Articles About Convicts
The Tale of James Walsh, Irish Convict
The density of the convict collections now available on Ancestry.com.au allow those researching their convict forbears to paint a vivid picture, not just of the convicts themselves, but also of their journey and their experiences in the fledgling colony of New South Wales. James Walsh was a 26 year old shoemaker when he arrived in… Read more
Unlock your family secrets this Christmas
Over 1.8 million NSW crime and law records now available on Ancestry.com.au We recently added the New South Wales Police Gazettes 1854-1930 collection and 120,000 new records to the New South Wales, Gaol Description and Entrance Books, 1818-1930 collection. These collections offer a window into the lives of people on both sides of the law, from lists of police officers,… Read more
Guide to Convict Records
The founding of Australia as a penal colony for the transportation of convicts from Britain is of course well known. The First Fleet arrived in New South Wales on 26th January 1788 and over the following 80 years approximately 160,000 convicts were transported to various locations in the country to serve their sentence. In the… Read more
New Dorset Records Now Online
Originally authored by Kelly Godfrey, Ancestry.co.uk Piracy was rife off England’s south coast right up into the 18th century. Dorset’s coves, caves and sandy beaches were the perfect hiding place for buccaneers and brigands and their ill-gotten loot. That means you stand a good chance of spotting these seadogs in our three new criminal collections.… Read more
New Convict Collections – Just In Time for Australia Day!
We have just added two key collections to the world’s largest online collection of Australian convict records. For Australians exploring convict history, the NSW Convict Indents, 1788-1842 provides the ideal starting point, as all convicts on ships transported to Australia were listed in an indent. Details such as name, trial date/location, and sentence are available, with… Read more
Scurvy, Seasickness and Scorpion Bites: Royal Navy Medical Journals
We have just launched two new historical record collections which offer a peek into daily life aboard Australia-bound English convict ships. These collections are journals that were penned by ships’ medical officers, who were required to keep a record of all patients, treatments and outcomes during a sea voyage. UK Royal Navy Medical Journals, 1815-17… Read more
List of Convicts with Particulars 1788-1842
Ever wondered where your hairy legs come from? Or perhaps it’s your ruddy complexion, flaxen hair or so-called frugal nature… We often boast about the crimes of our convict ancestors, but with the List of Convicts with Particulars 1788-1842, Australians can now also get a picture of what they looked like. This collection contains information… Read more
New South Wales Registers of Convicts’ Applications to Marry 1826-1851
The New South Wales Registers of Convicts’ Applications to Marry 1826-1851 contains more than 40,000 convict applications to wed, including numerous multiple applications made by those whose initial applications were refused. In the early years of the Australian Colony, most marriages followed the publication of banns in a church on three successive Sundays. Convicts did… Read more
Convict Savings Bank Books 1824-1886
In his Report of the Commissioner of inquiry into the state of the colony of New South Wales, Commissioner John Thomas Bigge made the recommendation that any money belonging to and brought by the convicts should be taken and deposited into a savings bank account. Prior to this, convicts had been able to retain any… Read more
From Convict to Free Citizen: Certificates of Freedom, Tickets of Leave and Pardons
New South Wales was first settled in 1788 as a penal colony and, as a result, a large percentage of the population in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries was comprised of convicts and ex-convicts. A person could be emancipated by receiving a certificate of freedom, a ticket of leave, or by being granted… Read more
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