Australian Convict Records Online

StewL · Post by **StewL** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 2:00 am

Australian convict records are now online at.

Ancestry.com.au

Ancestry.co.uk

I havent looked at the site or know what the costs are.

So perhaps some of your lang deid yins didnt just disappear

ensgrigsby · Post by **ensgrigsby** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 3:09 am

It is also on the US site and is free there.

Susan

StewL · Post by **StewL** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 3:47 am

Susan

You're right

Since I posted this I had a look and after registering found it was free

But as I dont have any convict ancestors that I know of I didnt check for any names

theKiwi · Post by **theKiwi** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 4:46 am

The search is free, but to see the results seems to require an Ancestry account.

Roger

StewL · Post by **StewL** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 6:08 am

Roger

You are correct about needing an account. I just opened one with my hotmail address. But dont have any names to search.

Just as a matter of interest. There may be a perception that most convicts were transported for what we would consider minor offences.
This may have been the case in the eastern states. But in Western Australia the convicts were generally hardened criminals, some of the offences I wont write here, in case it offends others.

AMENDMENT TO POST!

It would appear that I was incorrect in this post. It does cost to view the images

As I didnt actually search for a name at first I was unaware that it costs

$9.95Aud to view

I apologise for the incorrect information.

scooter · Post by **scooter** » Fri Aug 03, 2007 12:32 am

Hi All,

Just when I was about to admit defeat and hang up my genealogical boots concerning my GGGG Grandfather John Wishart, up he pops on the convict lists:

Name: John Wishart
Age: 41
Year: 1838
Birth Place: Glasgow
State: Nsw
Status: M 1f
Ship: Bengal Merchant 2
Occupation: Bookbinder

Question is, where do I go from here?

Yours excitedly,

Scott

StewL · Post by **StewL** » Fri Aug 03, 2007 1:13 am

Hi Scott

A quick search of the NSW BMD shows this person

Reg Numer Last Name First Name Fathers Mother District
2303/1896 WISHART GEORGE G GEORGE UNKNOWN INVERELL

As this is only a quick search you could try some of the sources avalable for example "Pioneer Indexes" for the colonies, I dont know if they are available in your local libraries for access, as they are here in our state libraries. They are very, very expensive to purchase.

Sorry I cant really be of much help as I dont have any convict ancestors (that I know of

) so I havent done any searching for convicts, or what they got up to when released.

But remember that even though he was sent to NSW he may have gone to another convict settlement and around 1838 it is possible he ended up in Van Diemans Land (Tassie) or another settlement.

Post by **paddyscar** » Fri Aug 03, 2007 5:07 am

There are also several other sites for convict transportations, immigration and ships records for Australia, New Zealand and Tasmania

http://talkingscot.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9596

Frances

Kathy · Post by **Kathy** » Fri Aug 03, 2007 7:18 am

Hi Scott,

Here is a bit more for you on John Wishart,

www.records.nsw.gov.au

Index to Certificates of Freedom

Search hits
Surname Firstname Alias Vessel Year CFNo Date Item Reel Remarks Order
WISHART John Bengal Merchant 1838 44/0264 24 Feb 1844 4/4389 1016 TL 43/2043

trish1 · Post by **trish1** » Fri Aug 03, 2007 7:59 am

StewL wrote:Hi Scott

As this is only a quick search you could try some of the sources avalable for example "Pioneer Indexes" for the colonies, I dont know if they are available in your local libraries for access, as they are here in our state libraries. They are very, very expensive to purchase.

Sorry I cant really be of much help as I dont have any convict ancestors (that I know of ) so I havent done any searching for convicts, or what they got up to when released.

But remember that even though he was sent to NSW he may have gone to another convict settlement and around 1838 it is possible he ended up in Van Diemans Land (Tassie) or another settlement.

If you purchase the AVRI from the LDS (for I think about 7 pounds) it contains the equivalent of the pioneer indexes for NSW Vic TAS and WA - all except TAS are online, although there is a charge for Victoria. Sadly, you cannot buy the AVRI in Australia - due to the states wanting to charge 20 times as much for the individual CDs

Trish

There is a record for John Wishart on "Convict bank Accounts" on the link given by Kathy - or a more direct link
http://www.records.nsw.gov.au/archives/ ... e_3357.asp

so it seems likely that he stayed in NSW

You can purchase copies of the NSW archives records.

Trish