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The Floating Brothel: The Extraordinary True Story of an 18th-Century Ship and Its Cargo of Female Convicts
A seafaring story with a twist -- the incredible voyage of a shipload of "disorderly girls" and the men who transported them, fell for them, and sold them.This riveting work of rediscovered history tells for the first time the plight of the female convicts aboard the Lady Julian, which set sail from England in 1789 and arrived in Australia's Botany Bay a year later. The women, most of them petty criminals, were destined for New South Wales to provide its hordes of lonely men with sexual favors as well as progeny. But the story of their voyage is even more incredible, and here it is expertly told by a historian with roots in the boatbuilding business and a true love of the sea.
Siân Rees delved into court documents and firsthand accounts to extract the stories of these women's experiences on board a ship that both held them prisoner and offered them refuge from their oppressive existence in London. At the heart of the story is the passionate relationship between Sarah Whitelam, a convict, and the ship's steward, John Nicol, whose personal journals provided much of the material for this book. Along the way, Rees brings the vibrant, bawdy world of London -- and the sights, smells, and sounds of an eighteenth-century ship -- vividly to life. In the tradition of Nathaniel Philbrick's In the Heart of the Sea, this is a winning combination of dramatic high seas adventure and untold history.
Siân Rees delved into court documents and firsthand accounts to extract the stories of these women's experiences on board a ship that both held them prisoner and offered them refuge from their oppressive existence in London. At the heart of the story is the passionate relationship between Sarah Whitelam, a convict, and the ship's steward, John Nicol, whose personal journals provided much of the material for this book. Along the way, Rees brings the vibrant, bawdy world of London -- and the sights, smells, and sounds of an eighteenth-century ship -- vividly to life. In the tradition of Nathaniel Philbrick's In the Heart of the Sea, this is a winning combination of dramatic high seas adventure and untold history.
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
72 people are currently reading
1773 people want to read
About the author
Siân Rees
23 books26 followersSiân Rees is a British author and historian. She has a degree in history from University of Oxford. She lives in Brighton and is an RLF Fellow at the University of Sussex. She is particularly interested in the social and maritime history of the 17th and 18th centuries.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 186 reviews
August 29, 2012
If you make it past the first 10-20 pages which list in a quite boring way the names of convicts and some details of their crimes, this is an absolutely brilliant book. Extensive and painstaking research is evident throughout the book and this covers all aspects of the story of the convicts, from an explanation of 18th-century British law to life on board the ship to the creation of new colonies. All is presented in an enjoyable and captivating way. Where details are the result of research regarding records that do not directly relate to the voyage of the Lady Julian this is pointed out in advance; anyway, I found them all to be very relevant to the story and describing situations that were probably very similar to that of the female convicts on that particular ship, chosen because it is one of the few convict ships whose adventure is described in a first-hand account of one of the officials on board. Personally I found his story quite moving, and together with the accurate research and the detailed and entertaining accounts of life on board and of the lives of some of the women where these are available I consider them the strong points of this book. Once I got past those first few pages, I couldn't put it down. Really recommended.
August 22, 2020
This maritime adventure delivers a boatload of salty women convicts, of varying degrees of guilt, from London to New South Wales in 1789 due to overcrowding in England’s gaols. The author provides the unique perspective of the female experience, which is more than welcome, and in fact vastly overlooked in written histories.
The title is misleading and this narrative is not as salacious as we might be led to believe, thankfully. The wonder of the world that these previously land bound women breathed is fascinating to consider on a number of levels and I won’t easily forget this tale.
The title is misleading and this narrative is not as salacious as we might be led to believe, thankfully. The wonder of the world that these previously land bound women breathed is fascinating to consider on a number of levels and I won’t easily forget this tale.
August 29, 2008
The book isn't as bawdy as the description would lead one to believe. I'd say the book is evenly divided between the convicts and sea faring information. I learned quite a bit about bilges, tar, shipwrecks, and the history of sea travel in the 1700s. I bought the book for the stories of the convicts, so I was a bit disappointed, but learned so much about a topic I knew absolutely nothing about, sailing the high seas, it evened the score. Great book.
April 22, 2017
Maybe because I’ve read so much excellent narrative nonfiction recently (Unbroken, Brutal Journey, A Voyage for Madmen, The Lost City of Z, Born to Run) it has negatively skewed my view of The Floating Brothel. On the other hand, it may just mean that I’m more attuned to good nonfiction. In any case, I don’t think anyone is fond of giving bad reviews, and that includes me. Perhaps, as a writer, I know that, regardless of success or failure, writing any book is a lot of hard work. (That’s why I revise and rewrite a lot and seek input from others.)
The Floating Brothel should have been a great read about the personal travails of English women, unfairly imprisoned in fifthly over-crowded jails, then shipped away on the Lady Julian to Australia where they become the underpinning of colonial society. The research material is loaded with potential for great stories.
Unfortunately, Sian Rees proves to be a better historian than she does writer. She falls woefully short of the writing ability that the rich history deserves. Her style is passive and distant, seemingly every other sentence starting with “there were” and followed by banal statements such as “there was lots of disease” or “the day was wild and stormy.” The “narrative” often descends into nothing more than a list of people and places. On one page I counted no less than twenty references to various people and places. New characters were introduced in the last chapters as if they had equal weight to those introduced in the first chapter.
The Floating Brothel lacks narrative flow. Its repetition is more egregious than readers may be used to, repeating bits of information as if cutting and pasting a thesis statement. The Floating Brothel resembles a unimaginative college term paper, a chore to read. You may want to use this book as a reference as the information appears to be reliable if you want to float your own brothel book. Aside from that, avoid it.
Two Stars for the redeeming historical research.
Jeffrey Penn May, author of Where the River Splits and others.
My website - http://www.askwritefish.com
The Floating Brothel should have been a great read about the personal travails of English women, unfairly imprisoned in fifthly over-crowded jails, then shipped away on the Lady Julian to Australia where they become the underpinning of colonial society. The research material is loaded with potential for great stories.
Unfortunately, Sian Rees proves to be a better historian than she does writer. She falls woefully short of the writing ability that the rich history deserves. Her style is passive and distant, seemingly every other sentence starting with “there were” and followed by banal statements such as “there was lots of disease” or “the day was wild and stormy.” The “narrative” often descends into nothing more than a list of people and places. On one page I counted no less than twenty references to various people and places. New characters were introduced in the last chapters as if they had equal weight to those introduced in the first chapter.
The Floating Brothel lacks narrative flow. Its repetition is more egregious than readers may be used to, repeating bits of information as if cutting and pasting a thesis statement. The Floating Brothel resembles a unimaginative college term paper, a chore to read. You may want to use this book as a reference as the information appears to be reliable if you want to float your own brothel book. Aside from that, avoid it.
Two Stars for the redeeming historical research.
Jeffrey Penn May, author of Where the River Splits and others.
My website - http://www.askwritefish.com
April 5, 2015
This is the story of women convicts who were transported ‘beyond the seas’ on the Lady Juliana – so called ‘Julian’ by the author due to the memoir The Life And Adventures Of John Nicol, Mariner, who fell madly in love with convict Sarah Whitlam on board the ship, only to be forced at gunpoint to leave her and their child born on the ship, in what was still a muddy convict settlement. John Nicol recounted his memoir 30 or 40 years after the trip, and still his heart pined for a woman he would spend a decade trying to return to, before he gave up.
Sadly, John never had the hindsight or the knowledge that this book reveals. Sarah Whitlam married another man the day after John Nicols was forced at gunpoint to leave her.
Sian Rees does an excellent job of recounting the story of many of the women who would board the ship, including a woman named Mary Rose. A country girl from a well to do family, who eloped with a soldier, only to be falsely accused of theft by a greedy landlord.
The Lady Juliana was the first ship to arrive in Botany Bay after the first fleet, and the British Governments intention was that these women (200 plus women) would provide the sexual relief to both convict men and the soldiers and inturn a stabilising environment. When the ship arrived the convict settlement was near starvation. The last thing the colonial government needed was a shipload of ‘mouths and wombs’ to feed. Shortly after the ship’s arrival, the now infamous second fleet arrived.
This is a brilliant read for anyone interested in our early history and a refreshing look at some of the women who helped build the early foundations of our country.
Sadly, John never had the hindsight or the knowledge that this book reveals. Sarah Whitlam married another man the day after John Nicols was forced at gunpoint to leave her.
Sian Rees does an excellent job of recounting the story of many of the women who would board the ship, including a woman named Mary Rose. A country girl from a well to do family, who eloped with a soldier, only to be falsely accused of theft by a greedy landlord.
The Lady Juliana was the first ship to arrive in Botany Bay after the first fleet, and the British Governments intention was that these women (200 plus women) would provide the sexual relief to both convict men and the soldiers and inturn a stabilising environment. When the ship arrived the convict settlement was near starvation. The last thing the colonial government needed was a shipload of ‘mouths and wombs’ to feed. Shortly after the ship’s arrival, the now infamous second fleet arrived.
This is a brilliant read for anyone interested in our early history and a refreshing look at some of the women who helped build the early foundations of our country.
January 1, 2021
I can’t remember when or where exactly I purchased “The Floating Brothel,” but I know why I did. A whole book about a late 18th century ship that transported female convicts to Australia? Of course I’ll read it.
Siân Rees biography of the ship, the Lady Julian, and the women in it is pretty interesting, especially when describing what was seen as acceptable on these ships. For instance, it was seen as acceptable that every man helping to run the ship, from the surgeon to the midshipman, was allowed a female convict as a “mate.” The fact that the Lady Julian’s 12 month journey to Australia (and coercive partnerships) was considered humane gives you a notion of just how terrible conditions were on convict ships.
The book does have way more nautical information that I was expecting, very little of which I have retained. And it does have short biographies of some of the 237 women who were on board, describing not just the small crimes they committed that got them sentenced to transport, but also how they got along on the Lady Julian. Though the one biography that dominates is that of John Nicol’s, the ships steward, since it appears a lot of information about the journey comes from his memories ~ 30 years later. I wish there was more of the women’s voices and thoughts, but alas it doesn’t seem like there’s any primary sources for that. This isn’t a complaint about Rees research, which is thorough, but rather of history in general where women’s stories are filtered via men’s recollections.
Siân Rees biography of the ship, the Lady Julian, and the women in it is pretty interesting, especially when describing what was seen as acceptable on these ships. For instance, it was seen as acceptable that every man helping to run the ship, from the surgeon to the midshipman, was allowed a female convict as a “mate.” The fact that the Lady Julian’s 12 month journey to Australia (and coercive partnerships) was considered humane gives you a notion of just how terrible conditions were on convict ships.
The book does have way more nautical information that I was expecting, very little of which I have retained. And it does have short biographies of some of the 237 women who were on board, describing not just the small crimes they committed that got them sentenced to transport, but also how they got along on the Lady Julian. Though the one biography that dominates is that of John Nicol’s, the ships steward, since it appears a lot of information about the journey comes from his memories ~ 30 years later. I wish there was more of the women’s voices and thoughts, but alas it doesn’t seem like there’s any primary sources for that. This isn’t a complaint about Rees research, which is thorough, but rather of history in general where women’s stories are filtered via men’s recollections.
May 9, 2019
Well-researched, for sure. That said research was haphazardly cobbled together does show through in the writing. I had a hard time getting through this book and, reading the other reviews, I'm not the only one. The story just didn't "flow." Part of this can't be put onto the writer- on a ship of 200 women, a hundred or so all seemed to be named Sarah and the rest, Mary or Elizabeth.
What was irredeemable was the author's casual dismissal of the sexual slavery these women endured. A 14-year-old-girl was repeatedly raped by a crewman on the ship, and the author described the situation as a "mutually beneficial" arrangement. Some of the women on board the Lady Julian(a) had been imprisoned for prostitution, and then were shipped across the world to be used as breeding chattel. The book is filled with heartbreaking stories of daughters ripped from parents, mothers from children, wives from husbands, etc. Yet the author repeatedly defends the practice. This book is good for a hate-read but not much else, as the actual history is presented in such a jumbled-up manner that a better version could surely be found elsewhere.
What was irredeemable was the author's casual dismissal of the sexual slavery these women endured. A 14-year-old-girl was repeatedly raped by a crewman on the ship, and the author described the situation as a "mutually beneficial" arrangement. Some of the women on board the Lady Julian(a) had been imprisoned for prostitution, and then were shipped across the world to be used as breeding chattel. The book is filled with heartbreaking stories of daughters ripped from parents, mothers from children, wives from husbands, etc. Yet the author repeatedly defends the practice. This book is good for a hate-read but not much else, as the actual history is presented in such a jumbled-up manner that a better version could surely be found elsewhere.
August 6, 2022
This is a fascinating history of convict women transported to Australia in 1789. Life was hard back then.
July 20, 2017
2.5 stars
This is the story, as best as it could be pieced together from journals and accounts, of 237 women who were sentenced to spend either 7 years or the rest of their natural lives in Sidney Cove, Australia, who were shipped out aboard the Lady Julian. They went from the horrors of overcrowded prisons to life on board this ship, which was no picnic, although they were fed and cared for better on that ship than convicts were on many others. I nearly liked it, and some parts were better than others, but over all it was rather dry. Perhaps I have been spoiled by some of the more recent nonfiction books I've read, perhaps it just wasn't my style of writing, since overall those who finished this book and rated it gave higher ratings.
This is the story, as best as it could be pieced together from journals and accounts, of 237 women who were sentenced to spend either 7 years or the rest of their natural lives in Sidney Cove, Australia, who were shipped out aboard the Lady Julian. They went from the horrors of overcrowded prisons to life on board this ship, which was no picnic, although they were fed and cared for better on that ship than convicts were on many others. I nearly liked it, and some parts were better than others, but over all it was rather dry. Perhaps I have been spoiled by some of the more recent nonfiction books I've read, perhaps it just wasn't my style of writing, since overall those who finished this book and rated it gave higher ratings.
September 22, 2008
Although I found myself losing interest at points, it is a decent recounting of how Imperial Britain disposed of some of the criminal riff-raff from the overcrowded jails and streets while furthering colonial interests. This book follows the plight of a ship populated by female miscreants on their journey to New South Wales. I wouldn't say it was compelling reading, but for people interested in social history, maritime history, it is not bad. I enjoyed the description of the stop in Rio.
June 22, 2008
A sort of Bad Girls at sea, this was a history book about an all-female convict ship that sailed to Australia at the end of the 18th century. It was fascinating to read about the lives of convicts and seamen - the kind of people history usually overlooks - and the realities of life at sea, in 18th-century England, and in the colonies.
It's only a three-star as the historical detail can sometimes be a bit plodding and the prose isn't the sparkliest. Still very interesting, though.
It's only a three-star as the historical detail can sometimes be a bit plodding and the prose isn't the sparkliest. Still very interesting, though.
March 8, 2009
This is just the sort of history I can cope with: anecdotal, but with some continuity of characters; acknowledging sources, but not full of footnotes; including background information, but not tediously detailed. A Previous reviewer on BookCrossing said you could almost smell the ship, and I would agree that the descriptions of the smells are vivid enough to justify that comment.
March 12, 2018
Absolutely loved it. A joy to read. Interesting women who pioneered early Australia as convict women. Even worth watching the doco created on the book on You Tube.
July 26, 2022
"À bord du Lady Julian s'étaient tissées des relations complexes faites de pressions, de protections et de faveurs."
January 8, 2026
What a great start to 2026! A story about a "floating brothel"! I did have the rather indistinct knowledge that Australia was "settled" by a majority of convicts, but why and how this came to be, I never knew the details. Of course, this negates the fact that there were already Natives on the continent. Their fate was much the same as America's Native Americans...sadly.
In any case, this book explains it all. England's jails in the 1770's were overcrowded! They were filled with a majority of petty thieves, counterfeiters, pickpockets, shoplifters, prostitutes, etc. - really not so many charged with violent crimes at all - but most destined for hanging! Steal a pair of shoes - hanging! Steal a bolt of cotton - hanging! Steal your landlady's blankets - hanging! But as an act of clemency, a judge could offer the questionable option of "Transportation to Parts Beyond the Seas". This could be a sentence of seven years on average, but knowing the likely destination was New South Wales (now Australia) - then a five to 12-month treacherous journey by ship - it may as well be a life sentence. How could they ever afford a return trip?
A few women chose hanging!
This book follows the voyage of the Lady Julian in 1779, carrying between 225 and 240 women convicts, approximately 60 male convicts, and the ship's crew. It's an amazing story based on the ship's logs, letters, and the memoirs of the ship's steward, John Nicols, who took one of the young women as his mate. Most of the seamen onboard found a willing partner from the convicts since it afforded the woman a better berth and often a few more benefits.
The Lady Julian was incredibly lucky to have considerate Lieutenant Edgar in charge, and a better than average ship's surgeon who insisted on cleanliness, nutrition, and exercise! The convicts were free to move about on the ship, usually in hourly shifts to maintain order, but they were not manacled as many convicts were on other ships. Why chain them? Where would they go? Other prisoners on unluckier ships were chained below decks for months! They lived in filth and those who survived, disembarked with atrophied muscles, unable to walk at all.
The term "floating brothel" became relevant when the Lady Julian made planned stops at Rio de Janeiro and Cape Town to resupply and make repairs. The women on the ship, in order to profit in any way possible, sold themselves to residents of these towns, the men rowing out to the ship after the ship's officers made arrangements for these transactions. It was considered an acceptable reality.
The book has several illustrations which were a great addition, a map showing their route, and even a portrait of John Nicol, who became a first-time father when his partner, Sarah, gave birth to a son before arriving in New South Wales. Unfortunately, he was under contract with the ship and had to leave Sarah when the Lady Julian returned to England. His attempts to return in later years were not successful, and this was probably best since she married another man the day after John sailed away. Research and his memoirs leave the author to believe he never learned of this betrayal. But Sarah was pragmatic. She needed a partner, and Nicol couldn't return for MONTHS, if not years, and as it turned out, never.
So overall, this was very interesting, educational, and entertaining, very well written and a very good read!
In any case, this book explains it all. England's jails in the 1770's were overcrowded! They were filled with a majority of petty thieves, counterfeiters, pickpockets, shoplifters, prostitutes, etc. - really not so many charged with violent crimes at all - but most destined for hanging! Steal a pair of shoes - hanging! Steal a bolt of cotton - hanging! Steal your landlady's blankets - hanging! But as an act of clemency, a judge could offer the questionable option of "Transportation to Parts Beyond the Seas". This could be a sentence of seven years on average, but knowing the likely destination was New South Wales (now Australia) - then a five to 12-month treacherous journey by ship - it may as well be a life sentence. How could they ever afford a return trip?
A few women chose hanging!
This book follows the voyage of the Lady Julian in 1779, carrying between 225 and 240 women convicts, approximately 60 male convicts, and the ship's crew. It's an amazing story based on the ship's logs, letters, and the memoirs of the ship's steward, John Nicols, who took one of the young women as his mate. Most of the seamen onboard found a willing partner from the convicts since it afforded the woman a better berth and often a few more benefits.
The Lady Julian was incredibly lucky to have considerate Lieutenant Edgar in charge, and a better than average ship's surgeon who insisted on cleanliness, nutrition, and exercise! The convicts were free to move about on the ship, usually in hourly shifts to maintain order, but they were not manacled as many convicts were on other ships. Why chain them? Where would they go? Other prisoners on unluckier ships were chained below decks for months! They lived in filth and those who survived, disembarked with atrophied muscles, unable to walk at all.
The term "floating brothel" became relevant when the Lady Julian made planned stops at Rio de Janeiro and Cape Town to resupply and make repairs. The women on the ship, in order to profit in any way possible, sold themselves to residents of these towns, the men rowing out to the ship after the ship's officers made arrangements for these transactions. It was considered an acceptable reality.
The book has several illustrations which were a great addition, a map showing their route, and even a portrait of John Nicol, who became a first-time father when his partner, Sarah, gave birth to a son before arriving in New South Wales. Unfortunately, he was under contract with the ship and had to leave Sarah when the Lady Julian returned to England. His attempts to return in later years were not successful, and this was probably best since she married another man the day after John sailed away. Research and his memoirs leave the author to believe he never learned of this betrayal. But Sarah was pragmatic. She needed a partner, and Nicol couldn't return for MONTHS, if not years, and as it turned out, never.
So overall, this was very interesting, educational, and entertaining, very well written and a very good read!
April 1, 2022
In July 1789 a ship, the Lady Julian, set sail from England carrying 237 female convicts bound for Australia. The new colonies at Sydney and Norfolk Island, made up of male convicts and the soldiers guarding them, needed wives if it was to become established, so the women were shipped out like breeding stock for a farm.
This is a fascinating story, taken from court records in England, official archives of the voyage, Sydney archives, and a memoir by one of the crew written thirty years later adding human interest. Some of it must be conjecture, and there are not many references. I found it hard to know what was real and what the author had imagined. But of course this made it a smoother read.
Most interesting for me were the stories of what the women had been convicted of, which made up about one third of the book. It seems amazing that a person could be sentenced to death for theft of a few a roll of dress material, but it happened all the time; and if she was then transported for life instead, it was considered a mercy, despite the very real chance of dying on the voyage.
This is a fascinating story, taken from court records in England, official archives of the voyage, Sydney archives, and a memoir by one of the crew written thirty years later adding human interest. Some of it must be conjecture, and there are not many references. I found it hard to know what was real and what the author had imagined. But of course this made it a smoother read.
Most interesting for me were the stories of what the women had been convicted of, which made up about one third of the book. It seems amazing that a person could be sentenced to death for theft of a few a roll of dress material, but it happened all the time; and if she was then transported for life instead, it was considered a mercy, despite the very real chance of dying on the voyage.
February 28, 2022
Not all nonfiction is created equal. Despite covering an emotionally gripping topic, this book has all the dramatic tension of a shriveled cabbage.
The author strung a bunch of research together into a collection without any through-line or narrative cohesion or emotional resonance. It's all lists and statements. It's basically an academic thesis paper. Why not just publish a bibliography of the source material? That would at least serve a purpose for a writer who wanted to turn this into something gripping.
My attention kept wandering. DNFed around 40%.
Some historical nonfiction authors I admire, for contrast: Kim McQuarrie, Laurence Berggren, Mike Duncan.
The author strung a bunch of research together into a collection without any through-line or narrative cohesion or emotional resonance. It's all lists and statements. It's basically an academic thesis paper. Why not just publish a bibliography of the source material? That would at least serve a purpose for a writer who wanted to turn this into something gripping.
My attention kept wandering. DNFed around 40%.
Some historical nonfiction authors I admire, for contrast: Kim McQuarrie, Laurence Berggren, Mike Duncan.
April 22, 2018
I started this book several years ago and could not get into it. On my second attempt, I enjoyed it, after persevering with the first few chapters. Well researched, it tells of how the British Justice system treated its female law breakers in 18th century England. I was shocked to hear that for certain crimes male offenders were hung but females were burnt at the stake! About a year after the First Fleet arrived at Sydney Cove, the next ship was the Lady Julian carrying over 200 convict women sent to satisfy the men's sexual desires and also to breed in the new colony. Much of the book tells of the voyage out.
October 20, 2021
Nichol’s story is such a sad one. I kept hoping it would end differently.
August 21, 2022
Entertaining but too much conjecture and not enough about what happened after they landed.
June 2, 2013
In less than a decade after Captain James Cook's rather unfortunate contretemps with the natives of Hawaii, began the convict ships' voyages to his newly discovered land mass on the other side of the globe, or to use the vernacular,"Transportation to parts beyond the seas." Just three months after the mutiny aboard H.M.S Bounty in 1789, the Lady Julian (official records name her Lady Juliana) sailed from England with 237 female felons on board, bound for Sydney Cove. (Some records list 226)
Sian Rees has delved deep into the historical archives to bring vivid human shape to the blank lists and statistics behind the first convict fleet of 1787-88. A process that continued through to 1850. She has clearly researched the primary sources of court records of many of the female prisoners, as well as a first hand account from the memoirs of the ship's cooper John Nicol.
'The Floating Brothel', published in 2001, provides a very interesting read into this most unusual ship, it's voyage and the stories behind it's human cargo. More than once, Rees advises the 21st century readers against moral judgements aimed at historical figures. "A modern view may incline more towards that of the bleeding heart than the practical man-less because of the moral pollution of unlicensed sex than because of the degradation the system forced on many females. But modern critics are as far removed in time from the world of seamen, convicts and marines in the 1790's as contemporary critics were in class and circumstance." One thing I feel is that these were the days when men and women were made of steel and ships were made of wood. Now it seems things are the other way round.
Sian Rees has delved deep into the historical archives to bring vivid human shape to the blank lists and statistics behind the first convict fleet of 1787-88. A process that continued through to 1850. She has clearly researched the primary sources of court records of many of the female prisoners, as well as a first hand account from the memoirs of the ship's cooper John Nicol.
'The Floating Brothel', published in 2001, provides a very interesting read into this most unusual ship, it's voyage and the stories behind it's human cargo. More than once, Rees advises the 21st century readers against moral judgements aimed at historical figures. "A modern view may incline more towards that of the bleeding heart than the practical man-less because of the moral pollution of unlicensed sex than because of the degradation the system forced on many females. But modern critics are as far removed in time from the world of seamen, convicts and marines in the 1790's as contemporary critics were in class and circumstance." One thing I feel is that these were the days when men and women were made of steel and ships were made of wood. Now it seems things are the other way round.
April 20, 2015
Honestly, I was really disappointed by this one. I voted on it as my choice for a non-fiction book club meeting and excitedly picked it up from the library. After reading the summary, and a number of great reviews, I was expecting to not put it down. Unfortunately, it didn't fare well for me. For the most part, I felt that the book was written for individuals who already have a wealth of knowledge regarding 18th century London, and are extremely familiar with ships. A lot of the information went over my head and it boils down to two main reasons:
- Terms/language. Like the average reader, I'm not extremely knowledgeable in 18th century British English, so a glossary would have been helpful, especially regarding the ship. A little map of the ship would have also have been helpful, much like the map of which showed the route of the Lady Julian (although this map didn't mark all of the locations which were mentioned.)
- Unnecessary detail (or, detail in the wrong places); the first 96 pages of the book ramble on about each of the convicts, their crimes, their accomplices, etc. Without a map of London, or a general idea of the modern-day values of the currency, the majority of the information was lost. Throughout the remaining chapters, full names and background information were provided on every person possible, making it extremely difficult to process the information. I would have liked to read more detail about the colonies and the convicts who survived to that point.
- Terms/language. Like the average reader, I'm not extremely knowledgeable in 18th century British English, so a glossary would have been helpful, especially regarding the ship. A little map of the ship would have also have been helpful, much like the map of which showed the route of the Lady Julian (although this map didn't mark all of the locations which were mentioned.)
- Unnecessary detail (or, detail in the wrong places); the first 96 pages of the book ramble on about each of the convicts, their crimes, their accomplices, etc. Without a map of London, or a general idea of the modern-day values of the currency, the majority of the information was lost. Throughout the remaining chapters, full names and background information were provided on every person possible, making it extremely difficult to process the information. I would have liked to read more detail about the colonies and the convicts who survived to that point.
May 20, 2020
’The only thing that would have saved her from scandal was immediate capture or immediate marriage, and neither of these happened...’
📚
In July 1789, a ship called the ‘Lady Julian’ was dispatched from England to Australia with a special cargo of female convicts, most of them London prostitutes. The purpose was two-fold: to ease the burden on British prisons, which were already full to bursting; and to provide a ‘breeding bank’, as it were, for lonely English officers posted far away from home in the new Australian settlements. The story of that extraordinary voyage and its aftermath forms the basis of this brilliantly researched and utterly gripping book.
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This was one of the first books to treat me to the dazzling possibilities of narrative non-fiction, written as it is with novelistic flair and distilling painstaking archival research into a thrilling narrative. What makes this excellent book all the more compelling is just how remarkably concise it is considering the vast ground it covers: from details of the lives and troubles of individual women to the shenanigans aboard the ‘Lady Julian’. Furthermore, it also efficiently conjures a vivid portrait of 18th-century England and the socio-political reasons that drove so many women at the time to a life of crime. That’s no mean feat, and I cannot recommend this book highly enough.
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In July 1789, a ship called the ‘Lady Julian’ was dispatched from England to Australia with a special cargo of female convicts, most of them London prostitutes. The purpose was two-fold: to ease the burden on British prisons, which were already full to bursting; and to provide a ‘breeding bank’, as it were, for lonely English officers posted far away from home in the new Australian settlements. The story of that extraordinary voyage and its aftermath forms the basis of this brilliantly researched and utterly gripping book.
🌊
This was one of the first books to treat me to the dazzling possibilities of narrative non-fiction, written as it is with novelistic flair and distilling painstaking archival research into a thrilling narrative. What makes this excellent book all the more compelling is just how remarkably concise it is considering the vast ground it covers: from details of the lives and troubles of individual women to the shenanigans aboard the ‘Lady Julian’. Furthermore, it also efficiently conjures a vivid portrait of 18th-century England and the socio-political reasons that drove so many women at the time to a life of crime. That’s no mean feat, and I cannot recommend this book highly enough.
April 13, 2012
This is an interesting subject - a ship full of women convicts sent to be breeders for the new Sydney colony. The book itself gives insight into period crime, prison conditions, politics, the slave trade and all sorts of other things, along with quotes from the time. It is short though, and not as in depth as I would have liked. There's some speculation about what experiences would have been like, and there could have been a lot more context material, and a lot more explanation of terms. I know what 'careening' means, but would bet plenty of people don't, and there were terms unfamiliar to me.
Most women in history are spectres, they left no written record, they have no voice. Recreating the history of women, along with the history of the poor, the illiterate and everyone else who has spent most of the last centuries pushed out to the margins, is a big job. A history dominated by wealthy men is a history that misses out most human experience, but those are the books that have dominated. So, all kudos to Sian Rees for tackling this subect, and for writing a nuanced account of the women of the floating brothel - it could have been a lurid, tabloid style creation, and it isn't.
Most women in history are spectres, they left no written record, they have no voice. Recreating the history of women, along with the history of the poor, the illiterate and everyone else who has spent most of the last centuries pushed out to the margins, is a big job. A history dominated by wealthy men is a history that misses out most human experience, but those are the books that have dominated. So, all kudos to Sian Rees for tackling this subect, and for writing a nuanced account of the women of the floating brothel - it could have been a lurid, tabloid style creation, and it isn't.
February 27, 2018
First off, I think the concept is brilliant. It's provocative and unapologetic and well researched. There are certainly points that I thought had potential to be excellent, and had they been narrated better then perhaps would have made for a good novel.
However, the synopsis fails to mention how you may as well read a historical essay or dissertation because of how little characterisation there is. You feel little empathy or attachment because the narrator is so confused: it isn't clearly explained what the whole purpose of it is because it's halfway between historical fiction and a leaflet you would be likely to find on a boat museum.
Absolutely no linguistic style beyond what you would expect of an academic essay; there isn't a shred of poeticism. This would be fine had it not been marketed as almost a non fiction, realistic swashbuckling adventure by the artwork. This is subject matter that needs more emotional weight that what the book gives it!
Perhaps interesting if you're super into your maritime history or prostitution in the 1790s? But I won't be recommending anytime soon.
However, the synopsis fails to mention how you may as well read a historical essay or dissertation because of how little characterisation there is. You feel little empathy or attachment because the narrator is so confused: it isn't clearly explained what the whole purpose of it is because it's halfway between historical fiction and a leaflet you would be likely to find on a boat museum.
Absolutely no linguistic style beyond what you would expect of an academic essay; there isn't a shred of poeticism. This would be fine had it not been marketed as almost a non fiction, realistic swashbuckling adventure by the artwork. This is subject matter that needs more emotional weight that what the book gives it!
Perhaps interesting if you're super into your maritime history or prostitution in the 1790s? But I won't be recommending anytime soon.
January 8, 2008
I thoroughly enjoyed this account of one particular ship load of convicts sent to Botany Bay in 1789 with its focus on real stories, general accounts and descriptions of what occurred during the voyage. Sian Rees investigated the mitigating factors behind the rise in prostitution and thievery in 18th century London, which was illuminating and quite disturbing. Life on board ship, both for the women and the crew sounds horrendous in the extreme, especially given Sian Rees description of the stench emanating from the Ballast. It made me quite nauseous to imagine. The treatment of women in the 18th century, especially if they were deemed 'disorderly', was beyond the pail. They were pimped, used and seemed to have very little say over their own bodies or futures.
Gone is my romantic notions of what it would have been like sailing for months on end to the far seas!
All in all, a well written and interesting account of an 18th century convict ship and the pre-history and outcome of convict life for 240 or so women who made up the 'cargo' of the Lady Julian.
Gone is my romantic notions of what it would have been like sailing for months on end to the far seas!
All in all, a well written and interesting account of an 18th century convict ship and the pre-history and outcome of convict life for 240 or so women who made up the 'cargo' of the Lady Julian.
June 2, 2015
Five stars is high praise for a book, but this one deserves the rating. A true story of how the British justice system contrived to deal with an excess of miserable criminals is laid out in considerable detail. The astounding stories of life in the disgusting prisons of England and the incredible shipboard life of convicts are absolutely fascinating. In addition, I now have a deeper understanding of the infant colony of Sydney Australia. The author is skilled at description and gives us so much background on simple things like what the ship holds would have smelled like. She outlines the shocking treatment of women convicts, whose crimes amounted to what today would be almost ignored. The brutality of punishment for crimes is monstrous by our standards and was very hard to read about. There are everyday heroes that the author uncovered in her research as well as decent people who allowed the ill treatment of fellow human beings that the reader can condemn or condone as they read on in fascination.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 4, 2016
The Floating Brothel is a great non fiction history book mainly focused on the lives of female convicts who came to be aboard the Lady Julian for transportation to the new British settlement of New South Wales.
It starts with their background and crimes, the initial trials & journey to the shores. What was involved in the preparation of departure, the journey, romances, port calls and adaptation once landed. There's also the shocking landing of Neptune, Surprise & Scarborough where bodies are tossed overboard as the slavers care not for their human cargo, kept locked below deck, over 250 were dead, over 500 too weak and sickly to care for themselves and get to shore.
The book rounds out with the tale of John Nicol who pines for his convict wife whom he was forced to leave in New South Wales at gunpoint and can't find passage back, you can't help but feel sorrow for the turn his life takes.
Very much worth a read for a glimpse into this interesting chapter of Australian & British history.
It starts with their background and crimes, the initial trials & journey to the shores. What was involved in the preparation of departure, the journey, romances, port calls and adaptation once landed. There's also the shocking landing of Neptune, Surprise & Scarborough where bodies are tossed overboard as the slavers care not for their human cargo, kept locked below deck, over 250 were dead, over 500 too weak and sickly to care for themselves and get to shore.
The book rounds out with the tale of John Nicol who pines for his convict wife whom he was forced to leave in New South Wales at gunpoint and can't find passage back, you can't help but feel sorrow for the turn his life takes.
Very much worth a read for a glimpse into this interesting chapter of Australian & British history.
April 21, 2015
Fascinating story, but awkwardly written. Many reviewers have commented on the jumble of names and places at the beginning of the story and how confusing it is to keep track of them all. In fact, none of those details are particularly important to the story, so it would have been better if the author would have described the environment in more general terms. Besides all that, once the voyage gets underway, I was drawn in to the awful world of life aboard ship. The authors mentioned that one shouldn't judge 18th century morality through a 21st century lens, but it was difficult not to. When the sailors select a "ship wife" for the voyage, was this just rape or was it a relief for the women to be 'protected'? How did they feel about being pimped out in the various ports of call? We'll never know, as they had no voice. I suppose their standards were so low and their life stories so awful, that if they weren't being beaten or starving to death, it wasn't too bad.
April 13, 2016
I kept doubting this book's accuracy. For example,
It was fascinating to read about the women of the Lady Julian. An easy and entertaining read, however, I would recommend finding a different book on female convicts in place of reading this one, as I feel that her research and claims should have been proof-read and validated before publication.
"By night, when 200 women were shut into the orlop hold, it was all rather less hygienic. The orlop was equipped with 'easing-chairs' or commodes. The most prized berths were furthest from these and closest to the hatches, which gave some ventilation. The majority of women had now been living together in an all-female environment for months, even years, and their menstrual cycles would have started to synchronise. One week each month, the distinctive odour of menstrual blood was added to the smell of the easing-chairs."
It was fascinating to read about the women of the Lady Julian. An easy and entertaining read, however, I would recommend finding a different book on female convicts in place of reading this one, as I feel that her research and claims should have been proof-read and validated before publication.
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