NO ORDINARY CONVICT
A WELSHMAN CALLED REBECCA
There he was - JOHN HUGHES (JAC TŶ-ISHA) -a handsome young man with face blackened, clad in white nightdress and bonnet adorned with feathers. Leading hundreds of other young farmers similarly disguised, he was on a mission. After midnight under moonlight, amid a cacophony of drums, horns, gunfire and general caterwauling, they announced their presence, with John leading the way on his white horse.
Well told, well researched, with a wealth of colourful detail, this book is a must for all interested in Tasmania's convict history. No Ordinary Convict is written with fluency and elegance that makes it a pleasure to read.
Janine Marshall Wood's ancestor was a Rebecca, a leader of Welshmen protesting about unfair toll gate charges. Background information about the little-known Rebecca Riots is fascinating. So is the story of John Hughes and four others, transported to Van Diemen's Land. They suffered varying fates, from fair to dire: a microcosm of the convict experience.
-Alison Alexander
Tasmanian writer and historian
Winner of the 2014
Australian National Biography Award
LCH0377