Our Projects: Convicts & Colonial Times,
Convict Connections CD, Newsletter

This is where you can find information regarding a number of genealogy related projects produced by members, that can be used by genealogists as research aids.

	CONVICT CONNECTIONS CD Only $19.95 includes postage in Australia

The CD contains a range of genealogical information, reviews, articles, and information available on this site (as of last November) is included so that you can access site details off-line.

Some of the information that is included on the CD -

REVIEW by Emily Hanna, Senior Archivist, Access and Information, State Records Authority of NSW

The CD is packed with features, including databases, convict profiles, transcripts of Surgeons' Journals, articles about individual convicts, and various research aids, for example Six Lessons in Genealogy.

many of the databases are transcribed from archival records, including Surgeons' Journals of convict ships. The databases cover the Exiles, arriving in Australia between 1849-50, Inverary Gaol transportees, the machine breakers and swing rioters, lists of Convict Connections members researched convicts and researched convict ships.

Also on the CD are a number of articles and convict profiles that have been donated by members of Convict Connections. There are articles relating to some of the issues of transportation, including early punishment, women convicts, debt and seduction, and a tour with photographs of two gaols - Inverary Gaol and Wicklow Gaol. A transcript from the Reports of the Select Committee on Transportation July 1837 and August 1838 (transcribed from the 1838 Quarterly Review) is included.

Research aids include Six Lessons in Genealogy, which will be of assistance to many researchers, particularly those commencing their family history. An alphabetical list of genealogical terminology is also included and lists words such as Artificer down to Whooping Cough.

Website, microfilm and CD reviews from members of Convict Connections are also to be found on this CD. If the researcher has a connection to the internet, it is possible to link to the websites reviewed.

The necessary software has also been included on the CD for the convenience of users.

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Convict Connections Newsletter

Our Newsletter contains not only tips for researching, but also interesting articles relating to convicts and early colonial times.

Contact us for a subscription to 3 Newsletters a year at a cost of $10 (includes postage in Australia).

Example extracts from our Newsletters are shown below.

Female Factories - Monuments to Folly. (contributed by J Godfrey.)

They were places where convict women worked off their debts to society, and, through prayer and contemplation, became better human beings. Instead, the female factories of mid-19^th century Tasmania evolved into dens of misconduct, ranging from riots and petty corruption to illicit pregnancies and unnatural sex acts. What is left of them, historians say, stands as a monument to the folly of an English penal system that considered itself just and humane, but in reality, it was simply foolish and cruel.

Two of these notorious convict work centres (at Ross and at Cascades) are to be conserved. In the first half of the 19^th century the factories housed and employed women transported from Great Britain for offences ranging from vagrancy to murder.

The intention was to rehabilitate the convict women by having them perform needlework, washing, cooking, gardening and other domestic chores. At Ross, visitors can explore the site and see the mounds and earthworks which are all that remain of an 1833 gaol complex, a chapel and “dead house”. Signs explain how warders arranged the buildings so new prisoners would symbolically depart normal society, then spend their time behind bars, earning the right to return to that same society. The gaol was built in 1833 to house male prisoners who worked on the Ross Bridge. It was not until 1847 that female convicts ere introduced. Convict transportation to Tasmania ceased in 1853, and the factory closed a few months later. By 1875, the complex had fallen into disrepair and the remaining buildings were used by crews working on the railway. They were demolished in 1897. An attractive cottage which was once used as staff accommodation is the only structure still standing.

One of the women confined here was Mary Ann Elliott who is said to have possessed “an imperfect moustache, lower voice and a masculine appearance”.

The Cascades site is located in Degraves St, South Hobart. One historian described the location as “a damp sun-starved valley”. So depressing was the site that contemporary newspapers termed it “a Black Hole of Calcutta”, and “the shadow of death”. The first in-mates arrived in December 1828. Writing in November 1843 of the sexual “horrors” occurring there, Sir John Eardley-Wilmont insisted that the details of what he heard were to be kept confidential. He declared they could not be mentioned in public without “outraging decency and creating a disgust almost beyond endurance”. His report revealed that the women had “their fancy women, to whom they are attached with quite as much ardour as they would be to the other sex”.

Other female factories were at Launceston and George Town, but they have not survived. It seems there was no interest in preserving these places, yet Port Arthur has long been a tourist magnet. Almost universally, the women confined in these places were labelled as prostitutes, even though many were in stable de facto relationships and had never resorted to such means for survival.

Threatening Language. (contributed by D Stollznow)

On Saturday last, at the Police Office, Mrs Honoria Stewart, residing at Kangaroo Point, appeared to answer the complaint of Elizabeth Crabb, of the same place, who accused the defendant of using violent and unbecoming language towards her, so as to incite her, if she had not been of a mild and placable disposition, to commit a breach of the peace. It appeared that a feud had foe some time existed between the parties, but that the immediate cause of the present outbreak was a squabble regarding some pigs, whom the defendant’s husband had denounced to the police as a nuisance, and for which the complainant’s husband was fined. This set the female members of the two rival houses by the eears, and in the course of expressing the mutual opinion which they entertained of each other, epithets by no means of a very choice description seemed to have been freely made use odf by both parties.

As the animosity of the belligerents waxed fiercer as it proceeded, some considerate neighbours, dreading that matters might arrive at extremities, despatched an express for Constable Murphy, who soon arrived, breathless, on the scene of action, and after considerable difficulty, succeeded in inducing the parties to retire each to her own domicile. Before the Bench the usual quantity of female eloquence was poured forth, and it was difficult to say who first commenced the fray. The Constable said that the violence and abuse were so nearly of a par on both sides, that it was impossible for him to state on which side the balance of vituperation lay; but of one thing he was certain, namely, that had it not been for his exertions, a breach of the peace would have been committed. The Magistrate did not consider their interference called for under the circumstances, and dismissed the case.

The situation stems from the following extract from the Moreton Bay Courier 22^nd April 1848:-

“Breach of the Police Act – On Thursday at the Police Office, Samuel Crabb, residing at Kangaroo Point, appeared on information charged with keeping pigs to the annoyance of his neighbours, and within the space forbidden by the Act. The defendant was fined in the sum of 5 shillings and 5 pence costs.”

GENERAL MUSTER – 19^th January 1811 (Contributed by C. Wood)

His Excellency the Governor is pleased to direct that a General Muster of the whole of the inhabitants (Civil and Military excepted) shall take place at the several settlements on the following days, under the inspection of His Honour Lieutenant Governor O’Connell and William Broughton, Acting Commissary.

At the Church at WINDSOR.

 On Tuesday the 5^th and Wednesday the 6^th of February next, the whole of the Free men on and off the Stores, including such as came free to the colony, such as have become free from their sentences of transportation having expired, and such as are free by Absolute Pardon, or Conditional Emancipation, residing at the following places, or any of the districts adjacent thereto; viz Green Hills, Windsor, Richmond, Nepean, Catti, Portland Heads, etc, at which time if any of the above descriptions of persons are Settlers or Landholders, they are to give an account of their land in cultivation together with the stock and grain in their possession.

On Thursday the 7^th, all the Male Prisoners on and off Stores, including Ticket of Leave men residing at any of the above places, or in the districts adjacent thereto.

On Friday the 8^th and Saturday the 9^th, all Free Women on and off Stores, including those who came free into the colony, as well as those who are free from their sentence of transportation being expired, and those who are free by Absolute Pardon or Conditional Emancipation, who reside at any of the above places, or in the districts adjacent thereto, at which time they are to give in the names and the ages of their children.

On Monday the 11^th, all Female At the Public School Room at PARRAMATTA. Prisoners on and off Stores, residing in any of the above places, or in the district adjacent thereto, at which time they will also give in the names and ages of their children.

On Wednesday the 13^th and Thursday the 14^th, the whole of the Free Men on and off Stores, including those who came free to the colony, such as are become free by their sentences of transportation having expired, and such as are free by Absolute Pardon or Conditional Emancipation, residing at the following places, or any of the districts adjacent thereto; viz Parramatta, Prospect Hill, Baulkham Hills, Toongabbee, Northern Boundaries, Field of Mars, Dundas, etc, at which time if any of the above description of persons are Settlers or Landholders, they are to give an account of their land in cultivation, together with the stock and grain in their possession.

On Friday the 15^th  and Saturday the 16^th , all the Male Prisoners on and off Stores, including Ticket of Leave men residing at any of the above places, or in the districts adjacent thereto.

On Monay the 18^th and Tuesday the 19^th, all Free Women on and off Stores, including those who came free into the colony, as well as those who are free from their sentence of transportation being expired, and those who are free by Absolute Pardon or Conditional Emancipation, who reside at any of the above places, or in the districts adjacent thereto, at which time they are to give in the names and the ages of their children.

On Wednesday the 20^th, all Female Prisoners on and off Stores, residing in any of the above places, or in the district adjacent thereto, at which time they will also give in the names and ages of their children.

At Mr Knight’s House at LIVERPOOL (formerly George’s River).

On Thursday the 21^st, the whole of Men and Women of the several classes (Civil and Military excepted), at which time Settlers and Landholders are to give an account of their land in cultivation, together with the stock and grain in their possession, and such women as have children are desired to give in their names and ages.

At the Public School Room, SYDNEY.

On Monday the 25^th and Tuesday the 26^th the whole of Free Men and those who came Free to the colony, such as are become free by their sentences of transportation having expired, and such as are free by Absolute Pardon or Conditional Emancipation, at which time if any of the above description of persons are Settlers or Landholders, they are to give an account of their land in cultivation, together with the stock and grain in their possession.

On Wednesday the 27^th and Thursday the 28^th, all Male Prisoners on and off Stores, including Ticket of Leave men residing at the above place.

On Friday the 1^st and Saturday the 2^nd of March, all Free Women on and off Stores, including those who came free into the colony, as well as those who are free from their sentence of transportation being expired, and those who are free by Absolute Pardon or Conditional Emancipation, who reside at the above place, at which time they are to give in the names and the ages of their children.

On Monday the 4^th and Tuesday the 5^th, all Female Prisoners on and off Stores, residing in the above place, at which time they will also give in the names and ages of their children.

The Musters will commence at Nine o’clock on the morning of each day precisely, at the places before mentioned.

And whereas His Excellency the Governor has received particular instructions regarding these Musters, and it having been found by experience that they cannot be accurately taken without the personal attendance of those therein described, he therefore orders and directs that every person comprised within this order do personally attend, and any who at in a disobedience thereto will be punished with the utmost severity, agreeable to the several Colonial Regulations relating thereto, and all persons having people in their employ that are comprised in this order, are particularly directed to warn them to attend at the time and place, according to situations where they reside, and no Returns will be received from any description of persons, which relate to the servants in their employ.

The Officers, Civil and Military, are to make a Return of the Land and Stock in their possession, agreeable to the customary form, but no Returns of Land granted or leased between the 26^th of January 1808 and 31^st December 1809, are to be given in, or any accounts taken by them, until such Grants or leases are confirmed by His Excellency the Governor.

His Excellency the Governor, desirous of rendering it as convenient as possible to such persons as have large flocks or herds, and in consequence of the Stock-keepers’ personal attendance, is pleased to allow such persons to attend as may be most convenient to their employers, providing the time does not exceed the last day of the Muster, at the place nearest where they reside.

THE SYDNEY GAZETTE.

The Sydney Gazette first appeared on 5^th March 1803 and was printed by George Howe, a convict. He collected the information for the gazette himself, and also encouraged contributions. He wrote the news items, arranged the layouts, distributed the copies, and collected the subscriptions. On Christmas Day 1819, he wrote about the ongoing struggles with such things as the scarcity of paper leading to breaks in publication; the failure of advertisers to pay for their advertisements; and subscribers lagging in payment for regular delivery of the gazette.

Being a convict, Howe was initially supplied with government housing and rations of food and clothing, so his costs were limited. When he received a Free Pardon in 1806 he had to support himself and his family by his own resources. In 1811, Governor Macquarie was appalled that he had not been given remuneration for government work, so organised a salary of 60 pounds a year in return for printing all government instructions, regulations and proclamations.

Howe continued to publish the paper until his death in 1821, and then his son, Robert Howe continued the publication until his death in January 1829. Thereafter the paper was successfully published by Rev Ralph Mansfield, Rev Henry Carmichael, E W O’Shaughnessy and others until it ceased publication on 24^th October 1842.

The first issue was only 4 pages, measuring 13 by 9 inches with three columns on each page. The title was decorated with an oval shaped woodcut surrounded by the words, “Thus we hope to prosper”. The woodcut included all the items needed for prosperity – settlement, arable land, the work and tools to make it productive, and produce landed by ships to carry trade. The woodcut was replaced with a lion and unicorn supporting the crown on 20^th June 1804.

The changing outlook of the colony’s population can be traced through the early gazettes. “Advance Australia” became a familiar headline and decorative heading over the leading articles from 16^th September 1824, under the direction of Robert Howe. National pride was growing and Robert introduced woodcuts of a kangaroo and emu on either sides of his imprint from early 1826.

Although the Gazette was subject to censorship by the government, it allowed the readers to express their opinions in articles or letters to the editor.

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