First Civil Case Cable v Sinclair
-
Suggested Lesson Plans for the Lost Parcel, including a suggested 3-4 period lesson plan (approximately 2-4 hours) for teachers wanting to teach the story book The Lost Parcel and the story of the Kables. This includes detailing learning intention, success criteria and outlines for the structure of the lessons.
-
Stories of the First Fleet: Knowledge and Understanding. Using short answer questions, this resource uses the book ‘The Lost Parcel’ to investigate the lives of two convicts Henry and Susannah Kable, their reasons for transportation with the First Fleet, the attitudes of the English community to their plight and their experiences in the early colony.
-
Stories of the First Fleet: Investigating Source Documents. This resource uses two source documents, a letter from Reverend Richard Johnson, and the Charge Sheet from the NSW Court of Civil Proceedings (see below) to investigate the lives of Henry and Susannah Kable and their experiences with the legal system in the early colony.
-
Timeline Worksheet. Using the details from the Lost Parcel Book or their own research, students can complete this timeline of events.
-
Write your own Play or Narrative. This activity helps students create a play or narrative story to deepen their understanding of the story of Henry and Susannah and their
lost parcel.
Susannah and Henry Kable and the Lost Parcel
Knowledge and Understanding
Use the Lost Parcel Storybook to answer the below questions
Who were Henry and Susannah Kable? When and how did they get to Australia?
Is this a true story? List the evidence that supports your response.
. Thoroughly inspect Henry and Susannah’s boarding passes. To what country were they meant to be transported?
What crimes were Henry and Susannah accused of? What were their sentences?
What happened to the rights of people sentenced to death?
What were the actions of the ‘humane gaoler’? Identify the document that is used to find this information.
As convicts, would Susannah and Henry have many possessions? What kind of items were donated for their new life in the colony?
How long did Susannah and Henry’s journey to Sydney Cove take? Were they transported together on the same ship?
What ship was their parcel on?
The Ship’s Master was one of the most powerful people in the new Colony. Use the story to identify who this was and what his attitude may have been towards Susannah and Henry.
What evidence do we have that tells us that Henry and Susannah could not read or write? How would this affect their ability to protect their rights?
Related Resources
-
Summary of the first civil case in NSW : Cable v Sinclair in July 1788. The Cables (Kables) were a poor convict couple and Sinclair was the powerful captain of one of the ships in the First Fleet. This is a summary of the court case and outlines the evidence given during the trial.
-
Suggested Lesson Plans for the Lost Parcel, including a suggested 3-4 period lesson plan (approximately 2-4 hours) for teachers wanting to teach the story book The Lost Parcel and the story of the Kables. This includes detailing learning intention, success criteria and outlines for the structure of the lessons.
-
Stories of the First Fleet: Investigating Source Documents. This resource uses two source documents, a letter from Reverend Richard Johnson, and the Charge Sheet from the NSW Court of Civil Proceedings (see below) to investigate the lives of Henry and Susannah Kable and their experiences with the legal system in the early colony.
-
Read the text of Cable v Sinclair [1788] NSW KR 7, Court of Civil Jurisdiction Proceedings, was written on behalf of the Kables (who at the time were illiterate), and addressed to the Judge Advocate of the colony, David Collins. This was the first civil case that was held in the new colony of New South Wales.
Made possible through the support of donors and partners.
Explore Related Topics
-
Equality Before the Law
Outlines the core ideas behind the principle that all individuals are subject to the same laws and entitled to equal legal protection.
-
Civil Law
Civil law deals with disputes between individuals, groups and organisations. It provides fair processes for resolving conflicts, enforcing rights and awarding remedies.
-
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People
The British applied the doctrine of terra nullius to justify claiming sovereignty over Australia, based on assumptions about agriculture, population, and Indigenous law.