Introverted lion

Born in the sign of Leo, but not normally a roarer. What makes me roar? Unfairness, selfishness, Brexit, war, killing animals for sport.

[Lily Craven @TheAttagirls]

Woman of the Day Mary Reibey born OTD 1778 in Bury, Lancashire, transported to Australia as a convict in 1792 and by 1811, a prosperous businesswoman in her own right in New South Wales with interests in trading vessels and property.

When she was convicted of horse stealing at Stafford on 21 July 1790, Mary was a 13 year old orphan living with her grandmother. She was dressed as a boy and claimed to be James Burrow when arrested but her identity was disclosed at trial. She was sentenced to be transported to Australia for seven years.

Mary was one of 49 female convicts transported on the Royal Admiral when it set sail from Torbay on 30 May 1792 with 299 male convicts, the last ship of the Third Fleet. By the time it landed in Port Jackson on 7 October, two women and ten men had died during the voyage and four children were born. The day after her arrival, Mary wrote to her Aunt Penelope in Blackburn:

“My Dear aunt
We arrived here on the 7th and I hope it will answer better than we expected for I write this on Board of ship but it looks a pleasant place. Enough we shall but have 4 pair of trowser to make a week and we shall have one pound of rice a week and 4 pound of pork besides Greens and other Vegetaibles. They tell me I am for life wich The Governor teld me I was but for 7 years wich Grives me very much to think of it but I will watch every oppertunity to get away in too or 3 years. But I will make myself as happy as I Can In my Pressent and unhappy situation…”

At first, Mary was assigned to nursemaid duties in the home of the Lieutenant-Governor but in 1794, she married Thomas Reibey, a junior officer who had returned to Sydney on the Britannia earlier that year.

He was a go-getter and built up an import and trade business, acquiring property and boats including the schooner Mercury. However, he died in 1811 after an illness thought to have been caused by severe sunburn he suffered while on a trading trip to India. His business partner died a month later.

Mary was left with seven children and sole control of numerous businesses.

She wasn’t a novice. She’d managed her husband’s commercial interests whenever he was absent for long periods of time on business but now she was in sole charge. Mary was also no pushover when it came to debt collection; in May 1817 she was convicted of assault on one of her debtors.

By 1817, Mary had opened a new warehouse in George Street, Sydney, bought two more ships including the brig Governor Macquarie and with extensive farming properties, was said to be worth £20k (about £1.5 million in today’s money). When she paid a triumphant visit to Lancashire with two of her daughters in 1820, she held 1000 acres of land and by 1828, she had erected 'many elegant and substantial buildings in Macquarie Place, near the King's Wharf, and in the centre of George Street', and was turning her attention to Castlereagh Street.

Mary more or less retired in 1828 and turned her attention to charitable works, especially those concerned with the church and education. She was appointed one of the governors of the Free Grammar School in 1825 and died in 1855, aged 78, a wealthy and respected member of the community.

Mary was featured on the obverse of the Australian $20 note.

[Introverted lion @Introvertlion1]

@TheAttagirls Thank you for sending me down a rabbit-hole of research into the transportation of convicts to Australia! Fascinating.

[Sulaiman Ahmed @ShaykhSulaiman]

BRITISH CULTURE

[Science girl @sciencegirl]

Dance of Venus and Earth, a ballet in the sky

📹 Captaingranit
https://t.co/1QsFyDyog4

[A Shoulder to Cry On @justwaayward]

@gunsnrosesgirl3 If you don’t know, this is how the solar system is https://t.co/yqVI2Ox0mB

[Introverted lion @Introvertlion1]

What a gorgeous collection of camellia varieties just now in #glasgowbotanicgardens.

[Brian Matthews @bwmphotoUK]

Even more puffins incoming. St kilda has the most puffins in the U.K. they’re all flying in the fog! Listen to their little wing beats 😊 #puffin #wildlife #scotland ⁦@StKildaNTS⁩ ⁦@N_T_S⁩ ⁦@RSPBScotland⁩

[Mary Hepburn 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 #bothvotessnp @MaryHep50350719]

He really wouldn't want this reposted, would he?

[JOHN NICOLSON 🇵🇸 🇺🇦 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 🇪🇺 @MrJohnNicolson]

Spontaneous standing ovation in solidarity with @HackneyAbbott in Perth @theSNP March conference when @HumzaYousaf mentioned her name. Don't think I've ever seen this for a political opponent before. #DianeAbbott

[Introverted lion @Introvertlion1]

@SoVeryBritish You guys

[Introverted lion @Introvertlion1]

https://t.co/2Fj6z3BM6B

[Priyamvada Gopal © @PriyamvadaGopal]

A reminder in the midst of the piety issuing from Labour that until approximately 36 hours ago they were not calling for a ceasefire at all. They took someone else's ceasefire call & watered it down. That's what happened.

[Stephen Flynn @StephenFlynnSNP]

Today should have been about a ceasefire in Gaza.

It’s why the SNP brought forward our motion.

Westminster blocked our chance at a straight vote due to the actions of the Speaker and Labour Party.

We will continue to speak up for those suffering as a result of this conflict.

[Carl Bovis @CarlBovisNature]

As it's Friday, I'm asking all my followers to please retweet this tweet to help my little bird account beat the algorithm and be seen!🙏😊
To make it worth sharing, here's a little ball of Starling outside my bathroom window. 😍
Thank you so much! 🙏♥️
#FridayRetweetPlease

[audrey White @RedRosa91940184]

There has to be more, much more of this. The behaviour, the actions, of Labour MPs and members who are apologists for the slaughter of Palestinians must never be accepted as normal- it’s obscene. Well done these people for calling them out ..

[In Context @incontextmedia]

Game of Thrones stars and other actors read South Africa's case file charging Israel with genocide at the #ICJ

[Introverted lion @Introvertlion1]

@Gabriele_Corno I was just waiting for her to close the gate as well!

[Introverted lion @Introvertlion1]

@mikegalsworthy Signed and shared.

[Mike Galsworthy @mikegalsworthy]

Add your name: Let’s get the UK back into Erasmus+

The UK left the Erasmus+ programme as part of Brexit - and as a result, snatched vital opportunities away from young people in this country.

We’re now fighting to get back in. Add your voice! 👇 https://t.co/QE8UxihnB9