Western Australia Convict Records: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 02:28, 11 February 2025

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Australia

Western Australia

Western Australia Convict Records

Online Resources

Western Australia

Fremantle, Western Australia Prison Convict Database Index
1846-1930 Western Australia, Australia, Convict Records, 1846-1930 at Ancestry, Index ($)
1848-1900 General register of convicts, 1848-1900 at FamilySearch, images.
1850-1862 Character book register, 1850-1862 at FamilySearch, images.
1852-1868 Printed list of convicts, 1852-1868 at FamilySearch, images.
1856-1858 Register of reconvicted prisoners, 1856-1859 at FamilySearch, images.
1856-1861 Ticket of leave register, 1856-1861 at FamilySearch, images.
1861-1863 Probationer register, 1861-1863 at FamilySearch, images.

Finding Records

Types of Convict Records

Tickets of Leave Butts

Tickets of leave were issued to convicts having served about half of their sentences with good behavior.
These tickets allowed convicts to seek employment as they wished but limited their movement to a certain district for the remainder of their sentences.
Prior to 1828, bench magistrates granted tickets of leave and approved applications for convicts to marry.
The actual ticket of leave was issued to the convict; the government retained the ticket of leave butts.
Ticket of leave butts listed the convict’s name, ship, and date of arrival, native place, trade or calling, date and place of trial and sentence, a physical description, and the district to which he or she was confined.

Certificates of Freedom

A certificate of freedom was a document stating that a convict's sentence had been served and was usually given to convicts with a 7, 10 or 14 year sentence or when they received a pardon.
Convicts with a life sentence could receive a Pardon, but not a Certificate of Freedom.
The Certificate of Freedom number was sometimes annotated on the indent or noted on a Ticket of Leave Butt.
The government retained certificates of freedom butts, which were similar to ticket of leave butts.

Pardons

Both conditional and absolute pardons were generally granted to convicts with life sentences.
Conditional pardons required that the ex-convict never return to the British Isles or his or her pardon would be void.
Absolute pardons allowed an ex-convict to return to the British Isles if he or she wished.
Pardon records contain information similar to tickets of leave: the convict’s name, ship, and date of arrival, native place, trade or calling, date and place of trial and sentence, a physical description, and the district to which he or she was confined.

Convict indents

Convict indents were lists that were made when convicts arrived on transport ships.
Information given in indents is similar to that in tickets of leave but also includes a convict’s marital status and number of children and whether the convict was literate.

For Further Reading

FamilySearch Library

Additional sources are listed in the FamilySearch Catalog:

@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 ==Online Resources==
 ===Western Australia===
-*[http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=1180 Australian Convict Transportation Registers – Other Fleets & Ships, 1791-1868] Index ($)
-*[http://search.findmypast.com/search-world-Records/australia-convict-conditional-and-absolute-pardons-1791-1867 Australia Convict Conditional and Absolute Pardons 1791-1867] Index ($)
 *[https://www.nla.gov.au/app/eresources/item/4417 Fremantle, Western Australia Prison Convict Database] Index
-*[http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=1177 Australian Convict Transportation Registers – First Fleet, 1787-1788] Index ($)
+*'''1846-1930''' [http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=60668 Western Australia, Australia, Convict Records, 1846-1930] at Ancestry, Index ($)
-*[http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=1178 Australian Convict Transportation Registers – Second Fleet, 1789-1790] Index ($)
+*'''1848-1900''' {{FSC|237756|item|disp=General register of convicts, 1848-1900}} at FamilySearch, images.
-*[http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=1179 Australian Convict Transportation Registers – Third Fleet, 1791] Index ($)
+*'''1850-1862''' {{FSC|237829|item|disp=Character book register, 1850-1862}} at FamilySearch, images.
-*[http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=60668 Western Australia, Australia, Convict Records, 1846-1930] Index ($)
+*'''1852-1868''' {{FSC|234425|item|disp=Printed list of convicts, 1852-1868}} at FamilySearch, images.
-*[http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=5517 Australia, Convict Index, 1788-1868] Index ($)
+*'''1856-1858''' {{FSC|234421|item|disp=Register of reconvicted prisoners, 1856-1859}} at FamilySearch, images.
-===Australia===
+*'''1856-1861''' {{FSC|234414|item|disp=Ticket of leave register, 1856-1861}} at FamilySearch, images.
-*[http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=1251 Australia List of Convicts with Particulars, 1788-1842], ($), index .
+*'''1861-1863''' {{FSC|234417|item|disp=Probationer register, 1861-1863}} at FamilySearch, images.
-*[http://search.findmypast.com/search-world-Records/australia-convict-conditional-and-absolute-pardons-1791-1867 Australia Convict Conditional and Absolute Pardons 1791-1867], ($), index.
-*[http://search.findmypast.com/search-world-Records/australia-convict-ships-1786-1849 Australia Convict Ships 1786-1849], ($), index.
+==Finding Records==
-*[http://search.findmypast.com/search-world-Records/australia-convict-tickets-of-leave-1824-1874 Australia Convict Tickets Of Leave 1824-1874], ($), index.
+===Archives===
-*[http://members.pcug.org.au/~pdownes/dps/1stflt.htm Australia's First Fleet]
+'''State Records Office of Western Australia'''<br>
-*[http://members.pcug.org.au/~pdownes/dps/2ndflt.htm Australia's Second Fleet]
+Francis Street<br>
-*[http://members.pcug.org.au/~pdownes/dps/3rdflt.txt Australia's Third Fleet]
+PERTH WA 6000<br>
-*[http://www.slq.qld.gov.au/resources/family-history/convicts Convict transportation registers database]
+Australia<br>
-*[http://findingaids.nationalarchives.ie/index.php?browse=true&category=18&subcategory=147 Ireland-Australia transportation database, National Archives of Ireland]
+<br>
-*[http://members.iinet.net.au/~perthdps/convicts//index.html Convicts to Australia]
+Telephone: 61 8 9427 3600<br>
+Email: sro@sro.wa.gov.au<br>
+*[https://www.wa.gov.au/organisation/state-records-office-of-western-australia/research-using-state-archives Research using State Archives]
+*[https://www.wa.gov.au/organisation/state-records-office-of-western-australia/convicts Convicts] The State Records Office holds comprehensive sets of records relating to convicts transported to Western Australia between 1850 and 1868.
+== Types of Convict Records  ==
+=== Tickets of Leave Butts  ===
+*'''Tickets of leave''' were issued to convicts having served about half of their sentences with good behavior.
+*These tickets '''allowed convicts to seek employment''' as they wished but '''limited their movement to a certain district''' for the remainder of their sentences.
+*Prior to 1828, bench magistrates granted tickets of leave and approved applications for convicts to marry.
+*The actual ticket of leave was issued to the convict; '''the government retained the ticket of leave butts'''.
+*'''Ticket of leave butts listed the convict’s name, ship, and date of arrival, native place, trade or calling, date and place of trial and sentence, a physical description, and the district to which he or she was confined.'''
+=== Certificates of Freedom  ===
+*A '''certificate of freedom''' was a document stating that a '''convict's sentence had been served''' and was usually given to convicts with a 7, 10 or 14 year sentence or when they received a pardon.
+*Convicts with a '''life sentence''' could receive a Pardon, but not a Certificate of Freedom.
+*The Certificate of Freedom number was sometimes '''annotated on the indent or noted on a Ticket of Leave Butt.'''
+*The government retained certificates of freedom butts, which were similar to ticket of leave butts.
+=== Pardons  ===
+*Both '''conditional and absolute pardons''' were generally '''granted to convicts with life sentences'''.
+*'''Conditional pardons''' required that the ex-convict '''never return to the British Isles''' or his or her pardon would be void.
+*'''Absolute pardons''' allowed an ex-convict to return to the British Isles if he or she wished.
+*'''Pardon records''' contain information similar to tickets of leave: the convict’s name, ship, and date of arrival, native place, trade or calling, date and place of trial and sentence, a physical description, and the district to which he or she was confined.'''
+=== Convict indents  ===
+*Convict indents were lists that were made when convicts arrived on transport ships.
+*Information given in indents is similar to that in tickets of leave but also includes a convict’s marital status and number of children and whether the convict was literate.
+==For Further Reading==
+===FamilySearch Library===
+Additional sources are listed in the '''FamilySearch Catalog:'''
+*{{FSC|Australia, Western Australia - Convict records|subject|subject-id=405930227|disp=Australia, Western Australia - Convict records}}
+*{{FSC|Australia, Western Australia - Convict records - Indexes|subject|subject-id=1020276480|disp=Australia, Western Australia - Convict records - Indexes}}
 {{Place|Australia}}
 [[Category:Western Australia]]