Unravelling the mystery and history of Charlotte Badger

From Nine To Noon, 10:05 am on 30 August 2022

Not much is certain about the life of Charlotte Badger, one of the first Pākehā women to live in New Zealand, but many stories have been woven about her over two centuries.

Jennifer Ashton portrait, book cover

Photo: Supplied

A young Charlotte was arrested for the crime of 'housebreaking' in her native Worcester, sentenced to death and sent to the penal colony of New South Wales in the early 19th century.

Upon her release, she's aboard a ship when its crew mutinies - and ends up living among Māori in the Bay of Islands.

Through some excellent historical detective work Jennifer Ashton has unpicked what we know for sure about Charlotte from the legends that have sprung up about her. Her book is Thief, Convict, Pirate, Wife: The Many Histories of Charlotte Badger and Jennifer joins Kathryn to explain what she managed to learn about Charlotte.