meaning of "on the town"

[BHH]

Hi all
Not sure if this is the right forum but thought I'd start here. In records of a female prisoner transported to Australia from Somerset it describes them as : single, 2 years "on the town". Any idea what that actually means?  Apart from the obvious? 
cheers Barbara

[Jo Harding]

Hello Barbara,

What period of time was this please?

I reckon that "on the town" may be a reference to the former Poor Laws where a person would have been dependant on the Parish where they lived if they had claimed Poor Relief. Which town in Somerset did she live prior to departure?

The other interpretation might be that she had been in prison in Somerset fro 2 years, hence "on the town, ie in the prison.

Jo.

[stanmapstone]

See under Penal Colonies (2nd paragraph) on page 355 of "Encyclopedia of Prostitution and Sex Work, Volume 2" at  http://www.rootschat.com/links/01ffd/

Stan

[BHH]

Thanks Stan - makes for interesting reading!  I hadn't managed to come across that in my google searching. Cheers Barbara

[BHH]

ps thanks also Jo - it was the 1840s and she and three of her brothers were all transported.  An interesting family! B