Thought some of you might enjoy reading this extract from the Journal of the grandaughter of John & Mary Jaggers. It sounds as if Mary was very unsuited for the job of Matron. Regards Helen Hanson "John was as I said teller in the bank & Mary, sweet, soft, timid, little woman, brave only if with her back to the wall, hard or stern never, Mary applied for & got this position of Matron of the "Factory" why it was so called I do not know, nothing was made there. It was a huge building in which convict women were housed when turned in to Govt; in addition women who were waiting assignment were kept there. It was a huge building 2 or three stories high a veritable prison with high walls enclosing paved yards. There was a pump & the water was pumped from a well. Grandma became Matron at 40 pounds per year & keep for herself & family, part of her duties were to see that the women served the additional sentences bestowed when they were "turned in", to see they were locked in their dormitories at sundown & the keys were all on a big iron ring ( more of this anon ) Things went swimmingly, by this time my mother was eight & there were John, & Lizzie, others had been born ( one every year ) & died. At this time a regiment of soldiers were in Bathurst & the town boasted one policeman a little fellow called Micky Delaney, also Bob the pieman who used to hawk home made pies, lollypops & toffees in the streets, Billy was a big billygoat & the boys soon taught him to upset Bob & his tray of goodies, the moment the goat met the pieman down would go his head ready to butt poor old Bob, he ( Bob) would at first plead, presently he'd swear & the first swear was apparently the cue for the goat who would make his charge upsetting poor old Bob & the goodies would scatter, the boys grabbed; the poor goat could only use his mouth would try to hold some of the things with his feet. Bob would gather what he could & go off swearing. Rum seemed to be in abundance & one Sat night soldiers filled bladders with it & threw them over the wall, they raised ladders against the wall & threw others over, the women - many of them - drank the rum & some of them got away. On the Sunday morning John was dressing for church in a new suit of yellow corderoy cloth called Nankin, a big Irish woman Rose Clancy, demanded the keys from the Matron, poor little Mary refused She put her hand through the ring & gripped the keys hard, Clancy, half dressed and wholly mad, with her bodice torn partly off, took wrist keys & all in one hand gripping Mary's fore arm in her other hand lifted it above the corners of the table & said "Give up the keys will ye" "No,said Mary I'll die first" "Give them up dam ye or I"ll break your arrum" "Never" said Mary. Just then a woman who remembered some of the kindnesses Mary had shown them opened her mouth and took a bite of Rose Clancys big fat shoulder by that time John & Micky Delany appeared, the women made short work of John, Stripped him to the neckband of his shirt & he disappeared for decencys sake, Micky they took out to the pump yard threw him on his face his only weapon was a broadsword as long as himself. They sat, one on his head, one on his feet while a third beat him with the flat of his sword . Poor Micky when escorting anyone to lock up would say, "Let me persuade you" so while they beat him he was crying out "Women have mercy" & they were saying "Let me persuade you". However an officer arrived with detachment of men & order was restored, but many women escaped, a few were caught a few gave themselves up some were taken prisoners with bushrangers & some were never caught. Mary had to appear before the magistrates & resign her position."