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Research in Other Countries => Australia => Topic started by: lakay on Friday 19 August 11 17:41 BST (UK)
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Hi, I've found my convict Simeon Forster sent to Tasmania in 1832 for 14 years, but it doesn't give details
of what he was sentenced for. Does anyone know if those records can be accessed anywhere. He was
convicted in the Warwick Assizes in England.
I don't know for sure but he could have been at Port Arthur.
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Hi
The Prison Hulks/Captivity Register gives:-
24 March 1832 at Warwick Assizes
Simeon Forster aged 23
Crime was stealing from a dwelling house to the value in the whole of £5 and more
14 years in Van Dieman's Land 30 March 1833 from Portsmouth
there is also Simeon Forster convicted and given 4 months imprisonment at Stafford Assizes in January 1829 for Larceny.
Any chance he is yours too?
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Hi Yes thanks very much, it definately looks like him, everything fits.
How do i find the web site you found that on.
I have another request now because I've just found that his wife Mary Brown was also a convict, from what I've found she arrived 12 Sept 1839 on the Hindostan from London. There were 2 Mary Browns on that ship but her convict no 8156.
I would love to find out why she was sent to Tasmania for as well, if you can help or give me a website.
Thanks
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Hi
Its Ancestry.co.uk but its a pay site.
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We just had crossed messages then as I was adding a bit to my last one, yours came in.
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I'll have a look and see if I can find her
do you know approx when she was born - there's a lot of Mary Browns!
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The Tasmanain Archives has the original Convict records on their website which you can view for free.
Click the link below for Simeon Forster`s Convict record.
http://search.archives.tas.gov.au/ImageViewer/image_viewer.htm?CON31-1-14,180,85,L,80
Johngirl
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Ruth the only date I've found on the Tasmanian record where I found their marriage it says she was born 1821. Don't worry too much about it, it's a bit too difficult with a name like Brown. Thanks
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Hi Johngirl Thanks for that link, i had a look at it and have made a written copy of it, taking me a while as it was a bit hard to read and to work out the abbreviations. Luckily i'd also found a web site that had a list of convict abbreviation usage that I was able to use.
Thanks for your help, much appreciated.
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Is it possible to see other pages, besides F ?
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Hi Johngirl. I'm going to ask a dumb question but I can't work out how to find the right page to look for the name of the convict.
I looked at the page for Simeon Forster from the link you sent so that was good and I know it's Con31/1/14 and on page 85 but where did you get that page number from, of did you just have to look through them all.
I know I don't need it because I looked at your link, but in case i want to check another name, i'd like to work it out, and there must be a better way that having to look through them all.
Thanks
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This is the main page for Tasmanian online indexes from which you can access those that are currently digitised
http://portal.archives.tas.gov.au/menu.aspx?search=11
This link will open on the convict index search, but the left side menu bar shows the titles of the other indexes available.
The convicts' "permission to marry" index shows an entry for Simeon FORSTER and Ann BROWN. Click on the link and page 56 shows their details. Mary arrived on the Hindostan and her number is 431.
The convict index shows two Mary BROWNs - yours is in database number 8156 so click on that link and you will come to more links to her conduct record, her indent, and description list.
The digitised conduct record book is arranged by surnmaes A-C and then by date of arrival. Make sure you note this because it makes her easier to find and you are looking for the one whose number is 431.
The digitised indent is important as this will name her family members at home. Not all indents have survived and you will see that this one for Mary is badly water damaged. This book is in no particular order, so just go through the images until you find her. Remember her number is 431 so that again you find the right one. The indent goes across two pages so you need to look at two images. The offence and remarks have been entered in the wrong columns, so her family details are in the "offence" column. F=Father, B=Brother, NP=Native Place Often if a mother is not named this means she was deceased.
There is no link for Simeon's indent so this could mean that it is missing or could be too fragile to copy. The Tas Archives should be able to advise you on this.
Debra :)
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Hi Debra Thanks so much for that information. I've worked out now how to find everything, quite easy when you know how. Unfortunately my computer is still a slow one so takes a while to check them.
Thanks :)