Voyage a Botany-Bay, avec une description du pays, des moeurs, des coutumes et de la religion des natifs. Par le celebre George Barrington. Traduit de l’Anglais sur la troisieme Edition..

The first French edition and only translation of the famous convict, George Barrington’s, An account of a voyage to New South Wales, published Paris, 1798.

Octavo, uncut, marbled boards, calf spine, red title label and gilt bands.

‘French translation of Barrington’s, An account of a voyage to New South Wales, nominally made from the third edition. This edition added various elements to the Voyage including a translator’s preface, explanatory notes and, more interestingly, an additional paragraph at the conclusion of the work where ‘Barrington’ laments his exile”. Garvey 2008

George Barrington, a pickpocket is believed to have been born around 1755 and died in 1804. Barrington’s education received assistance from well-meaning individuals, and a high-ranking church official sent him to a grammar school in Dublin, preparing him for university. At the age of 16, he engaged in a fight with another schoolboy, stabbing him. As a consequence, he was severely flogged, and subsequently, he stole money and a watch before fleeing. In Drogheda, he joined a troupe of traveling actors led by John Price, an English swindler wanted by the authorities. It was during this time that Barrington’s funds were depleted, and he was taught the art of pickpocketing. Following the troupe’s dissolution, Barrington and Price became partners in a lucrative thieving enterprise, first in Dublin and later in London.

Barrington swiftly gained notoriety as a legendary rogue. Adopting the persona of a gentleman and living a lavish lifestyle, he not only stole the wallets of his victims but also won the affections of influential friends. In 1776, he was apprehended and sentenced to three years in the hulks, yet he managed to regain his freedom within twelve months. Among his victims were a Russian count, aristocrats, and notable figures of London society. Despite numerous arrests, his patrons and his persuasive eloquence ensured his acquittal. However, his luck took a turn in September 1790 when he was tried at the Old Bailey for stealing a gold watch and chain at Enfield racecourse. The recorder severely reprimanded him, and he received a sentence of transportation, albeit for only seven years. His defense purportedly moved both the judge and the jury to tears. In the subsequent months, the press reported Barrington’s alleged attempts to escape from Newgate while disguised in women’s clothing. During the voyage to the penal colony, he was credited with suppressing a mutiny and penning melancholic letters of repentance to his wife.

Upon arrival in Sydney aboard the transport ship Active in September 1791, Barrington was assigned to work in Toongabbie. His exemplary conduct swiftly earned him a position in the police force responsible for safeguarding government stores. In November 1792, he received a conditional pardon, which was later made absolute by John Hunter. Barrington was then appointed chief constable in Parramatta and had his own residence there. He also acquired two thirty-acre land grants and purchased fifty acres in the Hawkesbury region, where he engaged in farming with assigned laborers. In 1800, due to his “infirmity,” he resigned as head constable but continued to receive half of his salary as a pension, while the other half was allocated to the officer performing his duties. Some critics speculated that his infirmity was the result of excessive drinking or misappropriation of government property, but it was eventually revealed to be mental illness, leading to a commission assuming control of his affairs. Barrington passed away on December 27, 1804.