Hobart, Tasmania, 1847
Hobart, Tasmania, 1847Catherine’s eight-year-old daughter Susanna was head-strong, self-centred and belligerent, like her father. The child ran wild in the streets of Hobart, refused to attend school, and changed her name, depending on her mood. Some days she was Susanna Sarah, her birth name. Other days she was Susan Elizabeth or Susanna Elizabeth, and lately, Elizabeth Rosetta. Catherine didn’t understand where the name Rosetta had come from.
Susanna’s behaviour had worsened since Catherine moved into John Cawley’s house in Hobart, but John was another layer of security. Catherine struggled with her wages as a servant. James Blay Jr, Susanna’s father, made no contact nor did he contribute financially. The Postmaster told her that a captain who sailed many trips b
