Alexander Maconochie Research Paper

Amanda Rupe

Instructor Waltenberger

SOC 242

March 2, 2018

Alexander Maconochie

Alexander Maconochie was born February 11, 1787 in Edinburgh, Scotland. His father, who was a legal agent on the Board of Customs for Scotland, died when Alexander was a young boy. He was then under the guardianship of a close kinsman named Allan Maconochie, who was also known as Lord Meadowbank. By the age of 16, Alexander Maconochie had become a midshipman in the Royal Navy. Maconochie served during the Napoleonic wars as a lieutenant on the brig Grasshopper (Australian dic. Of bio). It was during his time of active service in 1811 that he would become a prisoner of war for more than two years, getting first hand experience of what prisoners endure and the poor treatment and misery. After being released, he would go back into service with the Royal Navy as a lieutenant-commander of two vessels until 1815 when he was paid off and put on the reserve list (Aust. Dic Bio).

Alexander Maconochie resided in Edinburgh from 1815-1828. In 1818 Maconochie had produced a piece of work titled A Summary View and within this he made propositions about penal science when discussing the penal colony of New South Wales (Australian bio). He was married in 1822 and he and his wife

Maconochie wasted no time when he arrived and imposed his mark system, explaining to the convicts how it was going to work. He was given a lot of respect from the convicts, but the British Colonial Office seen his idea of reform as “coddling” the inmates and he was recalled and left the island only a short few years after arrival. He returned to London with his family, continuing to fight for his beliefs and his ideas of reform. He was successful in his efforts and in 1857 was given the chance to once again bring his ideas to the