Convicts on Top

[Kerry]

why do they call themselves "convicts"?

Sydney was originally founded as a British penal colony in the late 1700s.  The British called such felons "convicts." These people were not criminals as we know them today. In those days, one could be executed for what we today would call a minor crime. Certainly, serious criminals such as murderers never made it to Sydney. They were executed in England. The sort of convicts transported to Sydney were convicted of minor crimes such as stealing bread to feed their starving families. Lots of the so-called "crime" was a result of poverty. To give you an example, the part of Sydney where I live was once owned by an emancipated ex-convict who had been transported for stealing lace. I guess she didn't need the lace to feed her family, but that'll give you an idea of how strict the legal system was back then. Australians wear their convict heritage as a badge of honour. It's always very exciting to find a convict in your family. They've taken on folk-hero status. Mainly because they were transported for such trivial "offences." Lots of Australians trace their families in the hope that they'll find a convict ancestor. It can sometimes backfire on you, though. I remember once reading about a woman who was very excited about discovering she had a convict ancestor and went to a great deal of trouble researching the history of the case. She finally tracked down the original London court records and was shocked to find that her convict ancestor had been transported to Australia for having "carnal knowledge" with a sheep! Oops! Sometimes it's best for the past to stay in the past! Haha!   

Having said all that, I suspect another reason why the Convicts rugby team call themselves that is because it sounds sooooo butch!      

[ZK]

They'll be taking on the All Blacks next, Matt! 

Hey now that would be a match worth watching. 

[David In Indy]

Sydney was originally founded as a British penal colony in the late 1700s.  The British called such felons "convicts." These people were not criminals as we know them today. In those days, one could be executed for what we today would call a minor crime. Certainly, serious criminals such as murderers never made it to Sydney. They were executed in England. The sort of convicts transported to Sydney were convicted of minor crimes such as stealing bread to feed their starving families. Lots of the so-called "crime" was a result of poverty. To give you an example, the part of Sydney where I live was once owned by an emancipated ex-convict who had been transported for stealing lace. I guess she didn't need the lace to feed her family, but that'll give you an idea of how strict the legal system was back then. Australians wear their convict heritage as a badge of honour. It's always very exciting to find a convict in your family. They've taken on folk-hero status. Mainly because they were transported for such trivial "offences." Lots of Australians trace their families in the hope that they'll find a convict ancestor. It can sometimes backfire on you, though. I remember once reading about a woman who was very excited about discovering she had a convict ancestor and went to a great deal of trouble researching the history of the case. She finally tracked down the original London court records and was shocked to find that her convict ancestor had been transported to Australia for having "carnal knowledge" with a sheep! Oops! Sometimes it's best for the past to stay in the past! Haha!   

Having said all that, I suspect another reason why the Convicts rugby team call themselves that is because it sounds sooooo butch!      

It does sound very butch Kerry! I like the name.

Do you have any convicts in your family? Have you performed any research to find out?

[pnwDUDE]

Brad

[injest]

Brad

LOL!! Took me a minute........

what can I say? I am slow...

[Kerry]

Hey now that would be a match worth watching. 

If I were a betting man, it saddens me to say I'd have to go with the All Blacks in such an encounter, Matt.     I think the Convicts'd give NZ a run for their money, though!      Whatchareckon?   

[Kerry]

It does sound very butch Kerry! I like the name.

Do you have any convicts in your family? Have you performed any research to find out?

I keep promising myself I'll do some genealogical research, David, but time keeps on getting away with me. And God knows, researching your family tree sure is a time consuming activity. Maybe when I retire.

One of my cousins did some research and claimed we were related to the colonial artist, John Glover, on my mother's side.     I don't know how much truth there is in it. 

John Glover was a free settler, not a convict. Quizzically, he was a painter and calligrapher, which coincidentally happen to be two of my fortes. It could be that I carry his genes?     

[Kerry]

Brad

No need to post doctored  pics, Brad.       Go to the Convicts website at http://www.sydneyconvicts.org and you'll see real-life  pics of big, burly, Rugger lovelies hugging, kissing and marching in Sydney's Gay Mardi Gras Parade. 

Oh, and there are also several hundred pics of them playing excellent Rugby, too, haha!      

[pnwDUDE]

Go to the Convicts website at http://www.sydneyconvicts.org and you'll see real-life  pics of big, burly, Rugger lovelies hugging, kissing and marching in Sydney's Gay Mardi Gras Parade. 

Oh, and there are also several hundred pics of them playing excellent Rugby, too, haha!      

Wow! Sign me up for 'boot camp' man. Thanks for the link.

Brad

[Shakesthecoffecan]

I enjoyed their website Kerry, and see that they won the Bingham Cup in Ireland. I had not heard about it before and did a little investigating and confrimed my suspition it was named for Mark Bingham, the Gay Rugby player and P.R. Executive who died on Flight 93 on 11 September 2001.

http://www.binghamcup.com/content/view/2/52/lang,en/