The following is an (1825) Editor's opinion of conditons in the Female Factory at Parramatta. The editor was outraged that the women of the 3rd class were denied tea and sugar, but felt it perfectly allright to keep them at breaking stones and earth moving :) "The female prisoners in the Factory at Parramatta, are,by the present regulations, divided into three classes. The second and third of these are penal, and into one of which, as the case may be, are sent all those assigned servants who conduct themselves in any wise improperly in their respective employments: the first class nevertheless being attainable by those whose conduct evidences a dispostion towards amendment. The arrangements are as follows: First Class: Spinning and Carding, a proportion of the profits arising from which is paid to the women, and from this class only can they be assigned, after working their way through the third and second classes. Second Class: The second class is employed at the same work, but cannot be assigned. Third Class: The third class is kept to hard labour, such as moving earth, breaking stones, &c, and is also deprived of tea and sugar. By these regulations,while punishment is awarded to aberrations from propriety, the door is still left open to those who manifest a tendency to improvement.- But we must entirely dissent from the propriety of withholding tea and sugar, those least but most essential comforts. Women are still women, and however destitute of moral principle they may be, yet their vileness of conduct might be punished some other way, equally effective with that of giving them mere bread and water.! This is a system parallel with corporal punishment, and the sooner abandoned the better. Keep them to hard labour - use them every way rigidly, but give the unfortunate women their tea and sugar." best wishes Jenny Fawcett The following is an (1825) Editors opinion of conditons in the Female Factory at Parramatta. The editor was outraged that the women of the 3rd class were denied tea and sugar, but felt it perfectly allright to keep them at breaking stones and earth moving :) "The female prisoners in the Factory at Parramatta, are,by the present regulations, divided into three classes. The second and third of these are penal, and into one of which, as the case may be, are sent all those assigned servants who conduct themselves in any wise improperly in their respective employments: the first class nevertheless being attainable by those whose conduct evidences a dispostion towards amendment. The arrangements are as follows: First Class: Spinning and Carding, a proportion of the profits arising from which is paid to the women, and from this class only can they be assigned, after working their way through the third and second classes. Second Class: The second class is employed at the same work, but cannot be assigned. Third Class: The third class is kept to hard labour, such as moving earth, breaking stones, &c, and is also deprived of tea and sugar. By these regulations,while punishment is awarded to aberrations from propriety, the door is still left open to those who manifest a tendency to improvement.- But we must entirely dissent from the propriety of withholding tea and sugar, those least but most essential comforts. Women are still women, and however destitute of moral principle they may be, yet their vileness of conduct might be punished some other way, equally effective with that of giving them mere bread and water.! This is a system parallel with corporal punishment, and the sooner abandoned the better. Keep them to hard labour - use them every way rigidly, but give the unfortunate women their tea and sugar." best wishes Jenny Fawcett