Convict

[Amanda4325]

Does anyone know how I would go about tracing a convict after he left prison, or if he died serving time?  Or did the Australian authorities allow them to stay after their sentence was over?

I’ve come across someone who was shipped to Australia in 1854 (he got 10 years for grand larceny).  Do records exist stating if/when they were shipped home?

I haven’t linked him with my family yet, but it’s an unusual surname - STIFF (my great-grandmother's maiden name), so I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a link somewhere. 

I’m probably asking the impossible, but I’m curious!

Amanda   

[jorose]

Most convicts stayed in Australia - since he went relatively late he probably went to Western Australia: and yep, I see him in the WA ship lists at http://www.convictcentral.com/ and on the index at Fremantle Prison:

http://www.fremantleprison.com/history/history6.cfm

According to this he was given a Ticket of Leave 5 Apr 1854.  'Known Areas' lists Perth.
( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ticket_of_leave )

You might find http://www.wags.org.au/ and http://www.liswa.wa.gov.au/wageneo.html useful sites to start with.

[Amanda4325]

I recently found the info re. Freemantle but didn't know where to go from there.  I'll have a look!

Many thanks for your reply!
Amanda