Convicts

Most of the information in the Convict database of History Services NSW is not available from any other Internet source. Your research is not complete until you have consulted History Services NSW.

Convicts   

History Services NSW has indexed over a half a million items of information on

the 85,000 convicts who arrived between 1788 and 1849 in New South Wales

(and Victoria, Queensland and Tasmania prior to their legal separation from New

South Wales colonial administration).

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The information in the Convicts Database has been built up from the following sources:

1. Shipping Indents

2. All notices on convicts published in the Sydney Gazette from 1811 to 1831 and the NSW Government Gazette from 1832 to 1870 relating to:

  • Assignments

  • Abscondments from service and apprehensions

  • Tickets of Leave

  • Certificates of Freedom

  • Conditional and Absolute Pardons

  • Reward notices

  • Colonial convictions

  • Intestate estates

3. Documents from the State Records NSW relating to:

  • Tickets of Leave (including details of legible notations on each Ticket)

  • Applications to marry (1826 -1851)

  • Convict marriages

  • Convict deaths (1828 -1879)

  • Convict reports

  • Colonial convictions and punishments

  • Assignments to service and removal to various colonial settlements

  • Hyde Park Barracks Court Letter Book 1842-1848

4. Convict references in numerous journals, books, published local histories, musters and census information.

For a fee of AU$30 per search, History Services will undertake a search of the Convicts Database for a nominated convict.

In order for your convict to be identified, you must provide the name of the convict transport ship and the year of arrival.

To see a complete listing of Convict Transport Ships to New South Wales and their date of arrival, click here.


You will receive a Result of Search by email in the following format which summarises all the information held on the convict including the source reference(s).


Sample Results of Searches


For the "Result of Search" for the Convict Daniel Alone, click here (PDF)

result of search

For the "Result of Search" for the Convict Catherine Bean, click here (PDF)

result of search Catherine Bean 

 

or the "Result of Search" for the Convict Thomas Collison, click here (PDF)

Result of Search Thomas Collison 

 

Should a search be unsuccessful you will be advised by email.

By ordering a search of the Convicts Database you acknowledge that you have read and accepted the Terms and Conditions.


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convict
Chain Gang NSW - to see the original image, click here.

 

convict uniform
Convict Uniform

The convict uniform was known as the "magpie".

This particular uniform is the only one known in existence and is in the National Library of Australia.

Read more

 

 

 

 

 

ticket of leave

Ticket of Leave

Right: Hugh Murdock's Ticket of Leave [1829] which is still in the files of the NSW Colonial Secretary in Sydney, signed but never delivered because of Tocal's convict revolt over sugar and milk.

Read more



History Services NSW will consider undertaking further searches of its databases to accommodate any special research requests. Please email your request.


Kevin McGuinness

© HISTORY SERVICES NSW