Martin Cash Research Paper

Martin Cash the infamous bushranger lived in the 19th century. He was born on the 11th of October 1808 at Enniscorthy Country Wexford, Ireland and was the son of George and Mary Cash. He was a farm boy but his family were fairly well off in terms of money. Growing up, he did receive a reasonable standard of education but was an irregular attendance at school. This was partly due to his lack of interest and the fact that he was expelled three times by different masters. Before being sent to Australia, he had many occupations such as auto biographer/memoirist, cattle herder, market gardener and as a low-life thief. Then something happened that was to change his life forever.
Women were his downfall his entire life. One day Martin came home to

find that through the window he could see his mistress with another lover. This angered him and he attempted to kill the man by shooting him in the upper chest. This was Martin’s recount though and was eventually charged of house breaking. He was sentenced to seven years in Sydney and along with one hundred and seventy other convicts, was transported on the Marquis of Huntly. He arrived in New South Wales in 1828 and was assigned to Mr G. Bowman of Richmond. He served his time there working as a stockman and received his ‘Ticket of Leave’ while also striking up a relationship with a Bessie Clifford with whom he later shared a house with. It was around this time that he got involved with a rustler called ‘Broodie’ whom he helped brand some cattle which unknown to him at the time, were stolen. After realising this, he managed to escape to Van Diemen’s Land (In current day Tasmania) with Bessie. They sailed aboard the Francis Feeling on the 10th of February 1837. The couple moved around Tasmania working at various properties as farm workers until Cash got in trouble again for stealing from his employer and was sentenced to another seven years.
After escaping briefly, an additional eighteen months was added to his sentence. Unfazed by this he continued on and managed to escape yet again except this time making it to Melbourne with Bessie. He was then captured and another two years was added to his sentence. He was now looking at ten years in jail for his crimes. Since he was considered a difficult prisoner, he was transferred to a maximum security prison in Port Arthur on the Tasman Peninsula. The only way into the prison was by boat and was heavily guarded by vicious dogs and armed guards. In Port Arthur, Cash became friends with Lawrence Kavenagh and George Jones. Together they hatched a brilliant plan and managed to escape the prison by tying their clothes to their heads and swimming across the ‘shark infested’ waters to freedom. They immediately became bushrangers and became making a living by robbing the rich. There were known as the ‘Gentlemen Bushrangers’ and were like Robin Hood except when they robbed the rich, they didn’t give it to the poor. They were also known as Cash & Co.
Cash got word that his late mistress, Bessie was having an affair so he risked a visit to Hobart so he could kill them both. He was caught when attempting this and was sentenced to death. Within an hour of the sentences being carried out though, both were reprieved and they were sentenced to imprisonment on Norfolk Island. While Kavenagh was eventually hung, Cash finally saw the error of his ways and became a model prisoner. On the 24th of March 1854 he married a domestic servant, Mary Bennett. They then bought a property at Glenorchy on the banks of Montrose Creek. This is where Martin Cash lived the rest of his life and where he also wrote his personal memoirs under the title ‘Martin Cash, the bushranger of Van Diemens Land in 1843’.