A Deep Sense of Wrong: The Treason, Trials and Transportation to New South Wales of Lower Canadian Rebels After the 1838 Rebellion

In 1839 fifty-eight men left Montreal for the penal colony of New South Wales. They were ordinary people who had been caught up in the political whirlwind of the 1838 rebellion. Even though they were all civilians, they had been tried by court martial. Convicted of treason, their properties forfeited to the crown, they paid a heavy price for rebellion. And as convicts in Australia, they were considered the lowest of a bad lot. During their years there, however, they earned the respect of Sydney’s citizens.

Beverley Boissery lives and teaches in White Rock, British Columbia. Born in Australia, she has pursued a number of interests, ranging from international coaching, to novel writing to serious academic study.

Dr. Beverley Boissery is a historian and the author of three works of non-fiction: A Deep Sense of Wrong, Uncertain Justice, and Beyond Hope. Her children's novel Sophie's Rebellion was released in 2005 to critical acclaim. Boissery lives in Vancouver with her quiet cat and rambunctious friends.