Martin Cash
| Martin Cash | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born | 1808 Enniscorthy, County Wexford, Ireland |
| Died |
26 August 1877 Glenorchy, Tasmania, Australia |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Bennett (1824-1879) |
| Children | Martin Cash (1855-1871) |
Martin Cash (baptised 10 October 1808 – 26 August 1877) 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 James Lester Burke, a former convict, became a best seller in Australia.
Born in Enniscorthy, County Wexford, Ireland, Cash was brought up in a wealthy family and was literate.
When 18 years of age he became acquainted with a young woman of Enniscorthy, who earned a living by making straw hats and bonnets. She and her family borrowed money from him, until his mother stopped him for his extravagance, which was rapidly draining her resources. Subsequently he became involved in an occurrence which changed the whole course of his life. His memoirs describe that, in a jealous rage, he shot at a man named Jessop for making advances to his sweetheart. Cash was sentenced to seven years penal transportation, and he left Cork Harbour on board the Marquis of Huntly with 170 other convicts. They arrived in Sydney Town on 10 February 1828.
Cash was "assigned" to Mr G. Bowman of Richmond, who leased other farms on the Hunter River, where Martin was transferred, and where he became a stockrider for nine years.
John Boodle, who had a station on Liverpool Plains, asked Cash to assist him and his brother to brand some cattle which, unknown to Cash, had been stolen. While the branding was in progress two strangers came along, remained a few minutes, and departed. Upon Boodle informing him that the strangers knew the cattle were stolen, and that transportation to Norfolk Island was the penalty for this crime, Cash decided to leave for Van Diemen's Land. He sailed in the barque Francis Freeling for Hobart Town, and arrived on 10 February 1837.
In Van Diemen's Land, Cash eventually came before John Price, a magistrate at Hobart Town, who sentenced him to two years in addition to his original seven years' sentence, and to four years' imprisonment with hard labour at Port Arthur. He briefly escaped and 18 months was added to his time. Again he escaped, and almost made it across the Bass Strait with his partner Bessie, but was caught and faced ten 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 purportedly 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.
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