Man Robbery—A Gender Signifier in Convict Australia 1827–1836
This paper investigates the use of the anomalous term ‘man robbery’ in historical records relating to convict women in New South Wales. We question its accuracy as a criminal offence and conclude that its use in the 1830s was an administrative code that summarized an assessment not only of the women...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-06-01
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| Series: | Societies |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/10/3/48 |
| _version_ | 1797563695608365056 |
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| author | Carol Liston Kathrine M. Reynolds |
| author_facet | Carol Liston Kathrine M. Reynolds |
| author_sort | Carol Liston |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper investigates the use of the anomalous term ‘man robbery’ in historical records relating to convict women in New South Wales. We question its accuracy as a criminal offence and conclude that its use in the 1830s was an administrative code that summarized an assessment not only of the women’s criminality but also of their morality. Its use in the historical records has been accepted uncritically by modern historians. The anomaly was identified through a large-scale study of these records. Often used to trace the histories of individual women for genealogical research, recurring patterns in the records are more noticeable when considering the crimes of some 5000 women transported to New South Wales, especially when their court records held in Britain are compared with those held in Australia. Evidence has emerged that the criminality of the women has been reduced by this gendered criminal offence. Inconsistency in the application of the term ‘man robbery’ led us to question it accuracy. Violence and participation in gangs were airbrushed from the records by the use of a term that implied that the women’s crimes related to their sexuality rather than their skills as criminals. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T18:46:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-13b7d2490f4f42bfa44d922cfac48062 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-4698 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T18:46:07Z |
| publishDate | 2020-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Societies |
| spelling | doaj.art-13b7d2490f4f42bfa44d922cfac480622023-11-20T05:27:02ZengMDPI AGSocieties2075-46982020-06-011034810.3390/soc10030048Man Robbery—A Gender Signifier in Convict Australia 1827–1836Carol Liston0Kathrine M. Reynolds1Humanities and Communication Arts, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW 2751, AustraliaArts and Social Sciences, Department of History, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2006, AustraliaThis paper investigates the use of the anomalous term ‘man robbery’ in historical records relating to convict women in New South Wales. We question its accuracy as a criminal offence and conclude that its use in the 1830s was an administrative code that summarized an assessment not only of the women’s criminality but also of their morality. Its use in the historical records has been accepted uncritically by modern historians. The anomaly was identified through a large-scale study of these records. Often used to trace the histories of individual women for genealogical research, recurring patterns in the records are more noticeable when considering the crimes of some 5000 women transported to New South Wales, especially when their court records held in Britain are compared with those held in Australia. Evidence has emerged that the criminality of the women has been reduced by this gendered criminal offence. Inconsistency in the application of the term ‘man robbery’ led us to question it accuracy. Violence and participation in gangs were airbrushed from the records by the use of a term that implied that the women’s crimes related to their sexuality rather than their skills as criminals.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/10/3/48womencrimeAustraliaconvictmorality |
| spellingShingle | Carol Liston Kathrine M. Reynolds Man Robbery—A Gender Signifier in Convict Australia 1827–1836 Societies women crime Australia convict morality |
| title | Man Robbery—A Gender Signifier in Convict Australia 1827–1836 |
| title_full | Man Robbery—A Gender Signifier in Convict Australia 1827–1836 |
| title_fullStr | Man Robbery—A Gender Signifier in Convict Australia 1827–1836 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Man Robbery—A Gender Signifier in Convict Australia 1827–1836 |
| title_short | Man Robbery—A Gender Signifier in Convict Australia 1827–1836 |
| title_sort | man robbery a gender signifier in convict australia 1827 1836 |
| topic | women crime Australia convict morality |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/10/3/48 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT carolliston manrobberyagendersignifierinconvictaustralia18271836 AT kathrinemreynolds manrobberyagendersignifierinconvictaustralia18271836 |