people had arrived I was told that women and children needed help Therefore, I set out on a tour of the goldfields © Dr Charles J Margerison - The Amazing People Club 28 Amazing Women Many settlers lived in shacks or tents Conditions in the mining areas were basic Most people were living in makeshift tents It was tough and rough living and particularly bad for the children I proposed some shelter sheds Elsewhere, I could see improvements Life in Sydney was developing However, women did not have the vote They were treated as second class citizens Medical facilities were few and far between In the countryside, living conditions were still basic But, an example had been set The money I had raised was being used to help However, I began to feel unwell In 1857, a kidney disease was diagnosed For a long period of time my energy levels were low It was a difficult time, but I slowly improved During that time, we ran a local shop to make a living By July 1862, I felt strong enough to open a girl’s school It was very satisfying, once again, to be of help After a few years, I knew it was time to move on We decided to return to the UK Arriving in 1866, we lived in Liverpool It was a great contrast to the vast outback of Australia But, the social problems were similar The same was true in London where we lived next Increasingly I needed help, as frailty set in In the evenings, I reflected on my life The days under the Indian sun Then, our migration to Australia Moving to the colonial town of Sydney Caring for my family of four boys and two girls Providing support for immigrants Helping young girls in need Persuading politicians in high places to help Supported throughout by my husband All the time, working to help others in need It was all part of a rich life lived in modest circumstances.