Port Macquarie couple Phil & Vicki Langsford were surprised to discover some little known facts about their very own family history in the recently opened Women Transported exhibition at the Glasshouse.

“We were watching the news and saw a glimpse a women we thought must be Constance – we have an image of the same photograph in the exhibition,” said Vicki Langsford, a descendant of the Trudgett line. “My cousin in Orange (NSW) has been researching the family history and has lots of information about Constance and her family. I knew she was a convict but I had no idea that she had been factory woman.”

“My cousin’s mother was a Trudgett and one of her daughters now lives in Lake Cathie so there is another local connection to the exhibition. It is very exciting to see a relative of mine featured in the exhibition.”

Constance Trudgett is one of the convict women profiled in Women Transported exhibition curated by Parramatta Heritage Centre and the University of Western Sydney.

“Family histories have been an invaluable source of research and reference for this exhibition,” said Liz Gillroy, Port Macquarie-Hastings Council’s Regional Museums Curator, ”Exhibition curator Gaye Hendricksen discovered very little information about Factory Women in any of our major museums or research facilities, so she depended heavily on the work of family historians. Having the Langsfords come forward with more information about Constance as a result of this Glasshouse exhibition is just tremendous.”

If you are itching to know more about your own family history, the Port Macquarie & Districts Family History Society have representatives at the exhibition in the Glasshouse to assist visitors with their family histories – getting started or suggesting ways to further the research you have already collected. You may have your very own factory women in your family tree just waiting to be re-discovered. The exhibition features a searchable database of all convict women known to have been assigned to NSW female factories.

Port Macquarie’s Female Factory was built in 1825 and located on the corner of present day Munster and William Streets.

The exhibition runs until Sunday 1st August in the top gallery of the Glasshouse. Admission is free and there is a resource table for browsing and a number of relevant publications on sale at the Glasshouse shop.

Who was Constance?

Constance was a Mauritian slave convicted with a fellow slave (perhaps her cousin) named Elizabeth of attempting to poison her mistress. Arriving in Sydney in July 1834, Constance and Elizabeth were the youngest prisoners to be transported to NSW. Sentenced to transportation for life, Constance was only eight years old. On arrival the girls were admitted to the female factory at Parramatta, where Constance’s occupation was recorded as embroiderer and needlewoman.

The girls were assigned to the home of the First Police Magistrate Henry Wilson. Mr Wilson had three daughters who had been educated as ‘ladies’, meaning that they could speak French and therefore communicate with the girls. The girls remained in service until Elizabeth Wilson, the eldest daughter of the family, married and Constance was retained as her maid.

In 1841 Constance married Robert Trudgett, an experienced bushman and stockman, at Bathurst. Wilson appealed to the Governor to have Constance transferred from his care and assigned to her husband Robert and in 1843 Constance was granted a Ticket of Leave. She was finally granted a Conditional Pardon in 1847 –13 years after arriving in the colony.

Constance and Robert Trudgett had 11 children, all of whom survived to adulthood. Constance became the local midwife and died in 1892 aged 67.

Photo caption: Local residents Vicki Langford was surprised to discover one of her own ancestors, Constance, features in the Women Transported exhibition at the Glasshouse.