From reading Hampton Creer's excellent book "Never to Return" I know that some 200 people sentenced by Manx Courts were transported "Beyond the Seas", many to Australia including my Sarah LYNCHEY.

A project is currently underway in Australia to make a permanent memorial to our female convict ancestors.

This is the brainchild of a Tasmanian artist Christina Henri who has undertaken a number of projects to communicate the grief and loss experienced by convict women.
From 1788 until 1853 - 25,266 women were transported to Australia. Charged for crimes that required pity more than punishment many of these convict women ended up in Female Factories.
Christina was recently artist in residence at the Parramatta Artists Studios (Sydney) and held an exhibition of her recent work Bonnet & Boats.
This was an exhibition of bonnets similar to those worn by convict women, embroidered in the fashion of the day and bearing the convicts name.

So far Christina is just over half way to her target of 25266 bonnets and she hopes to reach this number by the time the exhibition is taken to the UK and Ireland in 2010.

I know that Marie Radcliffe is aware of this project from an embroidery magazine and others on the island may be aware of it also.

If any lister has a convict relative and would like to join in this project the details can be found on Christina’s web site

www.christinahenri.com.au/main.html

Cheers

Peter
Melbourne
Australia