In 1836 a handsome but headstrong young soldier named Fred Crosby deserted his unit in Canada.
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Quickly captured, he was sentenced to life and returned to Britain, from where he was transported to Tasmania, arriving in Campbell Town in 1838.
Despite a stint on the Launceston treadwheel he gained a ticket-of-leave in 1846 and in 1852, at the age of 39, married Mary McCauley, a woman 14 years his senior.
Together they set up as bakers.
She died of heart failure eight years later, but only a year later the still good-looking 48-year-old Fred got 15-year-old Mary Anne Riseley in trouble.
At eight months pregnant, he married her.
A month later their daughter Emily was born.
They would have another nine.
This second Mrs Crosby had youth, energy, and soon gained sense and maturity.
She and Fred built a reputation, though the business didn't really prosper until after Fred died in 1886 and their teenage son Charles joined the firm.
Mary Anne had a good head on her shoulders.
In 1893 she moved from the corner of Elizabeth and Bathurst streets to the corner of Margaret and York, which she'd renovated and enlarged, naming her new premises the Cataract Bakery.
Later she opened a shop in Charles Street to better display their goods.
In 1897 she won two prestigious tenders.
One to cater for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebration at the Albert Hall, and the other for 6000 Jubilee cakes and 3000 Jubilee puddings to be handed out to children.
To capitalise on this success she renamed her business the Jubilee Bakery.
Other big catering contracts followed, and when the tent teahouse at First Basin was finally replaced by permanent tearooms in 1900, she won that tender as well.
In 1901 she and her son were honoured by Governor Sir Arthur Havelock awarding the bakery with a "By Appointment".
Then in the following year they gained an exclusive contract to cater for all Turf Club races at Mowbray.
After a full and well-lived life, Mary Anne died in 1916.
Charles carried on for three years, but his heart was failing, and he had to sell the business to returned soldiers J and D Harper in 1919.
The big old bakery in York Street was still in his mother's name though, so he leased it to Richard Fell, before his heart gave out in 1921.
Charles' death caused a problem for Mary Anne's executors, as it wasn't clear what should happen to Charles' share, however the building was sold in 1925 and Mr Fell kept going with the baking until 1929.
From then the old bakery gradually fell into disrepair, until a white knight appeared in 1985 in the form of recently retired politician Kevin Newman.
He spent $500,000 in tasteful renovations and additions, reopening as The Old Bakery Inn.
Finally, in 2018, it became the Art Hotel, where you can stay in style today.
- Connect with the past, visit Launceston Historical Society - Facebook.com/launcestonhistory
