Esther
Subtitle: the extraordinary true story of the First Fleet girl who became first lady of the colony
By: Jessica North
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Published: 2019
Place of publication: Sydney
Language: eng
Number of pages: 304
ISBN-13: 9781760870973
Copyright date: 2019
Subjects: Lieutenant governors' spouses; Biography; Prisoners; Women prisoners; History
Description: "Esther Abrahams was one of the first Jewish women to arrive in the new land. Through her we meet some of the key people who helped shape the nation. Her life is an extraordinary rags-to-riches story. Aged 16, she stood trial at the Old Bailey in London for stealing 24 yards of black silk lace. Her sentence was transportation to New South Wales. She embarked on the perilous journey on the First Fleet as a convict, with no idea of what lay ahead. Once on shore, she became the servant and, in time, the wife of the young first lieutenant George Johnston. Much like another, better-known colonial woman, Elizabeth Macarthur, Esther successfully managed her husband's property and became a significant figure in the new colony. George Johnston, her husband, as leader of the Rum Rebellion against Governor Bligh, appropriated the office of Lieutenant-Governor of NSW, making Esther First Lady of the colony, a remarkable rise in society for a former convict."--
Table of contents: title: Cover; About the author; Title Page; Copyright; Dedication; Contents; Introduction; CHAPTER ONE: Guilty!; CHAPTER TWO: To the Other Side of the World; CHAPTER THREE: A New Beginning; CHAPTER FOUR: A Hut to Call Home; CHAPTER FIVE: Hunger; CHAPTER SIX: An Island of Surprises; CHAPTER SEVEN: An Uncertain Future; CHAPTER EIGHT: The Annandale Estate; CHAPTER NINE: Managing Alone; CHAPTER TEN: Night Terrors; CHAPTER ELEVEN: The Trouble with Bligh; CHAPTER TWELVE: First Lady; CHAPTER THIRTEEN: Mrs Johnston; Epilogue; Pic section; Acknowledgements; A note about sources; A note about Esther; title: Chapter notesSelect bibliography; Index