Join Dr Charlotte MacKenzie in an exploration of Mary Broad and the historical evidence surrounding her well-known story.
If you missed this event, a recording of the talk is available to view here: https://youtu.be/9ULawgpAeVc
Mary Broad: documentary or drama?
The well known story of Mary Broad or Bryant has been the subject of biographies, fiction, and film. Whilst these tend to focus on her daring 69 day voyage in an open boat from New South Wales to Timor, new research uncovers Mary Broad’s origins as a Cornish woodman’s daughter, reconsidering the evidence related to her ‘highway robbery’, transportation, and escape. Revealing Mary Broad’s legacy and the impacts on two of her Fowey relations: the London Society missionaries James and William Puckey who left Cornwall for Tahiti, New South Wales, and New Zealand.