Belinda Murrell: Bringing Australian History To Life | Page 31

CLASS ACTIVITIES

As Atkinson’s widow, Charlotte senior finds that she is at
the mercy of the executors and has no control over her own
finances despite being very capable of managing both the
house and property. When in a panic she marries Barton,
she finds herself even more at risk since he has no skills in
managing the estate (despite being an overseer), and his
drunken rages soon become dangerous to both their well-being
and to the finances of the property; she has little control over
her own affairs since a husband was considered free to treat
his family in any way he wished to. She receives an ominous
letter from the executors (p. 40) and Barton believes that he
has become owner of Oldbury by default and has no hesitation
in declaring that he is ‘master of the house,‘ (p. 61). When
Charlotte leaves Barton, she is considered by the courts to
have deserted her marriage and is in danger of losing custody
of her children, despite the fact that they have been abused as
she was. When young Charlotte rides to tell her mother that
Barton is removing the furniture from the house, the response
in the town is not helpful; a woman suggests that her behaviour
is not befitting a young lady (pp. 93–94). Charlotte stands up
to the executors (p. 190) and is considered a difficult woman.
Later she speaks of warnings that executors might be going to
take the children away (p. 201). But Aunt Jessamine praises
her and says that ‘She was an unusually independent woman
for her time, with strong opinions on education for girls and the
importance of women’s rights’ (p. 12).

3. If Charlotte is ‘difficult