John A Carvosso – author

Benjamin Carvosso – Hobart

Revival

Samuel Carvosso book, Page 161 ‘he ministered to men on death row’ – Further information:

There was a revival in Hobart under Carvosso, a revival which has been called the ‘prison revival’.

 It may not have had scores all converted at the same time, but there were some truly amazing conversions among the hardest of sinners. If Elizabeth is right about this, and I dare say she is, the ‘prison revival’ in Hobart before 1830, would make this the earliest known revival on Australian soil….

 On the night before they were executed, he would stay with them until late, and return to them early the next morning. His was a punishing schedule. On one occasion he was present at 16 executions over a period of 30 hours. The ‘prison revival’ as Carvosso describes it is reminiscent of Cornish revivals:

 “When I stood in the midst of them and beheld some prostrate on the floor, groaning for redemption in the Saviour, others on their knees, lifting up their voices aloud, others, kneeling in secret corners, silently pouring their hearts to God, and others walking about with joy depicted on their countenances, conversing of spiritual things, or helping their fellow sufferers to trust in Him whose blood cleanseth from all sin – I could not help joining with the Rev Mr Bedford in exclaiming “What hath God wrought.” …

 One of Carvosso’s converts was an escaped convict from Macquarie Harbour who was convicted not of murder, but also of cannibalism.^[1]

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^[1] Stuart Piggin, Lecture Three: PP Revival is Making the Best of Both Worlds: Tasmanian Revivals, 7 April (year not on publication)