How many Convicts are you descended from?

[trish251]

But they do have a  great sense of humour about it! In 1977 my wife and I were in one of the huge lines of tourists awaiting to pass through Customs at Heathrow Airport. An announcement was made over the public address system in a broad English accent "Would all Aussie convicts please proceed to desk No.......," There were a few chuckles from us QANTAS passengers, and we all went to desk No......, showed our passports, and went straight through Customs without having to line up. A great welcome from our "Pommy cousins"!

Les

Blimey Les - things have changed - when I was there a few years ago - everyone from Europe instantly went through customs - we were in a five mile queue with all the others from past or present "commonwealth" countries and no doubt a few others.  Took us about 3 hours to be "let back in"

Trish

[redmr2red]

I have lots of convicts on just about every branch of my Family trees.

An interesting one is John Marsden who was transported to Tasmania in 1812 aboard the "Indefatigable" for killing a sheep (they could not prove he stole it).  His son John Marsden was transported for seven years to New South Wales aboard the "Shipley" eight years later for stealing one pound, ten shillings and sixpence.  In Sydney he applied to be re-united with his father at Port Daleymple (Launceston) which is granted.

Then John Marsden's (Snr.) daughter Jane arrives in Tasmania, with her new husband John Stonehouse and grandson to John Marsden.  All are re-united when Jane and John apply to have both John Marsdens assigned to them.  They all become wealthy land owners in Launcetson.

But my most notable convict is John Broadhurst Boothman, who was transported for stealing a sum of money from his employer.  He arrived at the failed Sorrento settlement in 1803 with Collins.  In 1804 he went with Collins to Tasmania where the Risden Cove settlement was moved to Hobart Town.  So he was with the first settlers of "Victoria" and with the first people to settle "Hobart".  He married convict Mary Cash.

Cheers, Red

[Bellejazz]

What an interesting story Red.
How lucky are you to have been able to find such good information about your convicts!



- Belinda.

[MarieC]

Anne

That's a great site that you gave us!  Wish my Irish were convicts - I'd have a lot more information about them (sigh!)  (Didn't know the Dublin 1911 census had gone online.  Trouble is, I have no idea if any of my Huband Smith family were alive and living in Dublin then, so not much use to me!)

In general, if you have convicts who were transported to Australia, there is a large amount of information about them, here and often in their country of origin.  The same can't be said for sailors on the ships that brought them here!  I can't find any information about the brief naval career of the Joshua Bentley I suspect is my ggggrandfather, so can only claim him provisionally.

MarieC

[Les de B]

hi all,I've enjoyed reading all your comments about convict ancestors
and I thought if you have'nt seen this database of  convicts who were transported
from ireland already you might like to have a browse and 'adopt' a few

                                                                                                       anne
http://www.nationalarchives.ie/search/index.php?browse=true&category=18&subcategory=147

Yes, this a great site, which I have used before, though there was always a convict ancestor I could never find on this site. It finally got the better of yesterday, and I emailed the Irish National Archives, to see if the on-line records were complete. They promptly replied, informing me that the records were complete, and if no convict is found the site, there is no record available for him/her.  Apparently, a great many convict records were totally destroyed by fire/explosion during the Irish Civil War in 1922.  A very sad event, but at least the saved records have been made available to the public.

Les

[MarieC]

That is sad, Les - at least you know for sure that his records have been lost!    You'd have lots of stuff on him from the Australian end, though, I imagine.

MarieC

[Les de B]

That is sad, Les - at least you know for sure that his records have been lost!  You'd have lots of stuff on him from the Australian end, though, I imagine.

Yes, I'm lucky enough to know a fair bit about him. Very briefly, he married another Irish convict out here, had one daughter, and she married a convict (there's 3 out of my 8 convicts in one sentence). I have all their Aussie marriages, death and births. The only thing I never found out was the crime he was sentenced to 14 years transportation in Ireland. That question was posted on another thread, and I never received one reply - no doubt because nobody knows due the records being destroyed in the 1922 fire.

Les

[lesleyhannah]

Anne
 (Didn't know the Dublin 1911 census had gone online.  Trouble is, I have no idea if any of my Huband Smith family were alive and living in Dublin then, so not much use to me)
MarieC

Been following this thread because my 4xgreat-grandfather (and his son, my gggg-uncle) were transported for animal theft - found the ships they went on, and the dates, but do envy those of you who have found out so much more.

My real query here is - how do I find the Dublin census? I didn't know it was online either.

Thanks - this could answer a lot of Irish questions - I'm shaking with anticipation!!
Lesley

[karenlee]

None.  More's the pity.  Always wanted one though.

Karenlee