Convict Guide - published 2006 - Manual / Resource - Page 23
Guide to New South Wales State archives relating to convicts and convict administration
back to those volumes. [4/3996] and [4/3997] are each copies of part
of [4/4003] made at a much later date. The remaining volumes,
[4/4004-22] ([4/4020-23] not filmed) are arranged chronologically by
the arrival of the various transports.
The early convict indents provide details of: name, age (on some pre1800 indents and from June 1813), when and where convicted,
sentence. From July 1814 [4/4005] they also record native place, calling
and physical description. In addition, from 1826 onwards they record
offence, former convictions, religion, marital status, family and
education. Those for the years 1826-32 also record 'how disposed of'
which usually records assignment on arrival. Numbers of any tickets of
leave, conditional or absolute pardon received are often recorded on the
convict indent.
Item list Appendix I.
Printed Indents
b) Principal Superintendent of Convicts: Printed indents, 1830–
42, NRS 12188, 12189, 12190 *ARK
These volumes were printed for limited distribution to magistrates and
officials to enable them to identify individual convicts, and to provide
them with relevant facts on the convict's history: name, age, literacy,
religion, marital status, number of male and female children, native
place, trade or calling, offence, when and where tried, sentence, former
convictions, and detailed physical description.
Item list Appendix I.
Musters and related
papers
c) Colonial Secretary: Musters and related papers, 1790–1849,
NRS 1155 *ARK
Most papers usually came on the vessel from the port of embarkation
and form part of the series Colonial Secretary: Letters received
NRS 897, 905 (being frequently registered after 1826).
The lists of convicts usually show only name, date and place of trial, and
sentence. They are sometimes copies of the indenture with the owner of
the ship contracting to transport convicts, or a muster taken before
embarkation or just before or just after disembarkation. The other
papers are miscellaneous — list of deaths during the voyage, convicts to
be employed in the iron'd gangs, warrants to transport military
prisoners, list of free settlers on board. Occasionally there are letters
about a convict after arrival.
The lists are also concerned with convicts from India, Cape of Good
Hope, Mauritius, Canada, South Australia, Western Australia and
occasionally with convicts to Van Diemen's Land, Norfolk Island or Port
Phillip, as well as New South Wales.
Item list Appendix III.
‘Irish indents’
d) Warrants of the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, relating to convict
vessels from Ireland — the 'Irish Indents', 1822–40, NRS 1156
*ARK (part only)
These warrants accompanied the convicts to the colony, and transferred
authority over them from the Lord Lieutenant to the Governor of New
South Wales. They provide details of name, crime, sentence, age, and
county. Occasionally comments on character are made.
Item list Appendix I.
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State Records Authority of New South Wales