When a drunk comes to the door, most of us wouldn't let him in. The water in Van Diemen's Land was not of such good quality, so beer was a much safer drink. Bridget knew this and so did Edward Hunt. He was a policeman, but not a very good one. He was not too good at following orders and at one stage, robbed the prisoner he was supposed to be searching. Bridget nevertheless let him in and provided him with drink, the result being that she was charged with harbouring a prisoner of the crown for the purpose of tippling.
Tippling seems to be a term where money was exchanged in return for the alcohol. Hunt received ten days solitary but for Bridget, the punishment was much more severe - 6 months at the Female Factory. She had been there before and knew what to expect: uncomfortable clothing, long days at the washtubs, cold stone walls and rules governing everything she did. She cannot have been happy.
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| Door of the Matron's Cottage |
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| Outer perimeter walls, Female Factory, Cascades |
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| Stone construction of wall, Female Factory, Cascades |
Her behaviour must have been reasonable as she managed to be released into the care of her husband, after only 5 months, What a relief it would have been for both of them. Together again, they enjoyed each other's company and within a couple of weeks, Bridget would have had the first indications that life was to change in a big way. She was pregnant.
Bridget may never have seen Edward Hunt again, but Ephraim almost certainly did.
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