A Bit of a Rogue

I submitted a story The Irishman’s Proposition for the Croker Prize for Biography 2023, run by the Society of Australian Genealogists. The theme was ‘A Family Myth’ and although it wasn’t chosen as the winner, I was pleased with the convenor’s comments:

“Whilst we would love to provide highlights of all the entries, room only permits a selection to be showcased. These give some insight into the high standard of the biographies and the depth of individual research.”

“The Irishman’s Proposition is a ripping yarn about the exploits of James Hannay and his wife, Lucy, whom he married twice on opposite sides of the Pacific. Set in the second half of the nineteenth century, the story begins in the USA, moves on to New Zealand and Australia, and back to New Zealand. At various times Hannay was a businessman, a teacher, a gold miner, and, it would seem, a bit of a rogue.”

September/Spring issue 2023, Descent Magazine.

Click on the link above to read it. There is a bit more to the story that I couldn’t quite squeeze into the 1000 word limit. Let’s just say that it didn’t paint Lucy Stuart Hannay in a very favourable light either.