Martin Cash
Encyclopedia
Martin Cash was a notorious convict
bushranger
known for escaping twice from Port Arthur
, Van Diemen's Land
. His 1870 autobiography
The Adventures of Martin Cash, ghostwritten by the former convict James Lester Burke became a best seller in Australia
.
Born in Enniscorthy
, County Wexford
, Ireland
, Cash was brought up in a wealthy family and was literate. His memoirs describe that he shot at a man in a jealous rage for making advances on his sweetheart, but records list the original crime as house breaking. He was sentenced to seven years penal transportation
and left Cook Harbour on the Marquis of Huntly, arriving in Sydney
Town on 10 February 1828. Cash received his ticket of leave and worked as a stockman in New South Wales
, settling with Bessie Clifford. However, he became suspected of cattle stealing and relocated to Tasmania
.
Martin and Bessie found employment around Southern Tasmania until once again Cash was accused of stealing from an employer. This time he was sentenced to seven years in a Hobart
prison. He briefly escaped and 18 months was added to his time. Again he escaped and almost made it across the Bass Strait
with Bessie but was caught and faced 10 years at Port Arthur, the so called escape proof colony.
His first attempt at escape from Port Arthur failed, however, he managed to swim across the shark-infested Eaglehawk Neck, the first person to do so. This experience would later prove useful as it earned him much respect from other prisoners.
On Boxing Day
1842 Martin Cash, George Jones and Lawrence Kavenagh
absconded from a work party. Hiding in dense scrub land and with little food they made their way 15 km to the neck. Swimming with their clothes tied in bundles above their heads, they made the other side, all three of them having lost their bundles. Now naked the trio robbed a road gang's hut for clothing, and began a twenty month spree of bushranging, robbing mail coaches, homesteads and inns.
The three became known as Cash and Co and their reputation grew, however in August 1843 Cash discovered his partner Bessie was with another man in Hobart. Enraged, Cash swore to kill them both and he made his way to Hobart. He was quickly spotted and a gunfight ensued. After a police constable was shot by Cash and killed, Cash was overpowered and tried for murder.
Cash was found guilty and sentenced to death by hanging, but a last minute reprieve saw him sent to Norfolk Island
.
There he eventually became a trustee, and later a constable. He married in 1854, and was granted his ticket of leave later that year. Between 1854 and 1856, he was an overseer in the Royal Hobart Botanical Gardens. He had a daughter named Monique. Subsequently he travelled to Christchurch
, New Zealand where he kept several brothels, in 1860 and became a free man in 1863.
Cash died in his bed in Glenorchy, Tasmania
in 1877. During the late 1860s he had dictated his autobiography to an amanuensis
, James Lester Burke. This account, although often embellished, provides an insight into convict life. Buck Thor and Joan Dehle Emberg later transcribed this account from the original manuscript and released it as The Uncensored Story of Martin Cash.
Convict
A convict is "a person found guilty of a crime and sentenced by a court" or "a person serving a sentence in prison", sometimes referred to in slang as simply a "con". Convicts are often called prisoners or inmates. Persons convicted and sentenced to non-custodial sentences often are not termed...
bushranger
Bushranger
Bushrangers, or bush rangers, originally referred to runaway convicts in the early years of the British settlement of Australia who had the survival skills necessary to use the Australian bush as a refuge to hide from the authorities...
known for escaping twice from Port Arthur
Port Arthur, Tasmania
Port Arthur is a small town and former convict settlement on the Tasman Peninsula, in Tasmania, Australia. Port Arthur is one of Australia's most significant heritage areas and the open air museum is officially Tasmania's top tourist attraction. It is located approximately 60 km south east of...
, Van Diemen's Land
Van Diemen's Land
Van Diemen's Land was the original name used by most Europeans for the island of Tasmania, now part of Australia. The Dutch explorer Abel Tasman was the first European to land on the shores of Tasmania...
. His 1870 autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
The Adventures of Martin Cash, ghostwritten by the former convict James Lester Burke became a best seller in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Born in Enniscorthy
Enniscorthy
Enniscorthy is the second largest town in County Wexford, Ireland. The population of the town and environs is 9538. The Placenames Database of Ireland sheds no light on the origins of the town's name. It may refer either to the "Island of Corthaidh" or the "Island of Rocks". With a history going...
, County Wexford
County Wexford
County Wexford is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wexford. In pre-Norman times it was part of the Kingdom of Uí Cheinnselaig, whose capital was at Ferns. Wexford County Council is the local...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, Cash was brought up in a wealthy family and was literate. His memoirs describe that he shot at a man in a jealous rage for making advances on his sweetheart, but records list the original crime as house breaking. He was sentenced to seven years penal transportation
Penal transportation
Transportation or penal transportation is the deporting of convicted criminals to a penal colony. Examples include transportation by France to Devil's Island and by the UK to its colonies in the Americas, from the 1610s through the American Revolution in the 1770s, and then to Australia between...
and left Cook Harbour on the Marquis of Huntly, arriving in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
Town on 10 February 1828. Cash received his ticket of leave and worked as a stockman in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, settling with Bessie Clifford. However, he became suspected of cattle stealing and relocated to Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
.
Martin and Bessie found employment around Southern Tasmania until once again Cash was accused of stealing from an employer. This time he was sentenced to seven years in a Hobart
Hobart
Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...
prison. He briefly escaped and 18 months was added to his time. Again he escaped and almost made it across the Bass Strait
Bass Strait
Bass Strait is a sea strait separating Tasmania from the south of the Australian mainland, specifically the state of Victoria.-Extent:The International Hydrographic Organization defines the limits of the Bass Strait as follows:...
with Bessie but was caught and faced 10 years at Port Arthur, the so called escape proof colony.
His first attempt at escape from Port Arthur failed, however, he managed to swim across the shark-infested Eaglehawk Neck, the first person to do so. This experience would later prove useful as it earned him much respect from other prisoners.
On Boxing Day
Boxing Day
Boxing Day is a bank or public holiday that occurs on 26 December, or the first or second weekday after Christmas Day, depending on national or regional laws. It is observed in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth nations. In Ireland, it is recognized as...
1842 Martin Cash, George Jones and Lawrence Kavenagh
Lawrence Kavenagh
Lawrence Kavanagh was a convict bushranger known for escaping from Port Arthur, Van Diemen's Land with Martin Cash and George Jones....
absconded from a work party. Hiding in dense scrub land and with little food they made their way 15 km to the neck. Swimming with their clothes tied in bundles above their heads, they made the other side, all three of them having lost their bundles. Now naked the trio robbed a road gang's hut for clothing, and began a twenty month spree of bushranging, robbing mail coaches, homesteads and inns.
The three became known as Cash and Co and their reputation grew, however in August 1843 Cash discovered his partner Bessie was with another man in Hobart. Enraged, Cash swore to kill them both and he made his way to Hobart. He was quickly spotted and a gunfight ensued. After a police constable was shot by Cash and killed, Cash was overpowered and tried for murder.
Cash was found guilty and sentenced to death by hanging, but a last minute reprieve saw him sent to Norfolk Island
Norfolk Island
Norfolk Island is a small island in the Pacific Ocean located between Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia. The island is part of the Commonwealth of Australia, but it enjoys a large degree of self-governance...
.
There he eventually became a trustee, and later a constable. He married in 1854, and was granted his ticket of leave later that year. Between 1854 and 1856, he was an overseer in the Royal Hobart Botanical Gardens. He had a daughter named Monique. Subsequently he travelled to Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
, New Zealand where he kept several brothels, in 1860 and became a free man in 1863.
Cash died in his bed in Glenorchy, Tasmania
Glenorchy, Tasmania
Glenorchy is a business district and suburb in the northern part of greater Hobart, capital of the state of Tasmania, Australia. The land was originally used for agriculture but is now a largely suburban, working-class area...
in 1877. During the late 1860s he had dictated his autobiography to an amanuensis
Amanuensis
Amanuensis is a Latin word adopted in various languages, including English, for certain persons performing a function by hand, either writing down the words of another or performing manual labour...
, James Lester Burke. This account, although often embellished, provides an insight into convict life. Buck Thor and Joan Dehle Emberg later transcribed this account from the original manuscript and released it as The Uncensored Story of Martin Cash.