What happened to the convicts families?
Wives and families of convicts were frequently reunited on Australian soil. On occasion families accompanied their convict relatives on the voyage out. More frequently families came out later and on arrival the spouse could apply to have the convict assigned to work for them.
How many penal colonies were there in Australia?
Convict Colonies. There were two major convict colonies: New South Wales (1788-1840) and Van Diemen’s Land (later Tasmania, 1803-1853). Eventually, Swan River (Western Australia) would become a third penal colony when the failing settlement requested an injection of convict labourers (1850-1868).
Is there a list of convicts sent to Australia?
This website allows you to search the British Convict transportation register for convicts transported to Australia between 1787-1867. Information available includes name of convict, known aliases, place convicted, port of departure, date of departure, port of arrival, and the source of the data.
Who was the most famous convict?
Top 5 Famous Australian Convicts
- Francis Greenway. Francis Greenway arrived in Sydney in 1814.
- Mary Wade. The youngest ever convict to be transported to Australia at the age of 11.
- John ‘Red’ Kelly. John Kelly was sent to Tasmania for seven years for stealing two pigs, apparently.
- Mary Bryant.
- Frank the Poet.
When did the last convict die?
The Western Australian records we’ve been using for our recent research and digitised for the Digital Panopticon project reveal the story of Samuel Speed, the last living Australian convict. He was transported to Western Australia in 1866 and died in 1938, just short of his 100th birthday.
Could convicts go back to England?
Very few transported convicts ever returned to Britain, from either Australia or America. One of the conditions of a “ticket of leave” was that the freed Australian convict had to stay in the colony. The terms of transportation were usually seven or fourteen years, or life.
What punishments did convicts get?
Throughout the convict era, ‘flogging’ (whipping) convicts with a cat-o’-nine-tails was a common punishment for convicts who broke the rules. In Australia today, flogging a prisoner with a whip or keeping them locked in a dark cell for a long period of time is not an acceptable form of punishment.
Why did British deport convicts to Australia?
The convicts were transported as punishment for crimes committed in Britain and Ireland. In Australia their lives were hard as they helped build the young colony. When they had served their sentences, most stayed on and some became successful settlers.
What crimes did convicts commit to get sent to Australia?
Those who were taken to Australia had committed a range of different crimes including theft, assault, robbery and fraud. As part of their punishment they were sentenced to penal transportation for seven years, fourteen years or even life, despite the crimes that they had committed being generally low-grade.
What was the most common crime committed by convicts sent to Australia?
The majority of convicts were transported for petty crimes. More serious crimes, such as rape and murder, became transportable offences in the 1830s, but since they were also punishable by death, comparatively few convicts were transported for such crimes.
How many female convicts were sent to Australia?
It’s estimated that 164,000 convicts were shipped to Australia between 1788 and 1868 under the British government’s new Transportation Act — a humane alternative to the death penalty. Approximately 25,000 of these convicts were women, charged with petty crimes such as stealing bread.
What crimes did bushrangers commit?
over 400 men were arrested and convicted of armed robbery;7. at least 20 bushrangers were killed in shoot-outs or sentenced to death by courts;8. 11 NSW police officers were killed by bushrangers; many others were wounded in shootouts.
Who was the worst bushranger?
Bush Bandits: While bushranger Ned Kelly is the most notorious bushranger, the Clarke Gang were considered the worst of all. Notorious bushrangers John and Thomas Clarke were captured in a shootout and hanged together two months later in 1867. Their execution effectively put an end to organised bushranger gangs in NSW.
Who was the most famous bushranger?
Ned Kelly
When did the last convicts arrive?
Jan
What did Ned Kelly call the police?
Jerilderie Letter