Was Pat Lightfoot trying to “kill the messenger” when she wrote her nasty letter to the Maitland Mercury (Thunderbolt tale largely fictional) regarding me and my book Captain Thunderbolt and his Lady. For example, why would she announce that I have “no tertiary qualifications”? And forgery? Perhaps Ms Lightfoot doesn’t realise that both forging and using a forged birth, marriage or death certificate are criminal offences punishable by two years in gaol.
In researching Thunderbolt and Mary Ann, I discovered that many of the well-known Thunderbolt stories were error-ridden Myths – including the stories believed by Ms Lightfoot that Mary Ann helped Fred escape from Cockatoo Island and that she tragically died in November 1867 soon after giving birth to Fred’s namesake son. In fact, the Birth and Baptism certificates for Fred jnr both show that he was born in August 1868 – and we all know that a woman can’t give birth to a baby nine months after she dies. It is a simple and obvious medical fact. The truth about Fred and Mary Ann is included in my book, while the evidence is displayed on this back-up website for all to see.
Perhaps Ms Lightfoot needs to be reminded that historical debate should be conducted in a calm and reasoned manner by the presentation of evidence and counter-evidence in a respected forum. Claiming in an hysterical letter to a newspaper editor that documents are “forged” simply because she doesn’t like what they say is a strategy that can have serious repercussions.
In researching Thunderbolt and Mary Ann, I discovered that many of the well-known Thunderbolt stories were error-ridden Myths – including the stories believed by Ms Lightfoot that Mary Ann helped Fred escape from Cockatoo Island and that she tragically died in November 1867 soon after giving birth to Fred’s namesake son. In fact, the Birth and Baptism certificates for Fred jnr both show that he was born in August 1868 – and we all know that a woman can’t give birth to a baby nine months after she dies. It is a simple and obvious medical fact. The truth about Fred and Mary Ann is included in my book, while the evidence is displayed on this back-up website for all to see.
Perhaps Ms Lightfoot needs to be reminded that historical debate should be conducted in a calm and reasoned manner by the presentation of evidence and counter-evidence in a respected forum. Claiming in an hysterical letter to a newspaper editor that documents are “forged” simply because she doesn’t like what they say is a strategy that can have serious repercussions.
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