Charlotte Badger facts for kids

Charlotte Badger (born 1778, last known 1843) was a woman who traveled on a ship called the Venus. In 1806, a mutiny happened on this ship in Tasmania. A mutiny is when the crew takes control of a ship from its captain. Charlotte was taken to New Zealand. Later, she was rescued by Captain Turnbull and returned to Sydney, Australia. Over the years, many stories have been told about Charlotte. Some stories wrongly say she was Australia's first female pirate. But these stories are not true. She was not a pirate.

Charlotte Badger's Early Life

Charlotte Badger was born in 1778. Her parents were Thomas and Ann Badger. She was baptized on July 31, 1778. In June 1796, when she was about 18, Charlotte was found guilty of a crime. She had broken into a house and taken some money. This was a serious crime at the time.

Instead of a harsher punishment, Charlotte was sent to New South Wales in Australia. This was a common punishment back then. She had to stay there for seven years. She spent four years in prison in England before her journey.

The Venus Ship Mutiny

Charlotte arrived in Australia in 1801. By 1803, she had finished her sentence and was a free woman. In April 1806, Charlotte had a baby. That month, she and her child traveled on a ship called the Venus. They were going to Van Diemen's Land, which is now Tasmania. Another woman, Catharine Hegarty, was also on the ship.

The Venus was carrying food supplies for the government. It reached a port in Tasmania on June 16. Soon after, while the captain, Samuel Chace, was away, some of the crew took over the ship. These crew members were the first mate, Benjamin Burnet Kelly, the ship's pilot, David Evans, and an army corporal, Richard Thompson. They sailed the Venus out to sea.

A newspaper in Sydney later said that Charlotte and Catharine were part of the mutiny. But this was not true. Both women were free, not convicts, and they were not involved in taking over the ship. The newspaper described Charlotte as "very stout, with a full face, thick lips, and light hair, has an infant child."

The mutineers sailed the Venus across the Tasman Sea to New Zealand. They arrived in the Bay of Islands a few weeks later.

Rescue and Return to Sydney

In December 1806, another ship, the Indispensible, found the Venus in New Zealand. Captain Turnbull of the Indispensible reported that the Venus had left the Bay of Islands. He also said that two women and two children had been left ashore. One of the women, Catharine Hegarty, sadly died soon after.

Captain Turnbull took Charlotte Badger and her child onto his ship. Charlotte had been in New Zealand for less than five months. She was then taken to Norfolk Island on the Indispensible. It was reported that when Charlotte and Catharine were left in New Zealand, the local Māori people kept them safe. They declared the women to be very sacred.

Charlotte Badger arrived back in Sydney on July 13, 1807. She came from Norfolk Island on a ship called the Porpoise. A note said she was one of the women from the Venus mutiny. There was no mention of her child, and no further record of the baby has been found in Australia.

Charlotte's Later Life

In 1811, Charlotte Badger married Thomas Humphries. He was a soldier. They were married at St Phillips Church in Sydney. Charlotte was sometimes recorded with her married name, Humphries, or other spellings.

In 1825, records show Charlotte Badger with a 10-year-old daughter named Maria Badger. However, no more information about this daughter has been found.

The last record of Charlotte Badger in Australia was on July 5, 1843. She appeared in court in Windsor, accused of stealing a blanket. She was in her mid-sixties by then. Her husband, Thomas Humphries, helped her, and the charge was dropped.

Thomas Humphries died on December 25, 1843, at the age of 92. Charlotte Badger's exact fate after this is unknown. No record of her death has been found yet.

The Myth of Australia's First Female Pirate

The idea that Charlotte Badger was a pirate started with the newspaper notice in 1806. This notice wrongly suggested she was part of the mutiny. However, the captain of the Venus never said she was a mutineer.

In 1895, a writer named Louis Becke wrote a fictional story about Charlotte Badger. He made up many details. Then, in 1937, Roy Alexander wrote another story. He called it "Australia's Only Woman Pirate." These writers created the myth that Charlotte Badger led the mutiny. They said she stole supplies and sailed the ship to New Zealand. But there is no real proof for any of these claims.

Charlotte Badger in Popular Culture

The myth of Charlotte Badger has inspired several stories and artworks:

• In 2002, Angela Badger wrote a historical fiction novel called Charlotte Badger - Buccaneer.
• This book was made into a play by Euan Rose in 2008.
• New Zealand writer Lorae Parry included Charlotte Badger in her play Vagabonds.
• In 2013, Jack Hayter released a music album titled Charlotte Badger.
• In 2018, Radio New Zealand made a podcast called Black Sheep - Pirate Mystery: the story of Charlotte Badger.

Other People and the Venus

Catharine Hegarty was another woman on the Venus. She had received a pardon and returned to England before coming back to Australia. She was also mentioned in the newspaper notice about the mutiny.

There are different stories about what happened to the mutineers and the Venus ship. Some say the mutineers Kelly and Lancashire were captured in New Zealand. Other stories claim the Venus was burned by Māori people for its metal. Some evidence suggests Kelly might have sailed the ship across the Pacific Ocean to Chile.

See also

• List of convicts transported to Australia