Does your brother offer any evidence that this happened? It has been well documented that most of the convicts committed no further crimes after arriving in NSW (those that did being sent on to Norfolk Is, Moreton Bay or New Zealand). The powers that were in the colony wanted to rid their new home of the "taint". If they had been serious and hardened criminals surely they would have re-offended and been sent further afield. I have also read that whole families committed minor crimes with the aim of being transported and thus receiving a free passage to Australia. Perhaps the initial death sentence was given in attempt to curtail this practice. Cheers, Jan in fleetingly sunny Queensland ----- Original Message ----- From: "tsymonds" <psym8950@bigpond.net.au> To: <aus-convicts@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, July 15, 2008 11:36 AM Subject: Re: [AUS-CON] Truth in Sentencing > > > Thanks to everyone who has offered comments into the crimes committed and > sentences received. I can understand the sentences handed down for the > crimes committed were often harsh. However, my brother maintains that > some > of these men were caught committing serious crimes, such as arson, or > committing grievous bodily harm on another, or whatever, but the courts > would then downgrade the crime in the records to read that they stole a > hat, > or a handkerchief, or something similar, in order to give them a lighter > sentence - and that our forefathers, rather than being unjustly treated > were, in fact, serious criminals. I just fail to understand his argument, > and can't see a reason why such a thing would be done. If someone burned > my > barn down and it was later reported in the newspapers that he had only > stolen some articles of clothing, I would be fairly annoyed and would be > letting friends and neighbours know what I thought to the court system. > But > if the whole country was involved in a cover-up along these lines, and > everyone was making their opinions known, then I would think it would be > well documented in newspapers and books that this was the course of action > it had been decided to take in England at the time - and I just haven't > found anything saying this in any of the research I have done. Oh, well, > it > looks like brother and I will just have to agree to disagree - again! > Thanks everyone for your insights. > > Cheers > Trish > Nowra NSW > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > AUS-CONVICTS-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message >