Convicts

NSW Convict Records

Here's a typical example of a Ticket of Leave butt. As you can see it might tell you plenty about your ancestor

Let us find documents like this for your convict forebears.

Convict Indents 1788-1842

The convicts on any particular ship transporting them to Australia were listed in an "indent". Early indents provide name, date and place of trial, and sentence, but indents from the1830s and later often included physical description, native place, age and offence.

Not all people listed in an indent may have arrived in Australia . You may get an indication of those who died en route; others were taken from the ship before departing Britain. You may also find, in the years after arrival, details as to the granting of a Ticket of Leave, Pardon, or Certificate of Freedom, or even details of colonial crimes.

We will provide a photocopy, or digital image, of the first page of the indent giving the name and Master of the ship as well as the actual page(s) on which the convict appears.

Tickets of Leave

Once a convict had spent some time in the colony, he or she might be granted a Ticket of Leave which enabled the convict to work outside the "assignment" system subject to certain conditions. The convict was confined to a named area, had to report regularly to authorities, and was supposed to attend divine worship each Sunday.

Minor offences could see a Ticket revoked by the magistrates and the holder returned to Government service. Penalties for greater offences were heavier than those for free persons. Ticket holders were not allowed to own land, nor (until 1843) were they allowed to own personal property, nor could they sue (e.g. for wages).

The butts of Tickets issued between 1810 and 1875 have survived. Potentially, each ticket butt gives the following information: prisoner's number, name, ship arrived on, master of ship, year of arrival, native place, trade or calling, offence, place of trial, date of trial, sentence, year of birth, complexion, height, colour of hair, colour of eyes, general remarks, the district prisoner was allocated to, the Bench who recommended him, and the date of issue of ticket. The butts also often annotated with changes of district, conditional pardons, etc.

And Lots More