How many convict relatives in your tree?

[Beeonthebay]

I read that some convicts hoped to be transported as it was a huge opportunity for them, to live in Australia. I am very pleased to have 2 convicts in my tree, much better than always finding many 5xgreat uncle Fred's and Johns and Thomas' who were born, married, always lived and then died in the same village.

I've never heard this one before!!  How would they even know what Australia was like?

Whoever arrived in Australia and the US before that must have been really fit.  The archivist at Lancaster Castle/gaol told me that convicts had to walk in shackles to the hulks, then live in them sometimes for months then face that dreadful journey to Oz.  Only the fittest would survive that.  The women didn't have to walk as they were felt to be the weaker sex so they were sent down in carts.

It was only through doing research last year on female convicts that I became aware that Bermuda was a penal colony, though rather than populate it with British and Irish stock no women were ever sent there, the men were there to do hard labour building a Navy Dockyard and when they'd served their time were shipped back home.

It's a very interesting subject.

[pinefamily]

They were sent to the Caribbean as virtual slaves after the Monmouth Rebellion.

[Bobby G]

Mine is pretty unique? in that I have 2 in my paternal line. Father and son. George (stole a pig) was sent to Tassie and the son William (stole watches then tried to sell them) to NSW. William lived until 1888 but his dad died not long after arriving in Tassie (late 1830's), unfortunately.

[Nova67]

My convicts so far are: James Lord, James Smith (step relation), Charles Lane, Charles Ledgerwood, William Waldren Johns, William Ledgerwood and Maria Coverley.
William Bidgood fathered one of Maria's children before she married James Lord (so he is not blood related).
And maybe Maria Riseley
Mostly all petty theft. The Ledgerwood brothers went for the hat trick, but the third brother was acquitted.
Watched the final of "Banished" on DVD last night.  Will have to find the old thread on that.  They all looked remarkably well nourished

[coombs]

In July 1824 my ancestor Edmund King omitted his grandson Thomas Tanner from his will. He said to my daughter Susannah and her children except Thomas "Whom I leave nothing". Thomas was about 21 in 1824 and in early 1825 was said to be selling goods under false pretences in Oxford City, and was of Toot Baldon. 2 years later was when Thomas was transported to Australia. Seems he had lead a criminal lifestyle for a while before being transported to Australia.

[barmaid1971]

Very disappointingly, none.  The worst conviction I have found is for "furiously driving" through the Market place in his horse and trap.

I'd be off to polish my halo were it not for the fact I have a 3x bigamist who never got caught..........

[Mowsehowse]

How wonderful to have convict ancestors in Australia, the records there are so well kept and easy to research. Photos too!!

I am trying to find out what happened to an ancestor transported to the tobacco plantations of Virginia and the Americas....... but it seems to me that era is regarded as too shameful in America, and it is really tough trying to dig up any information although there are a few fascinating books that give an overview.

[Ruskie]

I read that some convicts hoped to be transported as it was a huge opportunity for them, to live in Australia. I am very pleased to have 2 convicts in my tree, much better than always finding many 5xgreat uncle Fred's and Johns and Thomas' who were born, married, always lived and then died in the same village.

I've never heard this one before!!  How would they even know what Australia was like?

Whoever arrived in Australia and the US before that must have been really fit.  The archivist at Lancaster Castle/gaol told me that convicts had to walk in shackles to the hulks, then live in them sometimes for months then face that dreadful journey to Oz.  Only the fittest would survive that.  The women didn't have to walk as they were felt to be the weaker sex so they were sent down in carts.

It was only through doing research last year on female convicts that I became aware that Bermuda was a penal colony, though rather than populate it with British and Irish stock no women were ever sent there, the men were there to do hard labour building a Navy Dockyard and when they'd served their time were shipped back home.

It's a very interesting subject.

Though it was panned, I quite enjoyed this:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banished_(TV_series)
(Apologies if it was mentioned earlier in the thread).

I agree that they would not have had much idea of what they were in for. I doubt that much/any of it was good, though some did become successful.

Free settlers may have been spun stories of opportunity to encourage immigration in order to build the colony. I would not be surprised if many of them found it did not live up to their expectations, and promises of a better life may not have been attainable - with costs to return home out of the reach of most.

[Beeonthebay]

I totally agree Ruskie, it must have been really grim for the first lot sent out there, though I suppose it got "better" later when they had actual buildings and such like.