Convict Guide - published 2006 - Manual / Resource - Page 45
Guide to New South Wales State archives relating to convicts and convict administration
latter right not being reinstated until 1843. (Shaw, Convicts and the
Colonies, p.231). Under the new law the minimum periods to be served
before becoming eligible for tickets of leave and pardons were the same
and provision was made for more conditional pardons. (Shaw, Convicts
and the Colonies, p.231).
Approving an
application for a
ticket of leave
In January 1843 Governor Gipps, writing about the duties of the
Principal Superintendent of Convicts stated that, 'the investigation of
claims to indulgences and especially to tickets of leave is the most
labourious'. (HRA, vol. 22, p.456). The convict's records were checked
and the application after being annotated by the local magistrate(s) was
forwarded to the Principal Superintendent of Convicts who sent it to the
Governor. The process was very thorough and there are instances in
which local bench recommendations were returned or rejected due to
inadequate information being supplied. (Golder, High and Responsible
Office, p.34). When the application had been approved it went back
through the system and the local bench would issue the ticket.
Surviving ticket of
leave records
The earliest surviving tickets of leave records from July 1810-October
1814 are to be found in NRS 1166. There is a gap in the records of
tickets of leave issued from November 1814-July 1824 when Registers
of tickets of leave, NRS 12200 begin. The Principal Superintendent of
Convicts' records have been listed first, as they contain the main series
Ticket of leave butts, 1827-1875, NRS 12202. Then the other records
where information may be found have been listed alphabetically by
agency. The Index to tickets of leave, 1810-1875 should be consulted in
the first instance.
Note: Many applications for tickets of leave are located in the series
Colonial Secretary: Letters received, NRS 897 and 905, and Special
bundles NRS 898 and 906.
3.2
42
Indexes to the records
Index to tickets of exemption from government labor, 1827–1832
available on State Records' website
Index to tickets of leave, certificates of emancipation and pardons,
1810–19 available on State Records' website
Index to tickets of leave, 1810–75. Compiled by Perry McIntyre.
The index is available on the Society of Australian Genealogists'
website www.sag.org.au and on microfiche in State Records'
reading rooms
Index to ticket of leave passports, 1835–69 available on State
Records' website
Index to certificates of freedom, 1823–69 available on State
Records' website
Index to conditional pardons, 1826–70 available in State Records'
reading rooms
Index to the Colonial Secretary's Papers, 1788–1825 *ARK and is
available on State Records' website
Colonial Secretary's Correspondence: Index to convicts and others,
1826–1877. Compiled by Joan Reese
Colonial Secretary's Correspondence: Index to letters sent re
convicts, 1826–May 1855. Compiled by Joan Reese
State Records Authority of New South Wales