Sarah Phillips' story began on 19 June 1802, in the busy city of Bristol, England, where, like many others, she was born into a world of poverty, hardship and adversity. 

When Sarah was 20 she met James Knight at the Mermaid Public House in Grey Hound Court, Lewins-Mead -- a very unpleasant area of Bristol where destitute and unsavoury folk gathered. Driven by her struggle for survival, Sarah stole a one pound note from James as he lay in a drunken sleep. She was arrested and sentenced to transportation to Van Diemen's Land. 

Sarah's story, a testament to the indomitable human spirit, is told here in word and illustration by her descendent, Toni Blake-Callander.