The Myth of the Flogging Parson: Samuel Marsden and Severity of Punishment in the Age of Reform

Author(s)
Allen, Matt
Publication Date
2017
Abstract
In 1817, Governor Macquarie alleged that Samuel Marsden was an especially severe magistrate, a claim widely repeated in subsequent histories. And yet, if measured against other magistrates in the Macquarie era, Marsden sentenced convicts to a flogging less frequently and ordered typical numbers of lashes. The myth of Marsden as the flogging parson developed in the writing of Marsden's political enemies, grounded in his popular reputation as a brute and a hypocrite. In a context of growing humanitarian and criminological opposition to corporal punishment, Marsden's incongruous responsibilities to preach and punish convicts became a scandalous anachronism.
Citation
Australian Historical Studies, 48(4), p. 486-501
ISSN
1940-5049
1031-461X
Link
Language
en
Publisher
Routledge
Title
The Myth of the Flogging Parson: Samuel Marsden and Severity of Punishment in the Age of Reform
Type of document
Journal Article
Entity Type
Publication

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