Mary Ann and Captain Piper: The Remarkable True Story of the Convicts' Daughter Who Became the Toast of Colonial Sydney by Jessica North

Book Description

Secondhand. Good condition. Ex library copy with no external stickers. Stamp on half-title page. Wear to book corners and edges. Interior and binding are still very good.

The fascinating story of the daughter of First Fleet convicts who managed to overcome her humble origins to become the mistress of the grandest home in colonial Sydney.

Born on Norfolk Island to First Fleet convicts, Mary Ann was destined to become a farmer's wife. Instead, at the age of fourteen, she entranced the island's Commandant, the charming and flirtatious Captain Piper.

Learning how to behave as a lady and overcoming the stigma of her origins, Mary Ann became mistress of the colony's grandest home when Sydney was becoming a party town. With scores of servants, she and Captain Piper entertained on a scale that had never been seen in the colonies, hosting magnificent garden parties, dinners and balls for hundreds of guests, including governors of New South Wales.

The Pipers were living beyond their means, and trouble was around the corner. Mary Ann's life journey, from a barefoot child to Sydney's fashionable society, encompasses triumphs, tragedies, and travels around the globe.

For the first time, Jessica North's biography reveals Mary Ann Piper to be one of the most remarkable women in Australia's early history. (back cover)