James Lester Burke

A short but interesting book about Mark Jeffrey, the “Great English Burglar”. A strange title as he only ever committed 15 burglaries before he was caught and sent to Australia as a convict. It starts with his early life, leaving home with his brother and becoming a Cheap Jack (travelling salesman of dodgy goods) which he was successful at but they kept losing their money on drinking, women and gambling. They later turned to burglary and dressed in white sheets so they would appear ghostly. When caught they were found guilty and sent to Norfolk Island, Australia.

Much of the rest of the book was him whining about the conditions. He was short tempered and got into many fights and used Christianity as a leverage only when it suited him, mush like todays Christians.

After getting out of gaol he worked around Tasmania and got into a bar fight as someone called him a ‘dog flagellator’ and the victim died, tried and found guilty of manslaughter he again went to prison where he once again got into trouble by complaining about conditions continuously.

The was some wonderfully named people that Mark met in his life, Wicksty Riddles, Bendy, Pine-tree Jack, Swabby, Dubbo, Frenchy and Waterloo Fifer. Some other interesting words and phrases I learnt were, ‘sound the crib’, which means casing a place for a robbery and smiggings, which means a type of gruel.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/66023143#… (altro)