Bartley of Kerry Lodge

I found a few books that interested me at The National Library of Australia earlier this week and decided that I needed to own copies of some. As they were older titles that were probably out of print I tried to chase up some secondhand copies through AbeBooks Australia and New Zealand. One of the books was not available and a couple were way too expensive but one was available for just $25.89 including postage so I placed an order for it on Tuesday evening.

The book from Time Booksellers, that was securely packaged, arrived in my letterbox on Friday. I was pleased  to find that the book was in mint condition; I had not expected this for a book published in 1987. "Bartley of Kerry Lodge: a portrait of a pioneer in Van Diemen's Land" tells the story of a young Englishman, Theodore Bryant Bartley, who made his way to Australia at the age of fifteen. The book by Yvonne Phillips, who is a Bartley descendant, recounts the story of his life from the time he sets foot on Australian shores and gets work as a tutor to Governor Lachlan Macquarie's son. Bartley eventually settles in Tasmania where he becomes a prominent member of the community there.

Theodore Bryant Bartley

The book that appears to be well researched contains many excerpts from official and family correspondence and is illustrated with photographs of people, places and documents. The 144 page book with references and an index is published on thick, shiny paper with a soft cover.

Bartley is not related to me so why did I want to purchase this book?

I want my children and grandchildren to know about their heritage; Theodore Bryant Bartley is the 4 x great grandfather of my youngest grandchild who is just 6 months old. I will be the custodian of this book for my grand-daughter and give it to her when she is ready to learn about her ancestors and family history.